--- title: Microsoft SQL Server Reviews meta_title: 'Microsoft SQL Server Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2' meta_description: Filter 2287 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: 2287 scale: '5' date_modified: '2026-08-13' 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:** 2,287 ## 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. User-Friendly, Powerful, and Seamless Integration with BI Tools **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Rohit G. | Ecommerce Analyst, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 10, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** Microsoft SQL Server is easy to use, even for beginners. The interface in SSMS is simple, and implementation is straightforward with clear setup steps. It offers many useful features like views, stored procedures, and strong security. I also use it frequently because it feels reliable and stable. Another big advantage is how well it integrates with Excel, Power BI, and other Microsoft tools, which makes reporting and analysis much easier. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** One downside is that SQL Server can feel heavy during installation and requires a good system to run smoothly. Some features are only available in higher paid versions, which may not be ideal for small teams. Integration with non-Microsoft tools can sometimes need extra steps. Also, customer support can be slow unless you are on an enterprise plan. Overall, while it works well, the setup and advanced features can be a bit challenging for beginners. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** Microsoft SQL Server helps us manage large amounts of data in a structured and reliable way. It makes it easy to store, organize, and retrieve information quickly, which improves day-to-day reporting and decision-making. Its integration with Excel and Power BI helps us turn raw data into clear insights much faster. Overall, it saves time, reduces manual work, and helps maintain a single source of truth for our business data. ### 2. Seamless Database Management with Robust Connectivity **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Ritesh S. | Java developer intern , Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 01, 2026 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** I like that with Microsoft SQL Server, I can get any table data easily and perform any query effortlessly, whether it's a select, stored procedure, view, or function. The connection is good with no lag or discrepancy in the system. I appreciate having the backup and storage area available, which makes my work more reliable. The initial setup was also very easy if you know the credentials to your database. I find it helpful and even teach my colleagues how to use it. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** If I execute any query, it would be helpful if there is an option for rollback if I run the query by mistake. Sometimes, after reopening my application, the query page is lost. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use Microsoft SQL Server to easily access different servers and manage database connections. It allows me to perform any query, backup, and rollback efficiently without lag or system discrepancies. ### 3. Reliable Performance, Seamless Integration, and Flexible Scaling with SQL Server **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Sharin S. | Team Lead - Azure and Windows server, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 30, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** We are running Microsoft SQL Server on virtual machines, and it consistently delivers strong performance even under heavy performance loads. We have integrated with Microsoft Power BI and built a dashboard that pulls data from SQL Server, and users can interact with reports without needing to understand the backend. It comes with the great management tool Microsoft SQL Management Studio, which is one of my favorite admin tools. I used it daily for backup management and user permissions. We migrated some of the SQL Server workloads to Azure SQL database. The transition was smooth, and it gives flexibility to scale based on budget and workload. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** Understanding the SQL Server licensing is complex, especially when mixing CALs and core-based models. Reporting and analysis workloads are resource-intensive. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** In my environment, Microsoft SQL Server resolves several key challenges related to data management, performance, and security. ### 4. A honest MSSQL Server Review **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Ljupcho T. | Microsoft Certified Trainer, Information Technology and Services, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 06, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** I have been using MSSQL daily for over 15 years, and I can confidently say that it is designed to handle high transaction volumes and manage large datasets effectively. It offers a very stable and highly secure environment for data management, making it well-suited for both small applications and large enterprise systems. Depending on your requirements, you can select from several editions, such as Express, Developer, Standard, or Enterprise. Integration with other products like Azure, Excel, or PowerBI is straightforward and intuitive. While the general implementation process is simple, setting up high availability options can be more time-consuming. The documantation and technical support are excelent, there are many official guides, tutorials and free community resources that it makes easy to learn and troubleshoot. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** Some features are still lacking or limited in SQL, which can make some tasks more difficult to complete.Additionaly the license cost can be quite expensive for enterprise level deployments. