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NetBeans vs dbForge Studio for SQL Server comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

dbForge Studio for SQL Server
Ranking in IDE
9th
Average Rating
9.0
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
NetBeans
Ranking in IDE
8th
Average Rating
8.2
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the IDE category, the mindshare of dbForge Studio for SQL Server is 5.0%, up from 1.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NetBeans is 4.9%, up from 3.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
IDE Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
NetBeans4.9%
dbForge Studio for SQL Server5.0%
Other90.1%
IDE
 

Featured Reviews

AM
Head BI SBU at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Easy to use, quick data usage, and a helpful knowledge base
The only issue that I have is that it depends on hardware resources, it takes a lot, that is the only set back with the solution. What we are using is fine for now. I believe that the newer versions 2016 or 2018 SQL have improved a lot and have all of the features available. It would be useful to have some form of self-service capabilities or some form an AI to provide a summary and to be able to tell you what has happened. Also, the inclusion of some integration tools would be helpful. In the next release, I would like to see some form of artificial intelligence with some form of summaries telling you what has happened without having to get into a complex query to get that information.
DB
Java Developer at a tech vendor with 501-1,000 employees
Some of the valuable features are Java development, RCP ​support and support for various other languages.
* Java development support. (The Java editor is one of the best Java IMHO editors. Java projects support Ant and Maven.) * RCP support * GUI editor for Java windows * RCP support: An easy way to create your own app using NetBeans base. There is a lot of documentation for RCP creation. * Plugins can be easy created. Also there is support for other languages as C/C++, HTLM5, Javascript, Groovy, PHP... There is a lot of plugins that can be easily installed.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The solution is very scalable; if you set up a very large database, billions of records or so, if you have enough memory and enough disk space, it's quite easy to do."
"It's quite easy to install and use from a local machine or laptop, as well as on a server."
"The features that I find are the most valuable are easy querying, screen objects, relational diagram creation, and simplicity."
"I like the ease of use and quick data usage."
"If you do SQL for a living you need a robust productivity tool."
"I recommend NetBeans because it is easy to use, open source, free of charge, and has really strong community."
"C++ 11 support (for a long time)"
"Use it and you will not regret your decision."
"It comes out of package fully-loaded with a lot of great features for web development."
"Go for it! You’ll never look back!"
"One of the most important features is that Apache Maven supports it."
"Overall, for our company, it has been a good addition, as development times have been shortened using NetBeans."
"It comes out of package fully-loaded with a lot of great features for web development."
 

Cons

"The lock files and login are two features we've had issues with. As far as I can see, there's no way to switch off the login in SQL Servers."
"The lock files and login are two features we've had issues with. As far as I can see, there's no way to switch off the login in SQL Servers. If there could be a way to switch off the login, for transactions, or in operations, or tables, that'd be great."
"I once had a problem stopping a long running query, not sure whose fault was, mine, the server or something else."
"The only issue that I have is that it depends on hardware resources, it takes a lot, that is the only set back with the solution."
"The only issue that I have is that it depends on hardware resources, it takes a lot, that is the only set back with the solution."
"One of main areas that the tool can improve is performance."
"There are always rooms for improvement for any product. The good thing with NetBeans is that since it is Open Source, you can just go ahead and contribute whatever you want to change yourself."
"Background scanning of sources on demand, disallowed by Options (processor usage, build cannot be deleted by the old version build)."
"The background scanning of projects should be optimized after starting NetBeans."
"Debugging: Watches, Evaluate Expression, and data inspection are limited."
"t is a very heavy load on the computer, especially when you compare with Sublime Text Limited plugins and themes."
"Background scanning of sources on demand, disallowed by Options (processor usage, build cannot be deleted by the old version build)."
"I would like there to be better integration with Git, as there are IDEs such as Eclipse that offer this integration in a much more elegant way than NetBeans."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Because it's 2012 version, it's a one-off enterprise license that we have never had to upgrade."
"NetBeans is free and open source."
"It is an open source and free tool, with no changes, and the licensing allows me even to change source code, if I need."
"I am sad that CLion is not free. Currently, it has no support for Linux makefiles, only cmake, and this is a big mess."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Construction Company
13%
Insurance Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Wholesaler/Distributor
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business1
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise2
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Boeing, Sony, Honda, Oracle, BMW, Samsung
Weyco Group Inc.
Find out what your peers are saying about NetBeans vs. dbForge Studio for SQL Server and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
894,738 professionals have used our research since 2012.