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.
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Real user data aggregated to summarize the product performance and customer experience.
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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
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?
Pros
- Reliable
- Trustworthy
- Performance Enhancing
- Enables Productivity
How to read the Emotional Footprint
The Net Emotional Footprint measures high-level user sentiment towards particular product offerings. It aggregates emotional response ratings for various dimensions of the vendor-client relationship and product effectiveness, creating a powerful indicator of overall user feeling toward the vendor and product.
While purchasing decisions shouldn't be based on emotion, it's valuable to know what kind of emotional response the vendor you're considering elicits from their users.
Footprint
Negative
Neutral
Positive
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
Also Featured in...
Microsoft SQL Server Reviews
Dinesh P.
- Role: Information Technology
- Industry: Banking
- Involvement: IT Leader or Manager
Submitted Feb 2025
"Full of features, Easy to use".
Likeliness to Recommend
What differentiates Microsoft SQL Server from other similar products?
Microsoft SQL Server stands out from other database management systems due to its deep integration with the Microsoft ecosystem, enterprise-grade security features, and user-friendly tools like SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). It offers advanced analytics, in-memory processing, and built-in AI capabilities, making it well-suited for high-performance workloads. Additionally, its seamless integration with Azure services provides powerful hybrid and cloud-based database solutions, differentiating it from competitors like MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle.
What is your favorite aspect of this product?
One of my favorite aspects of SQL Server is its high availability and disaster recovery features. The Always On availability groups ensure that databases stay online even during failures, and the performance optimizations can handle large workloads efficiently. When combined with Azure, SQL Server becomes an incredibly powerful hybrid solution for businesses that need both on-premise and cloud capabilities.
What do you dislike most about this product?
That said, there are some downsides. The biggest one for me is the cost—SQL Server’s licensing fees can be quite high, especially for smaller businesses or startups. Also, while it does run on Linux now, it’s still primarily optimized for Windows, so cross-platform performance isn’t as smooth as with open-source databases like PostgreSQL or MySQL. And even though Microsoft has improved query optimization with AI-driven features, manual tuning is still often required for complex workloads, which can be frustrating at times.
What recommendations would you give to someone considering this product?
For anyone considering SQL Server, my recommendation would be to carefully assess your budget and infrastructure. If your business already relies on Microsoft products, SQL Server is an excellent choice because of its deep integration with Azure, Windows, and Power BI. But if you're working in a Linux-heavy environment or need a more cost-effective solution, you might want to compare it with alternatives like PostgreSQL. Also, take the time to explore the built-in tools for high availability and performance tuning—they can make a huge difference in how efficiently your database runs.
Pros
- Helps Innovate
- Continually Improving Product
- Reliable
- Enables Productivity
Please tell us why you think this review should be flagged.
Evans F.
- Role: Information Technology
- Industry: Shipping
- Involvement: IT Development, Integration, and Administration
Submitted Feb 2025
Powerful and reliable.
Likeliness to Recommend
What differentiates Microsoft SQL Server from other similar products?
1. Integration with Microsoft Ecosystem: Seamless compatibility with other Microsoft products like Azure, Power BI, and Visual Studio. 2. Advanced Security Features: Offers robust security with encryption, auditing, and data masking. 3. Scalability and Performance: Excellent for handling large databases with high availability and disaster recovery options.
What is your favorite aspect of this product?
My favorite aspect of Microsoft SQL Server is its advanced security features, especially encryption and data masking, which provide strong protection for sensitive data.
What do you dislike most about this product?
What I dislike most about Microsoft SQL Server is its complex setup and configuration, which can be challenging for beginners or those without extensive database management experience.
What recommendations would you give to someone considering this product?
1. Invest time in learning the setup process to avoid configuration issues. 2. Leverage its integration with Azure for cloud-based scalability and management. 3. Use built-in security features to ensure data protection from the start.
Pros
- Helps Innovate
- Continually Improving Product
- Reliable
- Performance Enhancing
Please tell us why you think this review should be flagged.
Oluwatobi A.
- Role: Information Technology
- Industry: Technology
- Involvement: End User of Application
Submitted Jan 2025
Great product
Likeliness to Recommend
What differentiates Microsoft SQL Server from other similar products?
Integration with other Microsoft products in the Microsoft ecosystem like Azure.
What is your favorite aspect of this product?
Integration with several microsoft products in the microsoft ecosystem like Azure, Power Bi and VS Code
What do you dislike most about this product?
It has a somewhat large learning curve.
What recommendations would you give to someone considering this product?
Go for it - it is technical but when you get a hang on it, you will love it above all others
Pros
- Helps Innovate
- Continually Improving Product
- Reliable
- Performance Enhancing
Please tell us why you think this review should be flagged.
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