# Page 2 | Microsoft SQL Server Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Page 2 - Is Microsoft SQL Server the right Database solution for you? Explore 1977 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/1417/SQL-Server/reviews --- Microsoft SQL Server 4.6 (1977) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/1417/SQL-Server/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 25th, 2026 # Page 2 - Reviews of Microsoft SQL Server ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 26-50 of 1977 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use VR Verified Reviewer Data Engineer Computer Software Used the software for: 1-2 years ### ""A Robust and Scalable Database Solution for Enterprise Data Management"" February 3, 2026 5.0 "My experience with Microsoft SQL Server has been very positive, especially for building and managing complex data architectures. It is a powerful, enterprise-grade RDBMS that offers high stability, advanced query optimization, and excellent data security features for professional workflows." Pros "Excellent performance with large datasets and highly reliable security features. I particularly like the seamless integration with other Microsoft tools and the robust SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) for database administration." Cons "The licensing costs can be quite high for smaller businesses. Additionally, it requires significant system resources to run smoothly compared to some lightweight alternatives." Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Automation Engineer Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Not the cheapest option but powerful" August 20, 2025 4.0 Pros What I like most about SQL Server is how reliable and stable it is. It handles large amounts of data without breaking a sweat, and features like stored procedures, indexing, and reporting make life a lot easier. The integration with other Microsoft tools (like Power BI and Azure) is also a big plus. Cons The pricing can be steep, especially for enterprise editions, and licensing feels complicated. It can also be resource-hungry, so you need good hardware to get the most out of it. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Analyst Business Supplies and Equipment Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "A review on Microsoft SQL server" September 25, 2025 4.0 I use SQL Server pretty much every day, and honestly, it’s been solid for our mid-sized company. Queries run fast most of the time, and the tools make pulling reports or building dashboards really straightforward. I like that security is tight—we don’t have to stress about sensitive data getting out. It’s also super convenient if you’re already working with other Microsoft tools; everything connects nicely, which saves a lot of time. The tricky part is some of the advanced stuff—it can get complicated if you’re diving into things like SSIS or Analysis Services. And yeah, licensing isn’t cheap if you’re running a full production setup. Pros I like how it’s part of the Microsoft Ecosystem. It makes it easier to integrate into Power BI. The UI for writing queries in nice and clear, not over complicating things. Performance and speed is dependent on your queries and how you optimize your model. Cons The free version for my personal desktop doesn’t allow for very big databases. Complex g ewww turned like SSIS can start to become complicated. Review Source TB Tyler B. Tier Two Technician Computer & Network Security Used the software for: 2+ years ### "SQL - The backbone of database management" March 27, 2026 5.0 My experience and work with SQL server is primarily administration and support. However, scheduled SQL backups are also very important and are easily managed. Pros SQL is basically the backbone if you want to run any proper databases and host it across several platforms. It integrates quite seamlessly with cloud applications, can be easy to use and features many use cases across multiple fields Cons Schooling and training are definitely required in order to properly manage and administer SQL Serve and advanced databases. But it is an extremely powerful and necessary tool for self hosted platforms and databases Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Senior Software Architect Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Microsoft SQL Server works well for large systems" August 14, 2025 5.0 Overall, I like Microsoft SQL server very much. It is a powerful relational database server that can handle a large number of transactions per second. Pros Microsoft SQL Server is very reliable and fast. It's very easy to design databases in the Sql Server. Cons Sometimes, it is not very easy to diagnose Microsoft SQL server performance problems for a large and busy database. Review Source ZP Zoe P. Employee Mining & Metals Used the software for: 2+ years ### "SQL Server is a robust tool that's quite capable to handle any sort of databases you can throw at it" June 7, 2025 4.0 Overall my experience is it's very robust as a database. Stored procedures run quickly, the server is always running, and we hardly ever have to interfere with it and its operations. It's almost been like a set and forget kind of thing. Pros What I like most is this product is now very very stable. It's almost rock solid and runs without many issues. It can't handle data of all shapes/sizes, and provides easy tools for admins and users alike. Cons MY least favorite aspect of SQL server is managing security and roles for databases. Sometimes I feel like I end up in an endless spider-web of permissions trying to figure everything out. The costs can also blow out depending on your licensing requirements and if running locally in house, the hardware costs. