Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Microsoft MDS vs Semarchy xDM comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

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
Semarchy xDM
Ranking in Master Data Management (MDM) Software
6th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
Cloud Master Data Management (MDM) (5th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Master Data Management (MDM) Software category, the mindshare of Microsoft MDS is 7.7%, down from 11.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Semarchy xDM is 8.7%, up from 7.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Master Data Management (MDM) Software Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft MDS7.7%
Semarchy xDM8.7%
Other83.6%
Master Data Management (MDM) Software
 

Featured Reviews

AB
Senior Data Engineer at a insurance company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Outdated capabilities hinder data mapping efficiency but facilitate cost-free data standardization
Microsoft MDS is outdated and lacks modern capabilities. It is too slow and does not support automated mapping or AI-based functionalities. Although I created Python scripts for some machine learning libraries, we seek tools that offer AI-enabled automated mapping without custom coding. Microsoft support for MDS is also going away.
Syed-Hasan - PeerSpot reviewer
Director at Inspiring Software
Quick MVP development facilitated by low-code data management
Semarchy xDM's unique selling point is its quick turnover time, allowing for the rapid development of a proof of concept or minimum viable product. Its low-code approach, essentially a wrapper for SQL, enables easy and quick development. The core features include validation business rules, deduplication, merging, and consolidation from multiple sources.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The best thing about it is that it comes with the Microsoft package."
"The most valuable feature is the administration console."
"The backup and restore functionality are the solution's most valuable aspects."
"The ease of use is valuable."
"It's very easy to use."
"It has been a long-standing tool in our organization since it was free."
"Enables non-technical people to directly interact with the BI system."
"One of the main features I have found useful is the integration with Azure active directory."
"Their documentation is excellent."
"Semarchy xDM's unique selling point is its quick turnover time, allowing for the rapid development of a proof of concept or minimum viable product."
"The flexibility of Semarchy xDM allows for possible deployment on-premises, in the cloud, or both."
 

Cons

"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."
"JMD repositories have records that come in thousands and millions, which takes a long time to process."
"Stability can be fragile at times. If you are not attentive or make a mistake, it can cause problems."
"The Microsoft license cost could be lower."
"The program's navigation tools could be improved."
"From my understanding, MS, as of 2021, will not maintain the product going forward."
"The stability could be improved."
"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."
"They need to make the workflow more enhanced or dynamic in its functionality."
"There is room for improvement in terms of local support."
"There is room for improvement in the developer experience, particularly for those who are SQL proficient, as having more direct access would be beneficial."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"SAP is more expensive than Microsoft."
"Microsoft MDS is an expensive solution."
"The pricing of this solution is good."
"I would like to see better pricing."
"With Microsoft, we buy everything though an agreement, so we purchase volume licensing every year."
"Product licensing is very complicated. It would be helpful to have an online calculator to estimate the cost of a license."
"MDS is a part of the SQL Server enterprise license. I am not aware of any additional costs."
"The solution does require a license and we have enterprise licenses."
Information not available
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Master Data Management (MDM) Software solutions are best for your needs.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Computer Software Company
11%
Media Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Computer Software Company
13%
Retailer
9%
Manufacturing Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise15
No data available
 

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 Semarchy xDM?
The pricing model is based on the number of golden records. It is considered reasonable to good compared to other products that might be more expensive.
What needs improvement with Semarchy xDM?
There is room for improvement in the developer experience, particularly for those who are SQL proficient, as having more direct access would be beneficial. Additionally, configuring Semarchy xDM re...
What is your primary use case for Semarchy xDM?
The primary use case of Semarchy xDM is as a data management tool, specifically for master data management and reference data. It provides a platform to standardize information during mergers and a...
 

Also Known As

Microsoft Master Data Services, Microsoft MDM, Microsoft SQL Server Master Data Services, MS MDS
Semarchy Intelligent MDM
 

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
DiamondStream, Oakley, Araymond, EBU/Eurovision, Groupe Roullier, BOSE, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Putnam Investments, BAE Systems, Mundi Pharma, Merck, Elsevier, CMA CGM
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft MDS vs. Semarchy xDM and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.