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Microsoft MDS vs Talend Open Studio for MDM [EOL] comparison

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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
Average Rating
7.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
24
Ranking in other categories
Master Data Management (MDM) Software (3rd)
Talend Open Studio for MDM ...
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

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.
Mubahir Rashid - PeerSpot reviewer
Data Analytics Consultant at Aletha Corp
Good data fabric and a straightforward setup with the ability to extend
I really like the data fabric. In my data fabric, we have a component related to cloud computing that is quite useful. The data fabric has improved over the previous version. The user interface is fine. There are good integrations possible with the product. The initial setup is very straightforward. It is a scalable product.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It has a very good feature called Excel plug-in. You just have to install the plug-in, and then it directly connects to the MDS instance where you can maintain and manage your data and publish it right through Excel. You don't need to go to the front end to make any changes. It has easy integration with SQL Server, and you can use SSIS to do the ETLs. It is a part of the Microsoft stack. It works with most of the Microsoft stuff."
"The tool is easy to use."
"The most valuable feature is the administration console."
"The zero incremental license cost plus the operational improvements from having clean, consistent master data, reduced errors, faster reporting, and cleaner compliance provide a solid ROI."
"Compared to other databases, it is easier to manage and administer."
"The backup and restore functionality are the solution's most valuable aspects."
"Unlike specialized tools, MDS is adaptable for various industries, making it a versatile choice for master data management."
"Technical support is very good."
"The most valuable features are the stewardship and the data prep."
"I really like the data fabric."
"The biggest advantage of Talend is that they have an active community, and if we face any issue, we can get input in a short duration of time."
 

Cons

"The version that I work with is on-premises and it required an additional virtual machine on the cloud. It would be a better option to have an on-cloud version."
"Stability can be fragile at times. If you are not attentive or make a mistake, it can cause problems."
"Microsoft MDS is outdated and lacks modern capabilities."
"The duplication feature is not so good."
"From my understanding, MS, as of 2021, will not maintain the product going forward."
"The solution could be better integrated into Microsoft's other products."
"The Microsoft license cost could be lower."
"If one system has reached capacity or has stopped, then the whole system stops and it is quite difficult to solve the problem."
"It can definitely be improved on the UI side. They can provide a better UI as compared to what is currently available. I'm trying to set up the UI to capture some information, and when I try to use the native feature of Talend, I'm finding it difficult. It could be improved a bit. Only when it comes to MDM, it is not user-friendly, but when it comes to data integration of Big Data, it's extremely user-friendly."
"Creating a model and deploying it is a little bit tricky in Talend, compared to other tools."
"From the UI side, it'll trouble a lot."
"I do not have notes for improvement."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"SAP is more expensive than Microsoft."
"MDS is a part of the SQL Server enterprise license. I am not aware of any additional costs."
"The pricing of this solution is good."
"The solution does require a license and we have enterprise licenses."
"Microsoft MDS is an expensive solution."
"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."
"The licensing fees vary depending on the products that you purchase."
"It has one single license, and everything is included in it."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Outsourcing Company
11%
Construction Company
9%
No data available
 

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...
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Also Known As

Microsoft Master Data Services, Microsoft MDM, Microsoft SQL Server Master Data Services, MS MDS
No data available
 

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
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