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Product owner Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "A Robust Platform for Business-Critical Data" February 28, 2026 4.0 Overall, it's reliable, powerful, and enterprise-focused,great BI ecosystem strong query capabilitie Pros stable enterprise environment ,Perfect for systems like finance, insurance, and reporting databases. Cons Enterprise edition can be expensive because of licensing, software assurance ,high ability features. Review Source KK Kayla K. Sales engineer Automotive Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Reliable, Strong, Secure" March 13, 2025 4.0 Positive, thanks to its reliability, scalability, and strong security features. It offers powerful data management and analytics capabilities, though licensing costs and performance tuning requirements can be challenging for some use cases. Pros Its user-friendly management tools, strong security features, and powerful analytics capabilities make it a reliable choice for handling complex data workloads. Cons One downside of Microsoft SQL Server is its high licensing costs, which can be prohibitive for smaller businesses. Additionally, resource-intensive performance tuning and occasional compatibility issues with non-Microsoft ecosystems can create challenges for some users. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Infrastructure Engineer Education Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Sometimes difficult to fault find but generally a stable and reliable product" February 24, 2025 4.0 We couldn't live without it, it is the heart of all of our systems. Pros SQL is the core for a lot of businesses, being widely support by third parties it is a very useful system to run. Cons It's not easy to fault find at times with limited tools due to the complexity of some databases. Review Source AJ Aditya J. Analyst Programmer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Easy to integrate and monitor in a complex application" April 21, 2025 4.0 I am using SQL server from past 10 years and never faced any issue. Pros Simple and Easy to setup, monitor and integrate in any application. Cons It is a bit expensive and found it a bit confusing when it comes to understanding cores and CALs. Review Source dP diego P. ict manager Consumer Goods Used the software for: 2+ years ### "fast and simply sql management" March 25, 2025 5.0 Pros we like the flexibility of the product, i like the querys module, it is simple to understand the management, the user and role Cons it is not easy to setup, we've done it with some expert Alternatives considered [MongoDB](https://www.capterra.com/p/127374/MongoDB/) Reason for choosing Microsoft SQL Server the integration with another product needs microsoft sql server Review Source RS RICARDO S. Sales Representative Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The most reliable database" March 3, 2025 5.0 Very solid database, You can trust this product without any problem. Pros The capability to store large amounts of data without any data corruption. Cons Resources consuming, it requires significant CPU, RAM and Storage. Review Source AN Adam N. Director of IT Business Supplies and Equipment Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The gold standard in relational database engines for many years" November 12, 2024 5.0 Great relational database engine that we've used for years, pairs very well with .NET development and Microsoft shop. Pros Great Free Administration Tools Super Reliable Cons Very Expensive, especially compared to open source alternatives Likes to install Cumulative Updates and take down databases at random times Alternatives considered [PostgreSQL](https://www.capterra.com/p/48791/PostgreSQL/)[MySQL](https://www.capterra.com/p/11482/MySQL/) Reason for choosing Microsoft SQL Server Support for Microsoft shop / development, and only DB supported by our ERP system now. Review Source LM Lachlan M. IT Manager Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Microsoft SQL Server was solid power under our data" May 7, 2025 5.0 Microsoft SQL Server handles large data fast and is stable for all kind of queries. Pros It’s flexible with many management tools for this price that other database platforms don’t include Cons Performance is solid but the licence rules could be more clear, with better examples to guide purchase. Review Source AH Ajoke H. Data Analyst Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "A good relational database management tool" January 10, 2025 5.0 Pros IT serves the purpose of storing all our data no matter how large they are. It is good for database management. Cons I have not spotted anything I don't like about this. Review Source IP Issac P. Senior Engineer Automotive Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The most suitable application for working with databases" January 4, 2025 4.0 SQL server is a