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

Microsoft SMS vs Sonatype Nexus Repository comparison

Microsoft and Sonatype are both solutions in the Software Distribution category. Microsoft is ranked #4, while Sonatype is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.3. Microsoft holds a 18.8% mindshare in SD, compared to Sonatype’s 23.9% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Sonatype users who would recommend it.
Microsoft SMS
Read 1 Microsoft SMS review
  • 234 Views
  • 80 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
Sonatype Nexus Repository
Read 15 Sonatype Nexus Repository reviews
  • 234 Views
  • 92 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend

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 SMS
Ranking in Software Distribution
4th
Average Rating
8.0
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Sonatype Nexus Repository
Ranking in Software Distribution
1st
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
Repository Managers (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Software Distribution category, the mindshare of Microsoft SMS is 18.8%, up from 17.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sonatype Nexus Repository is 23.9%, up from 17.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Software Distribution
 

Featured Reviews

NK
Reliable, stable, and free with our subscription
We use Microsoft Authenticator as well as Microsoft SMS Authenticator. Normally, we enable MFA for all users who have email access and application access. Users can choose which authenticator they want to use. Based on their convenience, they enable Microsoft Authenticator or Microsoft SMS…
Read full review
CuneytGurses - PeerSpot reviewer
A stable solution that provides a central platform for storing build artifacts, saving us significant maintenance and hardware costs.
Particularly concerning OSF-type licenses, while they support a multitude of features, there's room for improvement in the single point transform, especially for grouping. It appears that currently, the grouping functionality is not robust, particularly for Docker images within a group. The support for this aspect seems to be contingent on the license type. For instance, with the Voss license type, there is a noticeable absence of support for this feature. This is an area that could benefit from enhancement in the upcoming updates.
Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It has been working for us, and it has never been down so far."
"The primary feature is that I now have the ability to provide a central platform for storing build artifacts; a concise way for any project team to store its build with us."
"I onboarded .NET, then I onboarded JS. And about six or eight months back, I onboarded Python. And I am about to onboard Docker. The availability of integrations allows me to do this."
"The most important feature of Nexus Repository Manager is the storing and sharing of components. For Nexus IQ, it's the scanning of projects and the rating of vulnerabilities and license violations that we may have in our products."
"For us, the ability to do proxying and federations of repositories is very important. It gives us flexibility. We are the largest physics research laboratory in the world. With 12,000 people, we need to have good solutions to federate organizations inside our lab."
"I have found managing the artifact features very useful."
"The most valuables features of the Sonatype Nexus Repository are you can block any uploads that you do not want. For example, from Maven. Even though someone will try to create a pump file with a package not currently in our repository, they can go and get it, but it won't store it into the Sonatype Nexus Repository and therefore won't be propagated across the enterprise."
"Primarily, the extensive support for a wide range of packages is a crucial factor. The effectiveness of new-age package managers is often determined by the breadth of packages they can handle. In this regard, Nexus Repository Manager 3 stands out for its comprehensive coverage, accommodating a vast array of packages widely utilized across the globe. This inclusivity enables easy access to a diverse range of packages, making it a pivotal aspect of its functionality."
"The key benefit we get from it is speed to delivery. It has improved our overall time to get new applications out with new code. That's true whether from a platform perspective, where we are quickly deploying up-to-date docker containers, or whether we are looking to deploy new code out to deliver a new application."
More Sonatype Nexus Repository pros
 

