Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft SQL Server

Composite Score

8.7 /10

CX Score

9.0 /10

244 Reviews Write a Review

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What is Microsoft SQL Server?

Apply intelligence across all your data with SQL Server 2022. Whether your data is structured or unstructured, query and analyze it using the data platform with industry-leading performance and security. Regardless of where your data is stored, query and analyze it with the data platform known for performance, security, and availability.

Company Details

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Awards & Recognition

Microsoft SQL Server won the following awards in the Data Integration category

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2025 Data Quadrant Champion

Latest Award, 2025

1 Top Rated Capabilities

1 Top Rated Features

Latest Award, 2025

2024 Emotional Footprint Champion

2024

2024 Data Quadrant Champion

2024

1 Top Rated Capabilities

1 Top Rated Features

2024

2023 Emotional Footprint Champion

2023

Microsoft SQL Server Ratings

Real user data aggregated to summarize the product performance and customer experience.
Download the entire Product Scorecard to access more information on Microsoft SQL Server.

Product scores listed below represent current data. This may be different from data contained in reports and awards, which express data as of their publication date.

88 Likeliness to Recommend

98 Plan to Renew

1
Since last award

84 Satisfaction of Cost Relative to Value

1
Since last award

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Emotional Footprint Overview

Product scores listed below represent current data. This may be different from data contained in reports and awards, which express data as of their publication date.

+90 Net Emotional Footprint

The emotional sentiment held by end users of the software based on their experience with the vendor. Responses are captured on an eight-point scale.

How much do users love Microsoft SQL Server?

2% Negative

4% Neutral

94% Positive

Pros

Reliable
Trustworthy
Performance Enhancing
Enables Productivity

Feature Ratings

Average 80

Administrative Features

Data Security

Exception Handling and Notifications

Batch Integration

Synchronization and Replication

Real Time Integration

Metadata Management

Data Quality Profiling and Cleansing

Data Virtualization

Multi Channel Support

API Management and Orchestration

Vendor Capability Ratings

Average 81

Business Value Created

Ease of Implementation

Quality of Features

Breadth of Features

Ease of Data Integration

Availability and Quality of Training

Usability and Intuitiveness

Product Strategy and Rate of Improvement

Vendor Support

Ease of IT Administration

Ease of Customization

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Transaction Data Store

Score 8.9

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Score 8.1

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Microsoft SQL Server Reviews

Fatima R.

Role: Information Technology
Industry: Engineering
Involvement: End User of Application

Validated Review

Verified Reviewer

Submitted Mar 2024

Best product

Likeliness to Recommend

9 /10

What differentiates Microsoft SQL Server from other similar products?

Built-in Business Intelligence and Analytics: SQL Server comes with built-in business intelligence (BI) and analytics features. These include tabular and multidimensional modeling with SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS), paginated reports with SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), and extract, transform, and load (ETL) processes with SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS). Hybrid Cloud Capabilities: SQL Server offers easy database deployment and management between on-premises and cloud environments thanks to its hybrid cloud capabilities.

What is your favorite aspect of this product?

Enterprise-grade Features: Advanced security features, high availability choices, and reliable disaster recovery solutions are just a few of the enterprise-grade features that SQL Server provides. The demanding specifications of enterprise environments are satisfied by these characteristics. Analytics and Business Intelligence: SQL Server comes with built-in analytics and business intelligence features like SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), and SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS). With the use of these tools, users can construct processes for data integration, generate reports, and analyze data.

What do you dislike most about this product?

Challenges associated with Upgrades and Migrations: Changing SQL Server editions or databases between on-premises and cloud deployment models, for example, can be difficult and time-consuming procedures. During these changes, users can run into problems with data transfer, downtime, or compatibility. Limited Support for Open Source Technologies: Despite the fact that SQL Server has made progress in integrating open source technologies, such as Hadoop and Apache Spark, some users may find that the platform's support for these technologies is less extensive than that of other database solutions with native or more deeply integrated support.

What recommendations would you give to someone considering this product?

Put Strong Security Measures in Place: Put strong security measures in place to guard sensitive data and SQL Server databases against breaches, illegal access, and data loss. To improve security posture and regulatory compliance, make use of features like auditing, role-based access control (RBAC), Always Encrypted, Transparent Data Encryption (TDE), and audits. Test Recovery methods and Backup SQL Server Databases Often: To guarantee data resilience and integrity against data loss or corruption events, test recovery methods and backup SQL Server databases frequently. Create thorough backup and recovery plans that are documented and adapted

Pros

Effective Service
Helps Innovate
Continually Improving Product
Reliable

Abhay C.

Role: Information Technology
Industry: Technology
Involvement: IT Development, Integration, and Administration

Validated Review

Verified Reviewer

Submitted Mar 2024

Seamless Integration, Performance, Price

Likeliness to Recommend

9 /10

What differentiates Microsoft SQL Server from other similar products?

The features that set Microsoft SQL Server apart are its high performance, strong security features, extensive business intelligence capabilities, ease of interface with the Microsoft ecosystem, and adaptability to a wide range of development requirements.

What is your favorite aspect of this product?

My favorite feature of Microsoft SQL Server is its smooth interaction with the Microsoft ecosystem. Efficient data management and analysis workflows are promoted by ensuring interoperability with other Microsoft applications and streamlining tasks.

What do you dislike most about this product?

One potential downside of Microsoft SQL Server is its licensing fees, especially for large-scale implementations.

What recommendations would you give to someone considering this product?

