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Microsoft MDS vs SAP Master Data Governance comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 15, 2026

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

Microsoft MDS
Ranking in Master Data Management (MDM) Software
4th
Average Rating
7.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
23
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
SAP Master Data Governance
Ranking in Master Data Management (MDM) Software
2nd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
32
Ranking in other categories
Data Governance (17th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Master Data Management (MDM) Software category, the mindshare of Microsoft MDS is 8.2%, down from 11.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP Master Data Governance is 7.9%, down from 21.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Master Data Management (MDM) Software Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
SAP Master Data Governance7.9%
Microsoft MDS8.2%
Other83.9%
Master Data Management (MDM) Software
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer1524357 - PeerSpot reviewer
Solution Architect at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Has supported endpoint management while revealing areas where usability and latency can improve
The couple of times we found issues with technical support from Microsoft for Microsoft MDS, they resolved them. The response time and understanding were adequate, though there was always a language barrier between the teams. The teams we worked with were in Korea, and it was sometimes a language issue.
reviewer2402049 - PeerSpot reviewer
Governance / Data Governance Initiative Advisory And Strategy Leadership at a consultancy with 1-10 employees
Centralized master data has improved quality and now supports consistent global governance
Regarding what SAP can do better in SAP Master Data Governance, they have an entire roadmap of constant improvements since they deployed the product, always adding new business functionality and add-ons. Each company may have different feedback, wishing for certain features. The essence of SAP Master Data Governance is to provide structure, and from my standpoint, it offers a pretty good structure. There will always be areas for improvement; for example, when I deployed it a few years ago, their approach to internal orders for finance was still new, and they were figuring out how it would work based on organizational requirements. The financial data objects are straightforward, but financial statements are a bit more challenging. It is not a one-time deployment; it requires ongoing investment in user and product knowledge, and you need to weigh the pros and cons of any IT solution. I often advise clients to walk before they run because establishing hierarchies requires having a designed structure before implementation, though you can add that later. For additional functions in SAP Master Data Governance, it is interesting because on my project, we are already using AI technology for data cleansing before records are entered into SAP Master Data Governance. It would be beneficial to have the Dun & Bradstreet add-on within SAP Master Data Governance. However, one must remember that for AI to work effectively, it requires good data. Without that, AI does not make a difference. SAP Master Data Governance will always require a human perspective, especially to identify duplicate records. While SAP Master Data Governance provides technical capabilities for identifying potential duplicates based on searches, it requires human oversight due to the complexity of analyzing data fields. I believe integrating AI into the product could work, particularly after a solid data migration, which ensures that the records are reliable before utilizing AI for analytics.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"One of the main features I have found useful is the integration with Azure active directory."
"One of the main features I have found useful is the integration with Azure active directory."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft MDS is its management."
"The backup and restore functionality are the solution's most valuable aspects."
"The advantage of Microsoft MDS is that it's so handy, so customizable, and easy to use."
"It's Microsoft, so it's not always perfect, however, is a good step to start with."
"Compared to other databases, it is easier to manage and administer."
"The ease of use is valuable."
"Some of the features that I have found to be beneficial are the search and uploads functions."
"The workflows have been a valuable aspect of the solution, and the solution is great at standardizing all of our records."
"Our organization was able to gain more trusted data."
"This product is helpful for streamlining the master data management process, improving the quality of the master data."
"This is an all-around good product."
"The product is very useful in terms of building master data and in terms of our code."
"The technical support is very good; they are very helpful."
"SAP is a closed tool. Integrating with it requires a lot of effort and money. It is also very expensive and not flexible."
 