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** This product offers a reliable high availability solution for disaster recovery, and it integrates smoothly with data analytics tools such as Integration Services and Analysis Services, making it well-suited for database warehouse solutions. ### 5. Simple setup, powerful features and good supporting tool **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** divi k. | Embedded Hardware Engineer, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 18, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** what i like best about Microsoft SQL server is how simple it is to use and set up. Even if you are not a database expert, the interface feels friendly and easy to understand. Installing and implementing it doesn't take forever, and once it is running, it works smoothly without much hassle. there are lot of features that help with managing data, and I use it almost every day because it is so reliable. whenever i have needed help, the customer support has been always helpful and quick which makes the experience even better. overall, it is a solid tool that does what you need without making things complicated. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** The main thing I don't like about Microsoft SQL server is that it can feel heavy and resource-hungry, especially on smaller systems. Sometimes the licensing costs are high, which makes it hard for small businesses. A few advanced features can be tricky to learn if you are new, and upgrades or migrations take time and planning. It's a great tool overall, but it's not the budget friendly or lightweight option out there. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** It helps us store and manage large amounts of data in one place without worrying about losing it. It solves problems like handling complex queries, keeping data secure, and making backups easy. Before using it, managing data across different systems was a headache, but now everything is centralized and organized. it also improves performance for applications that need quick access to data. The biggest benefit is reliable our data is safe, easy to access, and the system runs smoothly even with heavy workloads. ### 6. Microsoft SQL Server - Easy & Reliable **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Vishal J. | Software Project Manager, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 19, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** Microsoft SQL Server is one of the easiest databases to setup and use, especially if you are developing a .NET application using C# or VB. the visual editor available in Visual Studio makes it much easier to build relational databases. Configuring various constraints like Primary keys, Foreign keys, and mappings is quite straightforward. With respect to coding, integrating SQL Server data objects with C# is simple with the help of ADO.NET. Overall, a great product from Microsoft. I have used both the server version as well as the compact editions. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** You might have to struggle a bit to integrate Microsoft SQL server setup if you plan to use it with languages like PHP and Python. However, if you install the right driver, then it shouldn't be much of an issue. The pricing is a bit on the higher side, especially for the Enterprise Edition. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** I am using Microsoft SQL Server to store financial application data that I am developing using Microsoft Visual C# .NET. It helps a great deal in building relational database systems using MS SQL Server. ### 7. SQL Server Usage and Insights **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Pulkit V. | Senior Associate, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 14, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** Balance of performance, reliability, and ease of management. The integration of tool and features such as Query Store, execution plans, and indexing options make it easier to optimize and troubleshoot complex queries. it’s easy to use SQL Server frequently in day-to-day operations, Its consistency and predictability make it an excellent choice for both development and production environments. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** Certain advanced tuning operations can become cumbersome — especially when working with large datasets or deeply nested queries. Customer support, while responsive, can be inconsistent in terms of technical depth **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** Microsoft SQL Server solves data management and performance challenges In my project. I work on ETL pipelines and SQL SERVER is managing all my data, by providing a reliable, easy-to-use platform for storing, transforming, and analyzing data. It helps me work more efficiently and deliver accurate, optimized results. ### 8. Powerful, Reliable, and Seamlessly Integrated with Microsoft Ecosystem **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Aristeidis N. | Infra Transormation Assosiate, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 14, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** What I like most about Microsoft SQL Server is its combination of power, reliability, and ease of use. It’s a robust relational database system that handles both small and massive datasets efficiently, making it suitable for everything from single applications to large enterprise solutions. I appreciate its tight integration with the Microsoft ecosystem, including Azure, Power BI, and .NET, which makes reporting, analytics, and application development seamless. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** One of the main drawbacks of Microsoft SQL Server is its cost, as licensing can be expensive, especially for enterprise editions or large-scale deployments. It can also be resource-intensive, requiring substantial memory and CPU for optimal performance. While it now supports Linux, it has historically been Windows-centric, which can limit flexibility in some environments. Advanced features like Always On, replication, or partitioning are powerful but often complex to configure and maintain. Additionally, the different editions with varying feature sets can be confusing, and Microsoft’s licensing rules can sometimes be tricky to navigate, particularly in cloud or hybrid setups. Overall, SQL Server is powerful but can be costly, resource-heavy, and complex for advanced use cases. