--- title: Microsoft SQL Server Reviews meta_title: 'Microsoft SQL Server Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2' meta_description: Filter 2285 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to find out how Microsoft SQL Server works for a business like yours. aggregate_rating: rating_value: 4.4 review_count: 2285 scale: '5' date_modified: '2026-08-04' parent_category: name: Database Software url: https://www.g2.com/categories/database-software --- # Microsoft SQL Server Reviews **Vendor:** Microsoft **Category:** [Relational Databases](https://www.g2.com/categories/relational-databases) **Average Rating:** 4.4/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 2,285 ## About Microsoft SQL Server SQL Server 2017 brings the power of SQL Server to Windows, Linux and Docker containers for the first time ever, enabling developers to build intelligent applications using their preferred language and environment. Experience industry-leading performance, rest assured with innovative security features, transform your business with AI built-in, and deliver insights wherever your users are with mobile BI. ## Microsoft SQL Server Pros & Cons **What users like:** - Users appreciate the **ease of use** of Microsoft SQL Server, enjoying its intuitive GUI and powerful capabilities. (32 reviews) - Users appreciate the **robust database management** of Microsoft SQL Server, enabling effective data handling and user administration. (29 reviews) - Users value the **exceptional performance** of Microsoft SQL Server, noting its powerful capabilities and ease of use. (25 reviews) - Users appreciate the **enterprise-grade security and powerful features** of Microsoft SQL Server, enhancing peace of mind and usability. (23 reviews) - Users appreciate the **easy integrations** of Microsoft SQL Server, enhancing their data management and analytics workflows seamlessly. (22 reviews) - Users love the **seamless integration** of Microsoft SQL Server with other Microsoft products, enhancing productivity significantly. (21 reviews) - Reliability (18 reviews) - Users appreciate the **ease of data management** with Microsoft SQL Server, enjoying its simplicity and flexibility for various applications. (16 reviews) - Setup Ease (13 reviews) - Users appreciate the **incredible efficiency** of Microsoft SQL Server, making it the go-to standard for database management. (12 reviews) **What users dislike:** - Users find Microsoft SQL Server's **high licensing costs** prohibitive, particularly affecting smaller businesses and startups. (21 reviews) - Users struggle with the **high licensing costs** of Microsoft SQL Server, making it challenging for smaller businesses. (12 reviews) - Users note that the **high licensing costs** of Microsoft SQL Server can be challenging for smaller businesses and projects. (12 reviews) - Users find the **licensing costs to be prohibitively high** , especially for small businesses and projects. (11 reviews) - Users find **performance issues** with SQL Server, particularly regarding tuning, scaling, and resource consumption on older systems. (11 reviews) - Users experience **slow performance** with SQL Server, especially when running alongside other software and during data searches. (11 reviews) - Users find the **user interface complex** and not intuitive, leading to a steeper learning curve for newcomers. (8 reviews) - Difficult Learning (7 reviews) - High Hardware Requirements (7 reviews) - Technical Difficulties (7 reviews) ## Microsoft SQL Server Reviews ### 1. You can do far better for far less **Rating:** 1.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Consumer Goods | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 23, 2019 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** Microsoft SQL Server is reasonably easy to set up and administer, and the graphical tools for managing it are relatively good. Remote connections, management, and administration also work reasonably well. Creating stored procedures for programmatic requirements also works reasonably well. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** The completely proprietary nature of the platform and the high cost are the biggest drivers away from it. Until very recently you had to run it on Windows, and there are still a lot of quirks to it that make it so that it doesn't support the usual range of standard, and that make it just different enough from administering any other SQL-based platform, that it is difficult to justify choosing it as a platform. **Recommendations to others considering Microsoft SQL Server:** Use something else, if at all possible. There are plenty of other RDBMS platforms on the market - some of them freely-available, some of them commercial - and most of them are much better alternatives than SQL Server. It's over-priced, with classically poor support, and just bloated for the service it provides. There's literally no reason to use it unless you are forced to by a developer that has chosen to develop exclusively to it. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** Generally I have never used Microsoft SQL to solve any business problems, I am usually driven to it by the requirements of a particular piece of software that is only written for it. **Official Response from Microsoft Team:** > Thank you for your feedback. We will pass this on to the appropriate teams. Additionally, we have multiple SQL Server editions including SQL Express and SQL Developer that are free. https://aka.ms/AA4o51o ### 2. Review **Reviewed by:** Elizabeth G. | Systems Developer, Information Technology and Services, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 24, 2019 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** For my use cases, microsoft sql has been pretty cooperative. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** There are many differences in the syntax - if you’re used to my sql it may take some time to adjust. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** Helpful for basic business needs; integrates well with Java. ### 3. Not working for our intentions **Rating:** 1.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Internet | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 05, 2019 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** It's very reliable and has good documentation **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** This product is very expensive once it's used more extensively **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** I used this product to run my website. ### 4. ssms replace dialog **Rating:** 0.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Marketing and Advertising | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 10, 2017 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** at this point nothing. every release Microsoft seems to make it worse not better **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** the replace dialog box use to stay open when switching from query window to query window and is something I do a lot. But in the new version of ssms you have to open the replace dialog box for each query window. this is very cumbersome and annoying. Not sure why this changed, but I now HATE ssms. Thank you Microsoft for being for making things for difficult than simple. **Recommendations to others considering Microsoft SQL Server:** find something free. sql server is not worth the price or hassle **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** Job processing ### 5. Complicated to use **Rating:** 0.