Cons

"Its dashboard can be improved and made a little bit better."
"If your emphasis shifts towards NPM products or NuGet, using Nexus is still feasible but may require more effort. The tool is more centered around Maven, making it a bit challenging to seamlessly integrate with NPM."
"We feel that if the product could be configured more easily through configuration files, instead of API calls and databases, that would make it easier to integrate with other DevOps tools. This is one of the hurdles that we encountered when we tried to integrate Nexus 3 with our OpenShift installation."
"They should have some feature where we can move a specific repository from one instance of Nexus to another instance of Nexus. As of now, this feature doesn't exist."
"When it comes to uploading NPM libraries, JavaScript dependencies libraries, it is a little bit of a convoluted process. They need to improve uploading libraries for NPM-type repositories."
"Sonatype Nexus Repository could improve by making the experience working with CI/CD pipelines, such as GitHub Action or GitLab better."
"They should have the ability to support multiple data centers. That is actual scalability and, in effect, high-availability."
"The only thing that I would like to see is multifactor authentication. This is a critical feature that must be included."
"They should provide automation for adding container images and artifacts in compliance with security requirements."
More Sonatype Nexus Repository cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It comes free with the Microsoft account. We have a yearly agreement, and all products are covered under it."
"In my opinion, the pricing is very fair and very customer-oriented. It's much better than any other tool I have used so far."
"It's quite expensive. They are charging around $110 or $120 per user, per year. It's quite expensive in comparison to the other tools available in the market."
"There were costs in addition to the standard licensing fees. The standard is free."
"I use the open-source version of the product, which is free of cost."
"One of the challenges we had around licensing was how to deal with anonymous requests. According to the letter of the contract, an anonymous request consumes a license. We had to do some work to get over the fact that any anonymous interactions with the Repository product had to be put back to an end-user account."
"It seems like a fair price, based on other software solutions I've purchased."
"Nexus Repository Manager Pro is quite affordable because it's about €100, per user, per year. Purchasing licenses was not really a big issue for us. Regarding Nexus IQ, it's much more expensive. We purchased 250 licenses and they cost us about €120,000."
"The cost is managed by the client."
report
See which vendors are best for you
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Software Distribution solutions are best for your needs.
See recommendations
858,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Financial Services Firm
20%
Computer Software Company
18%
Government
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

Ask a question
Earn 20 points
What do you like most about Sonatype Nexus Repository?
Primarily, the extensive support for a wide range of packages is a crucial factor. The effectiveness of new-age package managers is often determined by the breadth of packages they can handle. In t...
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sonatype Nexus Repository?
I use the open-source version of the product, which is free of cost.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Sonatype Nexus Repository?
Particularly concerning OSF-type licenses, while they support a multitude of features, there's room for improvement in the single point transform, especially for grouping. It appears that currently...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

No data available
JFrog Artifactory vs Sonatype Nexus Repository Logo
JFrog Artifactory vs Sonatype Nexus Repository
Compared 69% of the time
Archiva vs Sonatype Nexus Repository Logo
Archiva vs Sonatype Nexus Repository
Compared 21% of the time
Bitbucket Data Center vs Sonatype Nexus Repository Logo
Bitbucket Data Center vs Sonatype Nexus Repository
Compared 3% of the time
Cloudsmith vs Sonatype Nexus Repository Logo
Cloudsmith vs Sonatype Nexus Repository
Compared 2% of the time
Inedo ProGet vs Sonatype Nexus Repository Logo
Inedo ProGet vs Sonatype Nexus Repository
Compared 2% of the time
More Sonatype Nexus Repository Competitors
 

Product Reports

No data available
Buyer's Guide
Sonatype Nexus Repository
May 2025
Sonatype Nexus Repository reportDownload Sonatype Nexus Repository product report
 

Also Known As

Microsoft Systems Management Server, MS SMS
Nexus Repository, Nexus Repository Manager
 

Overview

Shopfloor management solution that provides simple to understand, real time graphical view of work requirements set against the actual working capacity of the machine tools.
Microsoft
Nexus Repository is powered by Repository Manager, the same technology engine found in our OSS version deployed at more than 100,000 organziations world-wide. It is Built on the shoulders of Maven, Repository Manager supports all popular component formats and brings your entire development organization together. It includes staging and release functionality that provides support for operations and quality assurance processes prior to production and gives you instant insight into potential component security, license, and quality issues, enabling teams to take corrective action early and quickly.
Sonatype
 

Sample Customers

Curtin University, MyCNX, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Kecioren Municipality, Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing, Delphi Automotive, Turkcell, Arcoflex Automation Solutions, Atasun Optik
Goldman Sachs, Toyota, Disney, Deutsche Bank
See our list of best Software Distribution vendors.

We monitor all Software Distribution reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.