Examine documentation and community resources, carefully consider your needs and budget, take advantage of Microsoft's cloud offerings for scalability, and keep up with new features for optimization.

Pros

Helps Innovate
Enables Productivity
Trustworthy
Effective Service

Shubham A.

Role: Information Technology
Industry: Technology
Involvement: IT Leader or Manager

Validated Review

Verified Reviewer

Submitted Feb 2024

Best Relational database with good performance

Likeliness to Recommend

10 /10

What differentiates Microsoft SQL Server from other similar products?

The disaster recovery and data masking feature is very helpful and easy to implement in Microsoft SQL server database.

What is your favorite aspect of this product?

It can handle the large amount of data. Its easy to implement ETL pipeline using SSIS and Microsoft SQL server.

What do you dislike most about this product?

The performance of data extraction is show as compared to modern databases like Databricks SQL, Exasol etc. the enterprise license cost is higher so its difficult for small organization to purchase license for individuals.

What recommendations would you give to someone considering this product?

This is a great tool to store the relational database with great disaster recovery capabilities.

Pros

Helps Innovate
Enables Productivity
Unique Features
Effective Service

Microsoft SQL Server

What is Microsoft SQL Server?

Company Details

Need Assistance?

Awards & Recognition

2025 Data Quadrant Champion

2024 Emotional Footprint Champion

2024 Data Quadrant Champion

2023 Emotional Footprint Champion

Microsoft SQL Server Ratings

88 Likeliness to Recommend

98 Plan to Renew

1 Since last award

84 Satisfaction of Cost Relative to Value

1 Since last award

Emotional Footprint Overview

+90 Net Emotional Footprint

How much do users love Microsoft SQL Server?

Pros

Feature Ratings Average rating of all product features, some of which may not be shown below

Administrative Features Includes basic aspects of data extraction, transformation, and loading. Administrative console and process viewing, interruption, restart, cancel, and rollback.

Data Security Includes ability to hide sensitive data by masking with special characters or anonymous information.

Exception Handling and Notifications Ability to catch, report, and handle exceptions; includes transaction logging and event viewing.

Batch Integration Includes ability to schedule integration processes to run on a periodic basis to control the movement of data from a source to target.

Synchronization and Replication Includes the ability to accurately catch, reflect, and correct changes in data across multiple data stores.

Real Time Integration Able to integrate data in near-real time and handle movement of data from a source to target. Monitoring for changes in a data source in a non-invasive manner.

Metadata Management A metadata layer makes reporting easy and eliminates the need for coding and SQL, allowing users to see and access information in simple business language.

Data Quality Profiling and Cleansing Includes data cleansing, reconciliation, and profiling across multiple sources in batch mode.

Data Virtualization Includes ability to create views joining disparate data sources without the need for persistence.

Multi Channel Support The ability to support and connect with channels including Cloud Services, Big Data Platforms, web, mobile, social, IoT, wearables, etc.

API Management and Orchestration Includes publishing, promoting and overseeing APIs and Orchestration Services.

Vendor Capability Ratings Average rating of all vendor capabilities, some of which may not be shown below

Business Value Created Software needs to create value for employees, customers, partners, and, ultimately, shareholders. This data expresses user satisfaction - or lack thereof - with the product's business value.

Ease of Implementation Successfully implementing new software is necessary to realize its full value and promote end user adoption. This data indicates whether or not the product is easy to implement.

Quality of Features Feature quality is just as important as quantity. Use this data to determine if this product will do what you're purchasing it to do, easily, intuitively, reliably, and effectively.

Breadth of Features Users prefer feature rich software that enables them to perform diverse series of tasks. This data expresses user satisfaction with the product's breadth of features.

Ease of Data Integration Use this data to determine whether the product will cause headaches or make data integration easy.

Availability and Quality of Training Effective and readily available training enables users to get the most out of the software you've chosen. Use this section to make sure your vendor's training programs and materials measure up.

Usability and Intuitiveness End user learning curves cost the organization money. Pay attention to your end users' technical ability to determine how important UX is in your purchase.

Product Strategy and Rate of Improvement Vendors who don't stay on top of emerging needs and trends won't enable you to meet your business goals. Use this data to separate innovators from imposters.

Vendor Support The importance of vendor support will vary for each organization depending on internal capabilities, but there will always be issues that only the vendor can resolve.

Ease of IT Administration This data indicates whether IT personnel will be able to resolve issues and perform configurations efficiently and effectively.

Ease of Customization Don't get bogged down in a difficult customization; use this data to make sure you can easily achieve the functionality you need for your particular situation.

Also Featured in...

Transaction Data Store

Desktop Publishing

Microsoft SQL Server Reviews

Fatima R.

Best product

Likeliness to Recommend

Pros

Abhay C.

Seamless Integration, Performance, Price

Likeliness to Recommend

Pros

Shubham A.

Best Relational database with good performance

Likeliness to Recommend

Pros

Most Popular Microsoft SQL Server Comparisons

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Cleo Integration Cloud

1
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Feature Ratings

Administrative Features

Data Security

Exception Handling and Notifications

Batch Integration

Synchronization and Replication

Real Time Integration

Metadata Management

Data Quality Profiling and Cleansing

Data Virtualization

Multi Channel Support

API Management and Orchestration

Vendor Capability Ratings

Business Value Created

Ease of Implementation

Quality of Features

Breadth of Features

Ease of Data Integration

Availability and Quality of Training

Usability and Intuitiveness

Product Strategy and Rate of Improvement

Vendor Support

Ease of IT Administration

Ease of Customization