# Page 8 | Microsoft SQL Server Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Page 8 - 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 8 - Reviews of Microsoft SQL Server ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 176-200 of 1977 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use VR Verified Reviewer Marketing Consultant Management Consulting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Solid Data Consolidation Platform" September 10, 2018 5.0 If you are an IT resource, the experience is great. Pros SQL Server continues to get better all the time. I use it for helping SMBs consolidate their data for BI/analytics for both on-premise and Azure. The product is solid and never have a problem (especially Azure). If you have used any of the previous versions. Due to its long history and wide use, resources are always available to support the product. The security continues to get better and integrates well into Power BI. Over the last couple of years, Microsoft has also added additional connector services which is great for many IT shops. Cons If Microsoft wants to stay relevant in the SMB world they need to make it more automated, intuitive and dummy proof for individuals in Marketing and other disciplines. The product requires some serious IT support which is not always available. I have never been happy with their Training and certification programs (basically they suck). Microsoft dictates how classes are to be run and lost connection with the evolving world. Review Source Jay P. Application Support Specialist Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Microsoft SQL Server" April 5, 2021 5.0 We use SQL server as backend database for the client Web applications. As .Net developer , i always prefer to work with SQL server as it is easy to use and has most features available for data management Pros The GUI of the SQL Server is very user friendly. It's very easy to design the tables,procedures,views ,functions etc. SQL server provides features to fine tune sql queries so as to increase the performances of the SQL queries. You can easily draw the database diagrams for the SQL server. The SSRS and SSIS are the biggest features that i like about SQL Server Cons Installation of the SQL server requires lot of hard disk space. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer SOFTWARE DEV Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Very complete Database manager" September 9, 2019 5.0 Pros Even when some people argue that is not the most fastest database for me is the most useful and with more tools than most, almost all databases has store procedure, functions, etc. but one thing that SQL Server has that most don't is the ability to create your own type of data, I mostly prefer to use Table type so I can insert a lot data in one single transition without using a loop condition to validate The source manager allos to see the type the query and from what machine is been executed Cons you need to use the installer every time you need to create a new instance, if the server is down and you restar the services, you need to open the sql magnament to restart the jobs as well Reason for choosing Microsoft SQL Server it has the most well documented procedure and support Switched from [MySQL](https://www.capterra.com/p/11482/MySQL/) allows me to store binary data as image, excel, ect in a faster way Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Technical Consultant Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great data base! Recommended for bussiness or personal use." July 14, 2018 5.0 Easy to use, secure, stable, good performance. Pros SQL Server is a data base that is increasing your functionality, features; has a great performance on Windows or Linux, is stable, secure. You can use it for big projects like SAP without any trouble. Highly recommended, you can do a test with the free version of SQL Developer - you will get all the features, but it is just for devoloping, not for production use. You can use the Express edition for free but with the limitation that the dabase file size is just of 10GB. For example in a company that I give IT services they had SQL Server 2005 with Windows Server 2003 r2 for many years, they moved to SQL Server Standard 2014 with Windows Server 2012 in 2016 because they need to apply an update over a software. So, it is very stable and secure. We didn't have any issue or problem during all the years (and still). Cons I don't have any negative comment about SQL Server, because from my point of view it is a very good and stable data base. May the only one could be the price. Review Source Filipe F. Delevoper Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "SQL Server review" March 10, 2020 5.0 SQL server is great, because i can use the same language same application, and for small customers it uses free option, and only for best performnace or bigger data need to pay for it Can use it locally on on cloud Pros SQL Server is a great system to develop databases with great functionalities like jobs, procedures, functions ans so one Cons For me the only think not so good is performance for bigger batabases, but for me between 10GiB and 15GiB works fine Alternatives considered [Oracle Database](https://www.capterra.com/p/5938/Oracle-Database/) Reason for choosing Microsoft SQL Server SQL server is lot less expensive and have a free option for small aplications or for small customers Switched from [Oracle Database](https://www.capterra.com/p/5938/Oracle-Database/) SQL server is lot less expensive and have a free option for small aplications or for small customers Review Source Ramon M. Sr IT Project Manager Automotive Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great database manager" November 25, 2022 5.0 It is a great tool, it meets everything I need for my database Pros What I like about this application is its ease of use, it helps me keep my work environment organized, in addition to the fact that it is constantly being updated, a great database tool, it meets everything I am looking for, great speed, It can make my servers lighter, it is a great option for people who want to start with a small company and also to be able to expand. Cons So far I can't find anything I don't like in this app. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Database Administrator Automotive Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Relational Database Management System" October 17, 2019 5.0 Overall had a great experience as the name suggests that "Microsoft SQL Server" the first word of the product defines it all and have a huge impact on its sale and purchase. Pros As a Microsoft SQL Server administrator , i like the community and the support that Microsoft community provides as it has a very powerful knowledge base if i stuck in some problem i just google it and the problem has been resolved in minutes. Cons Microsoft should increase the performance of few of its products as it is very slow as compared to Oracle and DB2 . And should consider on Monitoring of the databases as database administrator primary objective is to monitor the instances continuously. Alternatives considered [Oracle Database](https://www.capterra.com/p/5938/Oracle-Database/) Reason for choosing Microsoft SQL Server As we have a committed microsoft partner and we are in an Enterprise agreement with Microsoft so it is easier for us to explore the all new world of Microsoft. Review Source Yamkela B M. SQE Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Microsoft SQL Server is great for database management" November 24, 2021 5.0 I love it, Ill keep using it and its good for my company Pros Its easy to use, it has many functional options and it integrates well with other software's that I use. Cons It has a difficult interface that makes few users uncomfortable while dealing with the database. Review Source Fidèle K. PDG Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "SQL Server est très puissant" July 19, 2023 5.0 très satisfait. Pros La robustesse. Très facile à manager avec SQL server management studio. facile d'utilisation avec microsoft visual studio Cons disponible seulement sur Windows. A part ça tout est propre. Review Source Rod W. Owner Used the software for: 2+ years ### "SQL Server is a powerful, fast and feature-rich enterprise database platform" June 5, 2018 4.0 SQL Server is the back-bone of all of our software development and reporting. Pros SQL Server is constantly being improved for features, performance, reporting and stability. The SQL Server community is great and Microsoft do a good job at providing information, training and resources to support it. SQL Server is all the tools and features for modern software development against a database platform. The query tuning/profiling continues to improve, as does the database engine itself which allows software developers to gain valuable insight into how the engine works. SQL Server features and components all work together under one management solution which is great. Cons SQL Server dependencies can sometimes be painful to deploy and manage correctly. The installer continues to improve, but would be great to have more smarts in this part of the solution. Would be great if SSMS had better support for visualizing which database you're currently working on, when using in a multi-database environment. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer DBA Food & Beverages Used the software for: 2+ years ### "SQL Server 2017 on Linux! It works.." May 21, 2020 5.0 I have been a SQL Database administrator for over 10 years. I recently had the challenge of implementing it in Linux environments, mainly due to the low cost of licensing / subscription. The product behaves in a very stable way, and delivers superior processing capacity (performance). Pros Operating system licensing is always an additional cost. What I like most about SQL for Linux is the possibility to reduce this cost drastically, with an amazing OS and extremely stable SQL in this environment. Adjusting the environment variables for SQL is a differentiator. Cons The lack of reporting services is a terrible shortage. It could have an alternative in Apache, or even allow integration with Windows servers for this demand. Alternatives considered [IBM Db2](https://www.capterra.com/p/240589/IBM-Db2/) Reason for choosing Microsoft SQL Server Mainly for the cost. Who has an EA contract with Microsoft will have a competitive value that can be a decision factor. Review Source Edwin D. SQL Server Engineer Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "DBA's review on SQL Server (v7/2000-2017)" November 21, 2018 4.0 Keeps getting better and better! Pros Since the redesign of the database engine in 2005, each new version is enriched with more and more feaures and functionallity, also pushing down more and more Enterprise features to lower editions. Microsoft took another road a couple of years ago and are now fully embracing other platforms and eco-systems that makes the choice for SQL Server easier (or harder ... :-)). With R, Polybase, Linux and dockers, SQL Server is definitely on their way to the future. Cons It takes some time to figure out which licens model you have to choose. Even with the assisitence of third parties you hear different suggestions that makes it even harder. But with some effort and puzzling we were able to come up with a structure that is robust an least expensive, you should closely watch the type of VM's you put on the same host in a VM-cluster and think about the way you (over)provision that host. The massive amount of new features are hard to keep up with though ... Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Data Analyst Banking Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best Data Management tool around!" August 9, 2022 5.0 I love the overall experience of the product, I've used it in all my previous and current job and wouldn't swap it for any other tool. Pros I love how easy to grasp the UI/UX of the software, and anyone can learn it after a few sessions of use. Cons I do not like the fact that there are not many features to connect SQL with other softwares within SQL window itself. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Software Developer Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Perfect combination of power and intuitiveness" October 1, 2019 5.0 I have worked with SQL Server for 20 years now. It is used on the backend of many powerful products and also used for small web sites as well. It's very easy to connect to and to link to non-Microsoft database systems. TSQL is very powerful as it has all standard SQL functions as well as its own. Pros The express edition, which is free, is more than powerful enough to serve as a back-end for most small/medium sized web sites which is great for small businesses to start and grow. Cons Installation of all the features can be a pain. Making sure you have the engine, agent, management studio can be confusing and often come in separate download packages. Alternatives considered [MySQL](https://www.capterra.com/p/11482/MySQL/) Reason for choosing Microsoft SQL Server The add ons such as reporting services, integration services and replication is extremely powerful tools that are very easy to learn when you're ready to upgrade to a paid version. Review Source DV Dat V. IT Manager Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Enterprise DBMS" July 6, 2023 5.0 We build web-based systems with Microsoft sql server as a backend, very stable system. Pros Universal system that's used in the could or on-premises, highly customizable with security featured Cons Can be too structured when storing data, need sql query scripting skill to fully get the best use of the system. Review Source JS Jason S. Systems Specialist Transportation/Trucking/Railroad Used the software for: 2+ years ### "An Enterprise-grade Database with Excellent Performance" October 25, 2022 5.0 Our entire business is built on SQL Server databases and it just runs. Pros SQL Server is the best DBMS I've ever used. The performance is unmatched, and it can handle whatever you need it to do. Backup and recovery are easy to do if needed, but in 15 years of working with SQL server I have rarely needed to recover data due to corruption. Cons The only downside I see with this product is the cost. Microsoft knows that SQL Server is an excellent product and wants you pay accordingly for it. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Information System Administrator Financial Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "best of server" September 25, 2019 5.0 I have using this more than 5 years , by comparing with other server platforms sql server te best of easy use for developers as well as Administrators Pros It was easy of access to manage SQL server agent can manage most required part with automate rather than doing manual And also design with more user friendly compare with others Cons While queries of data some times have to convert it to tostring, but I hope its possible to identify and convert automatically, then developers will reduse their codings Alternatives considered [MySQL](https://www.capterra.com/p/11482/MySQL/) Reason for choosing Microsoft SQL Server Easy of use. Huge capacity can be handle by other platforms like sql management studios Switched from [MySQL](https://www.capterra.com/p/11482/MySQL/) Easy of use. Review Source PM Paul M. Data Analyst Government Administration Used the software for: 2+ years ### "MS SQL Server is pretty much the industry standard" November 11, 2023 5.0 I've used this software for over 20 years and I could use it blindfolded. I rely heavily on it and trust it completely. Pros It's a hugely powerful piece of software, it's extremely stable, reliable and I don't think any other software would be capable of delivering the same solution Cons It does have it's faults - the sql query editor can be moody at times, I think the menu structures are needlessly complicated and worded. These are minor gripes Review Source CHMC Carlos Hugo Martin C. Consultor Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Experience with Microsoft SQL Server" December 25, 2021 5.0 For highly transactional systems in windows environments. Pros The ease with which you can implement and manage a database, without necessarily taking into account a series of advanced confirmations initially. Cons In the case of highly transactional systems, the implementation