critical tool for retrieving storing and editing databases and tables. The query editor is useful to write custom queries and preview the results Pros All databases stored in sql server can be easily accessed in other systems such as powerbi and excel with your existing account credentials and just by providing database and table names Cons The learning curve for complex query is quite high without basic knowledge of SQL language it is quite hard to write queries Review Source JP Jennifer P. Sr. Auditor Insurance Used the software for: 2+ years ### "SQL Server User" February 3, 2025 4.0 Pros Easily able to generate reports for auditing data if there is a script readily available. You can also provide multiple users with access to the license and run the same reports at the same time. Cons There is no-real time processing to capture data at certain times and limits the number of line items when there are huge amounts of data. The software is also not easy to use for first time users and they have to take training courses to be able to write scripts and understand how to perform certain functions. The other disadvantage is that it does not provide a path to identify which server you need to be on for the script to run. Review Source AF Adashia F. Owner Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "This server does what it needs to do. Muti-factor Authentication can be a pain though." February 2, 2026 5.0 This server does what it needs to do. Muti-factor Authentication can be a pain, though. Once you get past that, this is a decent tool to use. Pros VALUE FOR MONEY - great CUSTOMER SUPPORT EASE OF USE - decent DATABASE MANAGEMENT - great DATA MANAGEMENT - great PERFORMANCE AND SPEED - decent LICENSE AND LICENSING Cons The Multi-factor Authentication on all Microsoft products can really be a pain more than a help. I would use Microsoft products more if that was not an issue. Review Source PS Prashish S. Developer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Jr. developer" November 28, 2024 5.0 Pros Easy to use, not complicated, easy to use for coding. Easy to download Cons Hard to find the debug, not friendly for the new user. Review Source SB Sachita B. Student Information Technology and Services Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Use of Microsoft SQL Server" November 20, 2025 5.0 I used Microsoft SQL server as the primary database for my project , handling data modeling and writing queries etc. It gave me hands-on experience with indexing , stored procedures, and performance tuning. Pros Microsoft SQL Server is one of the most user-friendly database tools, it is used to run queries manage tables , see execution plans. Cons Microsoft SQL Server is the licensing cost and how quickly it increases as environment scale. For smaller teams it can be come expensive compared to other databases. Review Source CM COURTNEY M. CASE MANAGEMENT PROCESSOR Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "SQL REVIEW" June 16, 2025 3.0 Pros WONDERFUL SOFTWARE, WONDERFUL PRODUCT. EASY TO USE, SEARCH FUNTIONALITY IS GREAT. WOULD RECOMMEND TO ANYONE! Cons MICROSOFT PRODUCES GREAT SOFTWARE, NO COMPLAINTS HERE. EASE OF USE IS GREAT, NOTHING NEGATIVE TO SAY. Review Source AO Abiola O. Data analyst Insurance Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Simplification of work" December 6, 2024 5.0 Awesome, makes my life and work very easy Pros In my role as a data analyst, it helped me analyse huge data sets easily Cons Can be cumbersome to use until one becomes familiar Review Source VO Victor O. SmartPlant Solution Architect Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "SQL is my preferred database management tool" August 27, 2024 5.0 My overall experience with SQL would be perfectly described as stable and fluid. There is a huge amount of documentation and communities that helps me solve any issue I encounter with it. Pros One of the things I like the most about SQL is the fact that most of my industry works with it, so its easy and convenient to use and gather workflows that suit us and implement them in new projects. Other than that, I haven had any issue with SQL so far. Its robust, is fast, and simply works for every task we use it. Cons Maybe this is something general for databases, but we usually struggle with Hardware when working with big SQL databases, since SQL will use everything it has available in the server. Review Source CB Carmela B. Data business analyst Insurance Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Important tool for organization" February 22, 2025 4.0 Our IT department uses it and we have learned about how it works Pros Being able to retrieve and store data is important Cons Not too many cons, it's useful in our business Review Source TW Tanner W. Integrity Engineer Oil & Energy Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Queries Made Easy" September 21, 2024 5.0 Overall this product is very easy to use Pros Very easy to connect to databases and write queries Cons There wasn’t anything about the program that I didn’t like. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Related categories [Database](https://www.capterra.com/database-management-software/)[Business Intelligence](https://www.capterra.com/business-intelligence-software/) ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.