'mssql' isn't an available database backend or couldn't be imported.

[F2Andy]

Oh, well this is embarassing. The solution was here all the time:

'mssql' (also tried 'sql_server.pyodbc) isn't an available database backend or couldn't be imported

I had this exact same issue and there is NOTHING online that fixed it until I finally, FINALLY, discovered the source of the issue on my own. I don’t know if this is the same problem everyone with this issue is running into, but I have not seen a SINGLE mention of it in any online discussion, package documentation, or thread ANYWHERE. The cause of this issue? (for me at least): At some poin the naming convention of the top-level folder that gets installed by the ‘mssql’ package was changed. Y…

Something somewhere is expecting MsSql in settings.DATABASES rather than mssql.