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Explain CTE vs Temp Table. What are the differences and use cases?

SQLmedium0.5 min readPremium
Frequency
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Asked at 1 company
Category
487
questions in SQL
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130E|271M|86H
in this category
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1,863
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Fractal
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Expert AnswerPremium
100 wordsInterview-ready
**Architectural Logic**: CTE = inline; temp table = materialized—affects performance and reuse. **CTE**: Scope within query; no persistence; optimizer may inline. **Temp Table**: Materialized; session scope; can index; statistics available. **Use CTE**: One-off logic; readability; recursion. **Use Temp Table**: Multiple references; large intermediate; need indexes. **Example**: CTE for single-use subquery; temp table for `CREATE TEMP TABLE t AS ...; CREATE INDEX ON t(col);` then multiple joins....
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