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Oracle SQL Developer vs dbForge Studio for SQL Server comparison

Why PeerSpot?
 

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
8th
Average Rating
8.8
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Oracle SQL Developer
Ranking in IDE
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.9
Number of Reviews
36
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the IDE category, the mindshare of dbForge Studio for SQL Server is 4.5%, up from 4.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle SQL Developer is 7.3%, up from 4.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
IDE Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Oracle SQL Developer7.3%
dbForge Studio for SQL Server4.5%
Other88.2%
IDE
 

Featured Reviews

Shakti Gupta - PeerSpot reviewer
SQL server database administrator at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Database work has become more efficient while performance analysis still needs improvements
One area I would like to see improved in dbForge Studio for SQL Server is the performance when using schema and data comparison for large databases, as the comparison can take some time and require more visual review. I would prefer more built-in guidance around generated synchronization scripts to quickly understand what will change before including the script.
Vikram_Kumar - PeerSpot reviewer
Data Architect at Ontario Power Generation
Has improved development efficiency through reusable components and intuitive programming features
When errors occur while programming, they are very generic. Even when searching the internet, the errors remain generic and it takes considerable time to understand the fix. This was predominantly felt because we were mostly working on writing code and developing features. Error handling needs to be improved. The patches and upgrade process is very long. In the last year and a half, I haven't upgraded, so we don't know if latest features have arrived. Another issue is with sessions. If we were working on code and then switch off our laptop for two to three days, the session would keep running. This consumes many resources and flags to the team that a user has been continuously using Oracle SQL Developer. There should be a timeout period for inactive sessions.

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."
"I like the ease of use and quick data usage."
"It's quite easy to install and use from a local machine or laptop, as well as on a server."
"If you do SQL for a living you need a robust productivity tool."
"The features that I find are the most valuable are easy querying, screen objects, relational diagram creation, and simplicity."
"dbForge Studio for SQL Server has positively impacted my organization by making routine database development and troubleshooting more efficient, leading to improved DBA productivity, faster troubleshooting, and reduced manual efforts, rather than directly reducing staffing or infrastructure costs."
"In my work in BI development I find that Oracle SQL Developer is the main tool in my tool box."
"Everybody should try it because you do not have to code things to create output from JSON or DDL."
"The main benefit of SQL Developer is that it is free."
"Oracle SQL Developer is scalable; it can perform the same when more people use it, and most of the people in my organization are using it, with approximately 100 people in the organization."
"I have a lot of flexibility with it."
"Ability to analyze performance, using Explain Plan statement."
"IT staff supporting the SIS could not do our jobs without SQL Developer."
"The solution I've created is revenue forecasting and our organization goes to Wall Street with the earnings call, with the forecast."
 

Cons

"One area I would like to see improved in dbForge Studio for SQL Server is the performance when using schema and data comparison for large databases, as the comparison can take some time and require more visual review."
"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 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."
"It's more stable sometimes and less stable other times. I have used it in Windows, Mac, and Linux. It's variable, it's not the same stability. I think that can be improved on."
"Versioning is there, check. But it sucks a lot, double check."
"Toad is much faster to use. It's not Java which takes a lot of time to query and create things."
"It's not so stable. Sometimes it crashes, and the connection to the databases is bad."
"If they had something on the Web then you wouldn't need to install it, just query, like Enterprise Manager."
"As our company keeps on growing, our data also keeps on growing. Currently, we are a $12-billion company and this tool supports us; our projection in the future is to grow from $12 billion to $20 billion in the next three years and I am not sure whether it might help then or not, as our data will also grow consequently."
"The areas of Oracle SQL Developer that need improvement are in cloud."
"I want to address performance issues with large amounts of data. When I run queries that return lakhs or millions of rows, Oracle SQL Developer sometimes freezes, takes time to load, or even crashes compared to other tools such as DBeaver or Microsoft SQL Server."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Because it's 2012 version, it's a one-off enterprise license that we have never had to upgrade."
"It has the advantage that it's free. The next best competitor would cost several thousand dollars."
"It's a free tool."
"It's a no-cost license and it offers outstanding functionality on that basis."
"It is basically free."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Construction Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Outsourcing Company
14%
Retailer
8%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Comms Service Provider
14%
Outsourcing Company
12%
Marketing Services Firm
10%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business14
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise20
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Devart dbForge Studio for SQL Server?
One area I would like to see improved in dbForge Studio for SQL Server is the performance when using schema and data comparison for large databases, as the comparison can take some time and require...
What is your primary use case for Devart dbForge Studio for SQL Server?
My main use case for dbForge Studio for SQL Server is monitoring and troubleshooting all SQL servers. I use it as a productive tool for day-to-day database administration and development tasks to r...
What advice do you have for others considering Devart dbForge Studio for SQL Server?
I would advise others to use dbForge Studio for SQL Server. I rate dbForge Studio for SQL Server a seven point five out of ten because it is very useful for SQL Server performance and monitoring.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle SQL Developer?
The pricing of Oracle SQL Developer depends on the size of the company and the project. I cannot use Oracle or other solutions if I am just starting. If I start with MySQL, it depends on the size o...
What needs improvement with Oracle SQL Developer?
I want to address performance issues with large amounts of data. When I run queries that return lakhs or millions of rows, Oracle SQL Developer sometimes freezes, takes time to load, or even crashe...
What is your primary use case for Oracle SQL Developer?
In my current project at Cognizant, Oracle SQL Developer is one of the targets to load the data after extracting and transforming it, so this is our use case for my project. For example, I was at a...
 

Interactive Demo

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Overview

 

Sample Customers

Boeing, Sony, Honda, Oracle, BMW, Samsung
Prinova
Find out what your peers are saying about Oracle SQL Developer vs. dbForge Studio for SQL Server and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
920,769 professionals have used our research since 2012.