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** Microsoft SQL Server solves the problem of storing, managing, and analyzing large amounts of structured data efficiently and securely. It provides a reliable platform for handling transactional workloads, reporting, and analytics, while ensuring data integrity, high availability, and security. For me, this is beneficial because it simplifies data management, allowing me to focus on building applications, generating insights, and making data-driven decisions rather than worrying about data loss, inconsistencies, or downtime. Features like T-SQL for complex queries, automation via stored procedures, and integration with tools like Power BI make it easier to retrieve, analyze, and visualize data quickly. Overall, SQL Server reduces operational headaches, improves efficiency, and helps turn raw data into actionable insights. ### 9. Robust Performance with Integration Capabilities **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Aayush R. | SQL Developer, Computer Software, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 28, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** I like Microsoft SQL Server for its 'Always On' feature, which enhances database durability and application performance by segregating read and write operations. Additionally, the SQL engine is a highlight for me. Its ability to support ASP.Net applications is great for fast transactions and speedy report retrievals. Setting it up was also easy. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** I find the regular expression search lacking because there are minimal wild card options unlike Oracle. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use Microsoft SQL Server to support ASP.Net applications, ensuring fast transactions, quick report retrievals, and efficient OLAP cube creation for Power BI dashboards. The 'Always On' feature enhances database durability and application performance by segregating read and write operations. ### 10. Microsoft SQL Server is a very easy to use and robust relational database server **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Transportation/Trucking/Railroad | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 17, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** Microsoft SQL Server is pretty easy to install and configure, and is very easy to use in conjunction with using Microsoft SQL Management Studio as the database client integrated development environment (IDE). I use Microsoft SQL Server daily for my work, and it is robust and highly available in our production environment. I use the Microsoft SQL Server JDBC driver to connect to SQL Server from a Java-based application, and that driver performs well. I previously encountered a defect with a specific version of that driver, and my interaction with Microsoft customer support to get that defect fixed was perfect, providing a fix in a timely manner and back-porting the fix to a previous driver version. I also use the free edition called SQL Server Express locally on work laptop to facilitate my software development activity, and it is also easy to install, administer, and use. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** Not being an open source database there are licensing costs associated with using Microsoft SQL Server depending on the features you need. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use Microsoft SQL Server to provide the database management system that hosts the relational database required to run the applications I develop. I use the highly-available features such as Always On and Availability Groups to ensure a very high uptime in production for my applications (99.997%), and use the Express edition locally on my work laptop to facilitate local software development. I have used Microsoft SQL Server to provide the databases for my applications for the last 25 years, and it has only become more and more feature rich, robust, and security focused in that time. ### 11. Always my reliable and robust choice for data management **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Anurag Y. | Consultant, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 16, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** I have been using it for past three years in my current organization for our client . I love the reliability even with the large dataset specially for our client base which holds thousand of data and i have to query for them and there is a daily migration which requires at least once to query a large part of it. It is also very user friendly with its shortcuts and simplified database administration **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** Not much but I have to say it would b its licensing cost which can be quite high for our client . Also while i love the user friendliness it sometime feels a little slow and the learning curve is a little steep apart from that great tool. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** We are utilizing it for our client data storage and data holding. We process thousand of that data to supply to the Machine learning model for prediction and sometime to show in our monday.com UI for the business. Mostly we have it for our sales data and the existing product that the client deals with. It is such a great tool to have a quick look at what data need and what need to be processed and help the business visualize by querying and showcasing it in the monday UI. Also it easily integrate with our backend using the npm packages. ### 12. SQL Server: Enterprise-Grade Power Without the Headaches **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Information Technology and Services | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 16, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** What I like best about Microsoft SQL Server is how reliable and user-friendly it is compared to other enterprise databases. The performance is rock solid, and the tools like SSMS make it really easy to manage even complex environments. I also love how well it integrates with Power BI and the rest of the Microsoft ecosystem — it saves a ton of time when building reports or connecting data across systems **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** What I dislike about Microsoft SQL Server is mainly the cost — the licensing fees for the enterprise edition are really high, which makes it harder for smaller companies to justify. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** Microsoft SQL Server is helping us centralize and manage large volumes of data in a secure, reliable way. It solves problems like handling complex queries, ensuring high availability, and integrating data with reporting tools like Power BI. This benefits us by giving the business fast, accurate insights, reducing downtime, and making data management much easier for both developers and analysts. ### 13. Use products based on MSQL for 20 years **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Tom A. | VP, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 16, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** MS-SQL has incredible performance. Logical and easy ways to view data. Most importantly, easy to connect to and interact with user facing products. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** The actual interface of MS-SQL itself can be a not intuitive at times. Global searches of data could be quicker and easier to access. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** MS-SQL is the central data hub for our core solutions. In addition to storing the data that drives our enterprise software, it allows for easy links to other software products so our customers can easily use the data outside of the system in a way that is customized to them without additional burden on our development resources. ### 14. Microsoft SQL Server 2022 Review **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Shreeram R. | Senior Consultant, Information Technology and Services, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 07, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** It is one of the best databases which can be easily implemented on Windows platform and in terms of other competitors databases, it is least priced with all requried feautures available. It is easily integrated to most of the compatible applications. It is one of the best databases for daily usage. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** There is nothing to dislike about the product apart from the which lack in autonomous features. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** The MS SQL is well suited for any small organizations to the largest enterprise with all required features as well the cost efficient. It solves the purpose of all type of organizations with well suited tailored feaures and cost. ### 15. SQL Server is great. Gets the job done, doesn't crash, and has been completely reliable for us **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Information Technology and Services | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 19, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** I like the easy to understand user interface. Database hierarchy on the left, and any scripting or other windows on the right. It's easy to code stored procedures, see the layout of databases, and other information at my fingertips. I use it all the time in conjunction with SQL Management Studio. It was superbly easy to set up and use. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** I've never been a fan of the intricacies of database security - I leave that for the database administrators. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** We use it as the backbone for mission critical systems that need to stay up and running. All of our servers are on premise, which makes it easy to administer and not having to worry about internet or cloud lags. ### 16. Reliable, High-Performance Data Management with Seamless Integration **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Rajan S. | Product Support Analyst II, Information Technology and Services, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 01, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** I like Microsoft SQL Server for its reliability, strong performance, easy integration with other Microsoft tools, and powerful features for managing and analyzing data **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** At times, it can feel a bit heavy, and the licensing costs may be quite high, particularly for smaller teams or projects. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** Microsoft SQL Server helps me store, manage, and analyze data efficiently, which improves reporting, speeds up decision-making, and keeps everything organized and accessible. ### 17. I regularly use this database for integration with Power BI and storing the data **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Pranay Kumar M. | Business Intelligence Analyst, Information Technology and Services, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 18, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** The user-friendly, GUI, dedicated SQL dialect for more advanced queries. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** To see the output, we have to select the entire query and click execute. The syntax is not straight forward like MySQL. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** It is used to store large amount of data and information retrieval by using the SQL queries and I mainly used this to integrate with Power BI. ### 18. Microsoft SQL Server is more than a user-friendly and easy-to-manage relational database. **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Sergio C. | I.T. Officer, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 17, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** It seamlessly integrates with my ASP.NET and PHP applications, making it my preferred choice for development. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** I don't like that it takes a long time to load. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** It provides a robust, centralized platform for my applications, e.g. addressing challenges that are common in managing systems like employee leave and purchase requisitions. ### 19. The best enterprise database engine in the market **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Jorge Y. | Software developer, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 26, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** Everything. It is the easiest to use, the most powerfull in the market, it allow you manage the database, the users, etc. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** One of the worst thing about Microsoft SQL Server is that you need to pay to use it in all of their functions **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** We need a powerfull database server, and we think that Microsoft has the most powerful in the market. It allow you to apply differents roles to every user, so you can. You can secure your databases as much as you want. You can manage all of the features of the server ### 20. Excellent Tool for Effortless Query Solving **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** HARSH R. | Data Analyst, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 18, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** It is very useful for solving queries and is easy to use when working with queries. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** Occasionally, I encounter some errors, but it's not clear to me what causes them. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** There is absolutely nothing wrong; I haven't encountered any problems at all. ### 21. Microsoft SQL Server - Very Reliable **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer Software | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 16, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** MS SQL Server has been extremely reliable. The syntax ports well with other query based languages and I find myself using this framework for most or all my projects because of how much documentation and support there is online and how easy it is to integrate and implement solutions. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** Certain advanced features can be complicated. However there is a lot of support and resources available. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** Storing data for various software applications ### 22. Easy and Complete SQL Engine **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Information Services | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 16, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** - Easy to administrate - Compatible with Microsoft tools - Free and Paid versions - Multiple Engine versions - Very Powerful **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** - Sometimes as Windows dependent, you have to restart the service or reboot the OS where it is running **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** - Production Database - Databases Integrations - Multiple softwares using different Databases ### 23. SQL Server: A Pillar of Secure, Scalable Data Architecture **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Kingshuk S. | Senior Security Architect, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 16, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** Robust with ease of use and integration with multiple applications. It is also ease to implement **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** Sometime fine tune of database is challenging with respect to application requirments **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** Helps in managing complex data and provides security by design principles. The application has well defined security controls for compliance ### 24. SQl-server-review **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Neelam P. | SQL DBA, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 20, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** Integrations with microsoft azure, power bi, excel etc Ease of use HA/DR Performance tuning tools **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** Licensing costs Version compatability issues Not open source **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** Performance bottlenecks. HA/DR- point in time recover Auditing and monitoring logins ETL Creating optimised viwes, stored procedures. ### 25. Data Analytics with Microsoft SQL Server **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Darshika V. | Data Analyst, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 15, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** The best thing about Microsost SQL Server is that it is user friendly. It is easy to integrate other tools like PowerBI, Excel with it which indeeds helps in streamlining workflows with ease.It provides advanced security feature which includes encryption and authetication making it a reliable tool. Microsoft offer many support channel. it includes 24/7 assistance and a diverse knowledge base. It is also useful for daily usage whether it's querying data from a database or generating reports. The installation and setup process of SQL server is straighforward. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** Although SQL Server is user-friendly, yet some features of it might seem challenging to beginners. For larger systems,setting up SQL server could take up ample amount of time which is a downside. Customer support is good but sometimes the response time could be high for things which has higher urgency. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** 1. It helps save large amount of data in an organized way (normalisation). A proper schema (star, snowflake) can be created in Microsoft SQL Server which helps in arranging data in a structure way making it easy for data analysis. With the help of SSRS (built-in tool), it is easy to create reports in no time. Because of it's advanced security features, the data is now entirely secured and trusted. Various tasks like alerts, updates etc could be automated which indeed reduced the manual work. ### 26. The standard tool for SQL database **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Chandra L. | Senior Analyst, Enhanced Analytics, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** June 12, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** I think this is the industry standard for SQL database, easy to use and learn, taught in most universities as the basis of SQL database. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** Advanced stuff are not that easy to learn, would be better if there are easy to read documentation for advanced things like SSIS, indexing, etc. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** Data storage and automation, integration with Tableau dashboard, data processing for sales reporting ### 27. MSSQL Server review **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Thakgalo S. | Software Developer, Manufacturing, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 04, 2024 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** Easy to learn syntax and well documented learning material. it also follow the statandard SQL syntax. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** Lack of protection against deleting the entire table since it does not make provision of where clause mandatory. When you have sub-query on your query it allows the use of main query fields in the sub-query without explicitly referencing the main query table name or aliase, if this was done in error it will not raise any syntax error, it will just use the field of the main query if it's not found in the sub-query resulting with unexpected (and often unnoticed) results. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** Management of large data that need to be accessed on demand. Most of the application I develop are data-driven and are access my multi users which are not technical, so it helps storing and retrieving the data that I present to my end users. ### 28. Everyday savior SQL for almost 3 years **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** PRAISY S. | Senior Consultant - Package Implementation ORACLE, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 20, 2024 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** Everything about SQL is great. How can a whole database be created, modified, and updated all at once on a platform? Complex logic can be written in a very effective and easy-to-understand way for third parties. Learning the syntax is comfortable and simple. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** There is nothing specific. We have all the documentation and customer support if we have any doubt. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** My company requests on a day-to-day basis to create complex logic data and analysis from millions of databases, and I have to join multiple tables and multiple records. But everything compiles smoothly, and it can fetch any limit of data. Data can be extracted in any form of format file. ### 29. Excellent product **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Charles-Antoine B. | Automation Engineer, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 23, 2024 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** Intuitive DBMS on top of a well built SQL database. **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** Nothing in particular seems to be lacking. **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** It helps our buisness store peoduction data which can then be used to feed custom applications. ### 30. SQL Server Review **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Saranya K. | Analyst, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 08, 2024 **What do you like best about Microsoft SQL Server?** Data Management and Data storage. Can access and store the data easily **What do you dislike about Microsoft SQL Server?** Takes much time to export the large data **What problems is Microsoft SQL Server solving and how is that benefiting you?** data management ## 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%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1422587&qs=pros-and-cons§ion=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-08-13+20%3A01%3A14+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=2bf04e2f-cd42-43d8-a8cb-d891009b6b1d&secure%5Btoken%5D=8830ea2258bd27f3fdc11d716abf0d4775e9b126cbad0e9b920d17cf562bb343&format=llm_user) ## Microsoft SQL Server Integrations - [Agentforce Sales (formerly Salesforce Sales Cloud)](https://www.g2.com/products/agentforce-sales-formerly-salesforce-sales-cloud/reviews) - [Azure Databricks](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-databricks/reviews) - [Azure Data Factory](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-data-factory/reviews) - [Azure Functions](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-functions/reviews) - [Azure Pipelines](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-pipelines/reviews) - [Azure Portal](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-portal/reviews) - [Azure SQL Database](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-sql-database/reviews) - 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[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 - Data Synchronization - Real-Time Data - Data Storage Management **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 - Automatic Backup - Database Conversion **Support ** - Text Search - Data Types - Languages - Operating Systems **Integrations** - Hadoop Integration - Spark Integration **Security** - Data Encryption - User Access Control - Mobile Access **Security** - Database Locking - Access Control - Encryption - Authentication **Additional Functionality** - Workflow Management - Third-Party Integrations - Data Extraction - Relational Database Management - SSL Security - API - Data Connectors - Search/Filter - Reporting & Statistics - Customizable Templates - AI Copilot - Full Text Search - Data Virtualization - Data Import/Export - Generative AI - Drag & Drop - Customizable Fields - Authentication - Data Visualization - Secure Data Storage - Activity Dashboard - Data Mapping - Multiple Programming Languages Supported - Data Capture and Transfer - User Management - NOSQL Database Management - Access Controls/Permissions - Calendar Management - Real-Time Monitoring - Document Storage - Audit Management - Charting **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 - Real-Time Data - Real-Time Data - Third-Party Integrations - Third-Party Integrations **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 - Mobile Access - Metadata Management ## 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 (522 reviews) - [Google Cloud SQL](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-sql/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (355 reviews)