Cons

"Microsoft MDS' language should be simple so everyone can use it easily."
"It would be a better option to have an on-cloud version."
"The only drawback is that it does not have the matching, merging, and all true MDM components. For these, you have to use another competent called Data Quality Services (DQS). You need to plug it in and use it along with MDS for true MDM. Both of these are integrated together, but you have to do them separately, whereas, in Profisee, there are a couple of screens where you can configure the matching process, create matching rules, and other things, and everything is in one product, which is not the case with MDS. In order to implement a true MDM, you need MDS, DQS, and SSIS. You have to use MDS to store your golden records, DQS to configure and standardize all your rules and matching percentages, and SSIS to load the data to DQS and MDS. At the same time, you also need Melissa Data to clean up your addresses to validate and standardize the addresses. That's the main component of true MDM. It would be good if they can create a true matching component inside MDS and merge MDS and DQS."
"In my 30+ years in IT I've never experienced a tool that only allows you to create reactive rules that identify bad data but never prevent it from getting saved. In a large enterprise I would rule this as a show stopper."
"I do not like using Silverlight and Internet Explorer. The new 2019 version gets rid of that, which is one of the reasons why we are looking to switch."
"The solution could be better integrated into Microsoft's other products."
"The Microsoft license cost could be lower."
"The duplication feature is not so good."
"I would like to see harmonizing with some of the external third-party products so that it will all be within SAP."
"They should improve the solution's performance as sometimes the process consumes much time."
"MDG doesn't work for all material types of activities that I think it should be dealing with."
"The multidomain MDM feature is based on EIP systems, which may not be a good model for all master data."
"SAP could do better in attracting talent and simplifying technology adoption."
"Bill of materials (BOM) creation in manufacturing needs to be enhanced in SAP Master Data Governance."
"The UI could improve by being more neat and clean."
"Overall, they just a little bit more flexibility in terms of assigning roles or adding new roles. We have a longer approval process, so we need to break it down into more roles than what is typically available and we need to hard-code it."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"With Microsoft, we buy everything though an agreement, so we purchase volume licensing every year."
"Microsoft MDS is an expensive solution."
"SAP is more expensive than Microsoft."
"Product licensing is very complicated. It would be helpful to have an online calculator to estimate the cost of a license."
"The solution does require a license and we have enterprise licenses."
"The pricing of this solution is good."
"MDS is a part of the SQL Server enterprise license. I am not aware of any additional costs."
"I would like to see better pricing."
"The product is too expensive."
"SAP Master Data Governance is an expensive product."
"The licensing cost is reasonable."
"I rate the tool's pricing a seven out of ten."
"The pricing is a bit too high."
"We have an enterprise license. The whole SAP landscape pricing model is based on the number of users, and the number of transactions. The price could be better, there is always room for improvement in the price."
"SAP Master Data Governance is a licensed product. While there might be no upfront cost for the MDG component itself, you still need to pay for user authorizations."
"The solution is costly."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Media Company
8%
Computer Software Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
8%
Healthcare Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise15
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise23
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft MDS?
More generic related things can be included in the services.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft MDS?
Microsoft MDS was pretty affordable. We implemented the solution without a problem.
What needs improvement with Microsoft MDS?
I cannot really give specifics about disadvantages. From what we have seen, speaking to customers, Microsoft MDS was sometimes a bit slow. The frustration they had was just around usability and use...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SAP Master Data Governance?
The challenge with SAP MDG is not only the cost but the resources. The skills required are niche in the market, and while you can purchase the product either one time or on a subscription basis, th...
What needs improvement with SAP Master Data Governance?
Regarding what SAP can do better in SAP Master Data Governance, they have an entire roadmap of constant improvements since they deployed the product, always adding new business functionality and ad...
What is your primary use case for SAP Master Data Governance?
I am currently working with data governance and then advisory and expert for SAP Master Data Governance.
 

Also Known As

Microsoft Master Data Services, Microsoft MDM, Microsoft SQL Server Master Data Services, MS MDS
SAP MDG, SAP Data Governance
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

ETA a.s., Apeejay Surrendra Group, Blue Star Infotech, Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation, The Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, New Belgium Brewing
Convergent IS, CHIO Aachen, Dell, Hamburg Port Authority (HPA), City of Boston, Mozzart, Mitsui Knowledge Industry (MKI), AOK Bundesverband, eBay
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft MDS vs. SAP Master Data Governance and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
893,244 professionals have used our research since 2012.