of the replication functionality becomes very complex, since the control of the transaction log has to be carried out independently or else it ends up running out of space. Alternatives considered [Oracle Database](https://www.capterra.com/p/5938/Oracle-Database/)[MySQL](https://www.capterra.com/p/11482/MySQL/)[MariaDB](https://www.capterra.com/p/132005/MariaDB/) Reason for choosing Microsoft SQL Server For the licenses and windows environments in which the systems would be implemented. In addition, there are systems that are more performant with that database. Review Source Mike Lester R. Systems & Methods Head, Data Protection Officer Real Estate Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The BEST RDBMS for your BUSINESS" October 25, 2018 5.0 Overall, the experience with MSSQL over the years when it was version 2000 all the way to its latest version (2016?), it was an AWESOME and continuously LEARNING experience. I would recommend it for its reasonable PRICING and solid RELIABILITY for mission critical application systems. Pros I have used other open source RDBMS software, but nothing comes close to the ROBUSTNESS and SCALABILITY of Microsoft's SQL Servers. I have been using them in the office for almost ALL of our mission critical applications. What makes it more USEFUL is that it is closely INTEGRATED to the entire Microsoft Developer ecosystem. No matter how BIG the database is, the performance is CONSISTENT but dependent on your HARDWARE, specially the HARD DISK. Cons Probably the least liked feature of MSSQL is it is heavily dependent on the Hard disk. Most of the Server hard disks are still MECHANICAL and recently SSDs have been the preferred choice for storage in servers. I just read they have in memory OLTP in Azure which I have yet to explore. Review Source Sudharshan S. Software Engineer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The best is yet to come." August 6, 2019 5.0 great and fulfilling. the Future is definitely bright. Pros SQL Server in traditional sense always belonged to a group of mid range companies. Hosting terrabytes of data was never a part of its ideals. But the recent upgrades for its availability on the cloud makes one wonder where it is headed. I think the future for SQL Server is good. Cons NO SQL functionality does not exist. Although columnar, flat file data sources can exist, the SSAS functionality needs to include a database conversion to a NO SQL database view. This greatly enhances the visibility of a transactional database. Alternatives considered [MongoDB](https://www.capterra.com/p/127374/MongoDB/)[MySQL](https://www.capterra.com/p/11482/MySQL/)[MariaDB](https://www.capterra.com/p/132005/MariaDB/) Reason for choosing Microsoft SQL Server Ease of use and support and readily available on the cloud. Plus being mostly Microsoft shop it helps.sharepoint usage is a big consideration for picking sql server. Review Source Ruban D. Member of Technical Staff 3 Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Performant and reliable DB from Microsoft" June 16, 2022 5.0 Pros This DB is a very performant and reliable even with DB of large size. I have used this DB for more that 3 years and no issues. It integrates with more plugins and the management interface is simply the best tool to manage the SQL server. Since it comes with Microsoft we can easily check the performance of SQL server using Windows performance counters. Cons I've used this tool for more than 3 years and I dont have any cons that I can think of. Review Source Jared D. Manufacturing Engineering and Facilities Manager Aviation & Aerospace Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A Solid Database Management Software " June 29, 2022 4.0 Overall, it's a solid system that allows us to run our manufacturing business efficiently. Pros This is a solid choice for a database. We use it in our manufacturing company to almost manage our entire company. It has a lot of history and support from Microsoft and the overall user community. Therefore, it's easy to find help if needed. Cons Microsoft SQL Server tends to be expensive compared to free databases like PostgreSQL. Review Source Syed Amir A. Associate Manager Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Microsoft SQL Server - Best Database" April 1, 2022 5.0 Overall experience has been amazing. I believe all our .Net applications (Close to 50) use Microsoft SQL Server as the database. Pros It is undoubtedly one of the best database in the world and Microsoft has just given quite a lot of features to help query out data from this tool Cons The cost is something which is on the expensive. Alternative options is MySQL. Alternatives considered [MySQL](https://www.capterra.com/p/11482/MySQL/) Reason for choosing Microsoft SQL Server Because of client requirements. They were of the idea that the database has to be Microsoft SQL Server Review Source Anthony R. IT Technical Project Manager Computer Hardware Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A performance database but can carry high licensing costs" August 11, 2023 5.0 We use SQL Server to handle all our ERP softwares backend database and deliver business critical data in a fast and responsive way. Pros SQL Server is a fast performing database that allows us to scale and replicate our systems to multiple sites and the cloud. Cons Licensing costs can be restrictive for smaller organisations and also complicated to understand. 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.