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Microsoft MDS vs Semarchy xDM comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 3, 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
24
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 August 2026, in the Master Data Management (MDM) Software category, the mindshare of Microsoft MDS is 9.1%, down from 12.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Semarchy xDM is 10.5%, up from 7.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Master Data Management (MDM) Software Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft MDS9.1%
Semarchy xDM10.5%
Other80.4%
Master Data Management (MDM) Software
 

Featured Reviews

NA
Data Management Consultant at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Centralized master data has improved data quality but now requires a clearer future roadmap
An area where Microsoft MDS can be improved is that Microsoft has announced Microsoft MDS is being removed from SQL Server two thousand twenty-five. The future of the product is genuinely uncertain, and that's something any organization evaluating it needs to factor in seriously. Microsoft MDS is still supported on SQL Server two thousand twenty-two and earlier, but the trajectory is clear that Microsoft is not investing in Microsoft MDS going forward. I would also say that the cloud story is a gap because there's no native cloud version of Microsoft MDS. For clients who are moving workloads to Azure, that's an increasingly awkward conversation. Microsoft's direction for MDM in the cloud is through other capabilities like Azure Purview and Dataverse, but those are different products with different feature sets.
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 most valuable feature of Microsoft MDS is its management."
"It's Microsoft, so it's not always perfect, however, is a good step to start with."
"One of the main features I have found useful is the integration with Azure active directory."
"The ease of use is valuable."
"What I like about Microsoft, is that it has a huge database with many users."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft MDS is its compatibility with ETL tools like SSIS, which simplifies operations for end-users."
"The pricing of this solution is good."
"The advantage of Microsoft MDS is that it's so handy, so customizable, and easy to use."
"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."
"You get a big bang for the buck with Semarchy."
"The flexibility of Semarchy xDM allows for possible deployment on-premises, in the cloud, or both."
 

Cons

"There are occasions when the solution maintains SD and we get duplications of MDS."
"From my understanding, MS, as of 2021, will not maintain the product going forward."
"The future of the product is genuinely uncertain, and that's something any organization evaluating it needs to factor in seriously."
"Most of the Microsoft partners, especially digitally, are separate. Personnel are business people, and they do not have technical expertise, so you end up as a company spending a lot of money training your staff and your engineers."
"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."
"The business rules definition interface could be improved."
"The price of the program has gone up, so I would like to see better pricing."
"It would be a better option to have an on-cloud version."
"There is room for improvement in the developer experience, particularly for those who are SQL proficient, as having more direct access would be beneficial."
"There is room for improvement in terms of local support."
"They need to make the workflow more enhanced or dynamic in its functionality."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"With Microsoft, we buy everything though an agreement, so we purchase volume licensing every year."
"The solution does require a license and we have enterprise licenses."
"Product licensing is very complicated. It would be helpful to have an online calculator to estimate the cost of a license."
"SAP is more expensive than Microsoft."
"MDS is a part of the SQL Server enterprise license. I am not aware of any additional costs."
"Microsoft MDS is an expensive solution."
"The pricing of this solution is good."
"I would like to see better pricing."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
14%
Construction Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
8%
Outsourcing Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business10
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise15
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft MDS?
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing shows that the licensing is one of Microsoft MDS's genuine advantages, as it's included in SQL Server Enterprise Edition at no additional cost....
What needs improvement with Microsoft MDS?
An area where Microsoft MDS can be improved is that Microsoft has announced Microsoft MDS is being removed from SQL Server two thousand twenty-five. The future of the product is genuinely uncertain...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft MDS?
My main use case for Microsoft MDS is as a central master data repository for clients running SQL Server-based data environments. The typical scenario is a mid-sized organization that has product d...
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: June 2026.
908,800 professionals have used our research since 2012.