---
title: "Stored Procedure vs. Functions in SQL Server"  
description: "Stored Procedure vs. Functions in SQL Server"  
author: "Revati S Misra"  
published: 2023-07-11  
updated: 2023-07-12  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/159030/stored-procedure-vs-functions-in-sql-server  
category: "mssql server"  
tags: ["mssql server", "sql server", "sql"]  
reading_time: 2 minutes  

---

# Stored Procedure vs. Functions in SQL Server

[Stored Procedure](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/803/using-stored-procedure-in-asp-dot-net) vs. [Functions in SQL](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/33707/what-is-the-difference-between-rank-and-dense_rank-functions-in-sql-server) [Server](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/43769/what-is-serverless-architecture-is-it-worth-switching-over)

## Replies

### Reply by Aryan Kumar

[Stored](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/157561/what-is-the-stored-procedure-create-a-procedure-to-find-the-record-by-stu_id-from-the-student-table) procedures and [functions](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/160140/explain-the-role-of-functions-as-a-service-faas-in-serverless-computing) are both types of reusable code in [SQL Server](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12999/what-is-table-valued-function-in-sql-server). They can be used to encapsulate complex logic and improve the performance of your applications. However, there are some key differences between stored procedures and functions.

**Stored procedures** are blocks of SQL code that are stored in the database. They can be executed by calling them from within a query or from another stored [procedure](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/32/stored-procedure-return-datatype). Stored procedures can be used to perform a variety of tasks, such as inserting, updating, and deleting data from tables; running queries; and executing other stored procedures.

**Functions** are also blocks of SQL code that are stored in the database. However, functions can only return a single value. Functions are often used to perform calculations or to format data.

Here is a table that summarizes the differences between stored procedures and functions:

| Feature | Stored procedure | Function |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Can return multiple values | No | Yes |
| Can be called from within a query | Yes | Yes |
| Can be called from another stored procedure | Yes | No |
| Can be used to perform a variety of tasks | Yes | No |
| Often used to perform calculations or format data | No | Yes |

The best way to choose between a stored procedure and a function depends on your specific needs. If you need to perform a variety of tasks, then you should use a stored procedure. If you only need to return a single value, then you should use a function.

Here are some additional considerations when choosing between stored procedures and functions:

- **Performance:** Stored procedures can be more efficient than functions, because they can be cached by the database server.
- **Reusability:** Stored procedures are more reusable than functions, because they can be called from within other stored procedures.
- **Maintainability:** Stored procedures are more maintainable than functions, because they can be easily modified without affecting the code that calls them.


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Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/159030/stored-procedure-vs-functions-in-sql-server

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