Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft SQL Server

Composite Score

8.9 /10

CX Score

9.2 /10

134 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.

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Awards & Recognition

Microsoft SQL Server won the following awards in the Transaction Data Store category

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2025 Emotional Footprint Champion

Latest Award, 2025

Contract Negotiation

Latest Award, 2025

2024 Data Quadrant Champion

2024

4 Top Rated Capabilities

6 Top Rated Features

2024

2024 Emotional Footprint Champion

2024

2023 Data Quadrant Champion

2023

3 Top Rated Capabilities

2 Top Rated Features

2023

3 Top Rated Capabilities

2 Top Rated Features

2022

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.

89 Likeliness to Recommend

99 Plan to Renew

85 Satisfaction of Cost Relative to Value

Product Experience

Negotiation and Contract

Conflict Resolution

Strategy & Innovation

Service Experience

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Emotional Footprint Overview

Product Experience:: 94%
Negotiation and Contract:: 88%
Conflict Resolution:: 91%
Strategy & Innovation:: 89%
Service Experience:: 93%

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.

+92 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?

0% Negative

4% Neutral

96% Positive

Pros

Reliable
Enables Productivity
Performance Enhancing
Security Protects

Feature Ratings

Average 85

Data Backup

Analytics and Reporting

Database Management

Data Management

Data Protection and Security

Data Monitoring and Administration

Data Replication

High Availability

Operations Management

Hybrid Transaction and Analytical Support

Systems Performance Management

Vendor Capability Ratings

Average 83

Business Value Created

Quality of Features

Ease of Implementation

Breadth of Features

Usability and Intuitiveness

Ease of Data Integration

Availability and Quality of Training

Product Strategy and Rate of Improvement

Ease of IT Administration

Vendor Support

Ease of Customization

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Data Integration

Score 8.7

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Desktop Publishing

Score 8.2

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Microsoft SQL Server Reviews

Prakash A.

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

Validated Review

Verified Reviewer

Submitted Mar 2024

Likeliness to Recommend

10 /10

Pros

Helps Innovate
Continually Improving Product
Reliable
Enables Productivity

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

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 Emotional Footprint Champion

2024 Data Quadrant Champion

2024 Emotional Footprint Champion

2023 Data Quadrant Champion

Microsoft SQL Server Ratings

89 Likeliness to Recommend

99 Plan to Renew

85 Satisfaction of Cost Relative to Value

Emotional Footprint Overview

Emotional Footprint Overview

+92 Net Emotional Footprint

How much do users love Microsoft SQL Server?

Chart

Pros

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

Data Backup Includes the creation of duplicate instances to recover from an unplanned data loss. Also, support for high volumes of data processing and data compression.

Analytics and Reporting Includes historical & real-time dashboard visualizations, detailed & summary reporting and easy data extraction for data analysis.

Database Management Supports multiple data types, data structuring, data retrieval, database customization, and multi-user access.

Data Management Includes data sharing, data storage, records management, and data security.

Data Protection and Security Includes data encryption, data audit, and data compliance.

Data Monitoring and Administration Includes ability to continuously monitored data quality rules, as well as generate alerts to notify data stewards when they need to address an issue.

Data Replication Support for a real-time copy of the database in more than one system to facilitate access to the copy of data from multiple systems without any inconsistencies.

High Availability HA DB designed for near-zero downtown by seamless replication of data between environments for uninterrupted real-time access and fail-over capabilities.

Operations Management Includes cost control, production management, and performance management.

Hybrid Transaction and Analytical Support Includes OLTP and OLAP (Online Analytical Processing). Most OLTP systems support some level of OLAP but very few OLAP systems support OLTP.

Systems Performance Management Includes monitoring, analyzing and configuration in order to optimize performance and increase efficiency.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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 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...

Data Integration

Desktop Publishing

Microsoft SQL Server Reviews

Prakash A.

Likeliness to Recommend

Pros

Fatima R.

Best product

Likeliness to Recommend

Pros

Shubham A.

Best Relational database with good performance

Likeliness to Recommend

Pros

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Feature Ratings

Data Backup

Analytics and Reporting

Database Management

Data Management

Data Protection and Security

Data Monitoring and Administration

Data Replication

High Availability

Operations Management

Hybrid Transaction and Analytical Support

Systems Performance Management

Vendor Capability Ratings

Business Value Created

Quality of Features

Ease of Implementation

Breadth of Features

Usability and Intuitiveness

Ease of Data Integration

Availability and Quality of Training

Product Strategy and Rate of Improvement

Ease of IT Administration

Vendor Support

Ease of Customization