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Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft SQL Server

Composite Score

8.7 /10

CX Score

9.0 /10

242 Reviews Write a Review

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

5% Neutral

93% Positive

Pros

Reliable
Trustworthy
Performance Enhancing
Enables Productivity

Feature Ratings

Average 80

Data Security

Administrative Features

Exception Handling and Notifications

Batch Integration

Synchronization and Replication

Real Time Integration

Metadata Management

Data Quality Profiling and Cleansing

Multi Channel Support

Data Virtualization

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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Microsoft SQL Server Reviews

Colin B.

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

Validated Review

Verified Reviewer

Submitted Sep 2024

The simple, scalable, stand-by for business.

Likeliness to Recommend

10 /10

What differentiates Microsoft SQL Server from other similar products?

Ease of implementation and integrastion with other systems. MS SQL Server has been around forever and plays nice with all third party software and applications. It's integration with teams and outlook are also a huge pluse for failure notification or alert triggering.

What is your favorite aspect of this product?

Integration. I use SQL Server for reporting in Tableau, data amanagement for Power Automate Flows, independant alert triggering with Teams. and many more.

What do you dislike most about this product?

It can take a long time to catch up to newer versions, meaning not all syntax is supported in a query depending on the specific server you interact with, this can be annoying. On premises servers also have to incorporate gateways to manage communication, a pain, but doable.

What recommendations would you give to someone considering this product?

If you need a lot of data at a low cost and will only be integrating with standard applications, then this is the one to go with. After years in the market support is readily available online and most questions you have will have been answered many times over. If you need something that can connect directly with APIs or Open AI you might want to look at Azure or Snowflake

Pros

Reliable
Effective Service
Enables Productivity
Trustworthy

Cons

Commodity Features

Maloy K.

Role: Consultant
Industry: Engineering
Involvement: IT Leader or Manager

Validated Review

Verified Reviewer

Submitted Sep 2024

Powerful and Scalable Database Solution

Likeliness to Recommend

9 /10

What differentiates Microsoft SQL Server from other similar products?

Microsoft SQL Server is operations oriented, as it emphasizes high integration with Microsoft products, advanced analytics, good security and a multitude of editions for different purposes.

What is your favorite aspect of this product?

What impresses me most with Microsoft SQL Server is its advanced analytics, integrating machine learning with data analysis that can develop high-powered insights into data and even predictions, right from within the database environment.

What do you dislike most about this product?

One of the serious defects of Microsoft SQL Server is that the software is rather complicated and costly. Setting up and managing SQL Server can get pretty complex; it is often knowledge-intensive, especially for advanced features and configurations. Besides, licenses can be relatively expensive, especially with enterprise versions, which may not be afforded by some organizations or those of any size on a limited budget.

What recommendations would you give to someone considering this product?

1. Evaluate Your Needs: Determine if SQL Server will fill your needs. 2. Expect Complexity: Be prepared for the complexity. 3. Budget Accordingly: Keep in mind licensing and other additional costs. 4. Utilize the integration by leveraging the ties within the Microsoft ecosystem. 5. Right Edition: Choose the edition of your needs.

Pros

Performance Enhancing
Effective Service
Inspires Innovation
Caring

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

Validated Review

Anonymous Reviewer

Submitted Sep 2024

robust database solution with powerful feature

Likeliness to Recommend

8 /10

Pros

Reliable
Enables Productivity
Trustworthy
Unique Features

Latest Research

Microsoft SQL Server

What is Microsoft SQL Server?

Company Details

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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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Colin B.

The simple, scalable, stand-by for business.

Likeliness to Recommend

Pros

Cons

Maloy K.

Powerful and Scalable Database Solution

Likeliness to Recommend

Pros

robust database solution with powerful feature

Likeliness to Recommend

Pros

Most Popular Microsoft SQL Server Comparisons

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Title

1
Since last award

1
Since last award

Feature Ratings

Data Security

Administrative Features

Exception Handling and Notifications

Batch Integration

Synchronization and Replication

Real Time Integration

Metadata Management

Data Quality Profiling and Cleansing

Multi Channel Support

Data Virtualization

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