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Cody L. | Community Liaison/Consultant, Information Technology and Services, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 24, 2017 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** I was not happy with this platform. I thought I would have had an easier time. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** Confusing and complicated to get started. **Recommendations to others considering Microsoft SQL Server:** If you plan to use the service, I would consider having an IT support crew on standby to help get you through the set up and use for the initial period **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** I did not move past the trial. ### 6. great product **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Information Technology and Services | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 16, 2018 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** Its the best general putpose relational database on market. It has a plethora of features around big data, R support and other features. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** It is not always as flexible as needed or one might like in the retrieval. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** We are able to bring data to market quicker and gain insights. ### 7. It just doesn't scale **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Information Technology and Services | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 11, 2017 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** Stored procedures. And some other sql query syntax sugar. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** Lack of sharding among other scalability issues. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** It's a database, it gets expensive the more you use it. It can get really expensive license wise. ## Microsoft SQL Server Discussions - [how did you import a MySQL database?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-did-you-import-a-mysql-database) - 3 comments, 2 upvotes - [How can I work on the same query if the connection is lost (timeout) and then I reconnect?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/15675-how-can-i-work-on-the-same-query-if-the-connection-is-lost-timeout-and-then-i-reconnect) - 4 comments, 2 upvotes - [What is Microsoft SQL Server used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/microsoft-sql-server-what-is-microsoft-sql-server-used-for) - 2 comments, 1 upvote - [Best features in SQL](https://www.g2.com/discussions/24528-best-features-in-sql) - 2 comments, 1 upvote - [How to handle duplicate data from a database and a course on related databases](https://www.g2.com/discussions/como-manejar-datos-duplicados-de-base-de-datos-y-un-curso-sobre-base-relacionadas) - 1 comment, 1 upvote - [View Microsoft SQL Server pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-sql-server/reviews?filters%5Bnps_score%5D%5B%5D=1§ion=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-08-04+18%3A59%3A06+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=0004309d-5642-4728-a3db-13cbf0fec256&secure%5Btoken%5D=2408fbf2808823ffb2218318a85861c3e909e23cea39b5c91ce4dd6fbf2cd60b&format=llm_user) ## Microsoft SQL Server Integrations - 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[JAMS](https://www.g2.com/products/jams-software-llc-jams/reviews) - [Jet Analytics](https://www.g2.com/products/jet-analytics/reviews) - [Microsoft Defender for Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-defender-for-cloud/reviews) - [Microsoft Excel](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-excel/reviews) - [Microsoft Fabric](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-fabric/reviews) - [Microsoft Power Apps](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-power-apps/reviews) - [Microsoft Power Automate](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-power-automate/reviews) - [Microsoft Power BI](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-microsoft-power-bi/reviews) - [Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services to Alation](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-sql-server-integration-services-to-alation/reviews) - [monday AI Work Platform](https://www.g2.com/products/monday-com/reviews) - [MuleSoft Anypoint Platform](https://www.g2.com/products/mulesoft-anypoint-platform/reviews) - [Node.js](https://www.g2.com/products/node-js/reviews) - [NodeJS Web Stack](https://www.g2.com/products/nodejs-web-stack/reviews) - [Oracle Java Downloads](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-java-downloads/reviews) - [Popdock](https://www.g2.com/products/popdock/reviews) - [Redis Software](https://www.g2.com/products/redis-software/reviews) - [Salesforce Headless 360 Platform (formerly Salesforce Platform)](https://www.g2.com/products/agentforce-360-platform-formerly-salesforce-platform/reviews) - [Umbraco](https://www.g2.com/products/umbraco/reviews) - [Visual Studio](https://www.g2.com/products/visual-studio/reviews) - [Visual Studio Code](https://www.g2.com/products/visual-studio-code/reviews) ## Microsoft SQL Server Features **Management** - Data dictionary - Data Replication - Query Language - Data Modeling - Performance Analysis **Management ** - Data Schema - Query Language - ACID - Complaint - Data Replication **Database** - Real-Time Data Collection - Data Distribution - Data Lake **Maintenance** - Data Migration - Backup and Recovery - Multi-User Environment **Support ** - Text Search - Data Types - Languages - Operating Systems **Integrations** - Hadoop Integration - Spark Integration **Security** - Data Encryption - User Access Control **Security** - Database Locking - Access Control - Encryption - Authentication **Platform** - Machine Scaling - Data Preparation - Spark Integration **Performance ** - Disaster Recovery - Data Concurrency - Workload Management - Advanced Indexing - Query Optimizer **Processing** - Cloud Processing - Workload Processing **Building Reports** - Data Transformation - Data Modeling - WYSIWYG Report Design - Integration APIs **Database Features** - Storage - Availability - Stability - Scalability - Security - Data Manipulation - Query Language **Platform** - Mobile User Support - Customization - User, Role, and Access Management - Internationalization - Sandbox / Test Environments - Performance and Reliability - Breadth of Partner Applications ## Top Microsoft SQL Server Alternatives - [Teradata Autonomous Knowledge Platform](https://www.g2.com/products/teradata-autonomous-knowledge-platform/reviews) - 4.3/5.0 (356 reviews) - [SAP HANA Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/sap-hana-cloud-2025-10-01/reviews) - 4.3/5.0 (521 reviews) - [Google Cloud SQL](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-sql/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (355 reviews)