We use the product as a database for the applications.
Chief ICT Officer at Barbados Public Workers Cooperative Credit Union Ltd
A scalable and stable solution that works as a database for applications
Pros and Cons
- "The tool helps us by being available always."
- "The tool is expensive."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
The tool helps us by being available always.
What is most valuable?
We don't encounter any issues with the solution.
What needs improvement?
The tool is expensive.
Buyer's Guide
SQL Server
August 2026
Learn what your peers think about SQL Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: August 2026.
913,683 professionals have used our research since 2012.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the product for the last ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The tool is scalable.
How was the initial setup?
The tool is easy to install.
What was our ROI?
We have seen ROI with the tool's use.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I would rate the tool's pricing a six out of ten. It is not extremely cheap but also it's not the most expensive product.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate the product an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Sr. Solution Architect at Team Computers
User-friendly with ability to extract data from the server and store it in a local data source
Pros and Cons
- "can extract data from the server and store it in a local data source for BI purposes."
- "Performance could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution to extract data. We have a partnership with Microsoft and I'm a solutions architect.
What is most valuable?
This is a user-friendly solution. It's great that I can extract the data from the SQL server and store it in my local data source for BI purposes.
What needs improvement?
I think that performance could be improved and SQL presents some challenges for us.
For how long have I used the solution?
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We haven't faced any scalability issues. We have over 200 users.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I interact with multiple data sources, multiple customers and their ERPs. It can be Oracle, SAP or MongoDB among other solutions. MongoDB, for example, is a little more complex than the SQL Server and we often have more of a challenge establishing a connection with MongoDB.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not a problem.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
This solution is moderately expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I can definitely recommend this solution to smaller and midsize organizations. I rate this solution eight out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Buyer's Guide
SQL Server
August 2026
Learn what your peers think about SQL Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: August 2026.
913,683 professionals have used our research since 2012.
ESM Specialist at LetsCloudIT
Synchronization of nodes is very useful and there is no downtime for maintenance needs
Pros and Cons
- "It's great that the nodes are synchronized so if you lose one it automatically moves to another."
- "I like the stability of the solution, the fact that you have two, three, four nodes replicating at any given time at different locations, and they're all synchronized; if one is lost it automatically moves to another."
- "The solution could have additional security."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution to store our data and for running queries, simple select queries that enable me to create the views I need and report from those views. I'm an ESM specialist and we are customers of SQL Server.
What is most valuable?
I like the stability of the solution, the fact that you have two, three, four nodes replicating at any given time at different locations, and they're all synchronized; if one is lost it automatically moves to another. The other advantage here is that when it comes to application maintenance, you switch onto another node while you maintain another server and there's no downtime.
What needs improvement?
The solution could have additional security.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is easily scalable because of its flexibility.
How was the initial setup?
I don't do the installation, but it appears straightforward according to those who carried out the implementation. These days deployment takes about an hour. We have 1,200 or so users. With the onboarding of more customers, we'll be increasing our use of SQL Server. For now, we have one person dealing with maintenance.
What other advice do I have?
I rate this solution nine out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Chief Information Officer at SYNOVA CONSULTANCT
High performance, setup straightforward, but priced high
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of SQL Server is the performance."
- "The price of SQL Server could be reduced, the license is expensive."
What is our primary use case?
We use SQL Server for developing systems.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of SQL Server is the performance.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using SQL Server for years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have approximately three people who are using this solution.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support from Microsoft has been good.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of SQL Server is straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
We have two administrators that did the implementation of the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of SQL Server could be reduced, the license is expensive. We have an annual subscription.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend SQL Server to others.
I rate SQL Server a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Data Analyst at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
Easy use and simple to expand with good performance
Pros and Cons
- "We found it to be quite scalable."
- "The most valuable aspect of the solution is its ease of use."
- "While using it, we really didn't experience any pain points."
What is our primary use case?
I'm a web developer, and I use SQL for the backend.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable aspect of the solution is its ease of use.
It's a pretty stable solution.
We found it to be quite scalable.
What needs improvement?
While using it, we really didn't experience any pain points. It doesn't need any additional features.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have a couple of years of experience with the solution so far.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability and performance are good. It doesn't crash or freeze. it's not buggy. there are no glitches. It's pretty reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability has been good. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so.
How are customer service and support?
I've never used technical support. I can't speak to how helpful or responsive they would be.
What other advice do I have?
I'm not sure which version of the solution I'm using.
I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. We've been satisfied with its overall capabilities in general.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Testing Lead at Enstoa
Integrates well, good support, and quick deployment
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of SQL Server are the speed, great support, and it is from a known vendor."
- "The security features of the solution could be better."
What is our primary use case?
We are using SQL Server for data processing.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of SQL Server are the speed, great support, and it is from a known vendor.
What needs improvement?
The security features of the solution could be better.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used SQL Server within the past 12 months.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
SQL Server is a scalable solution.
We have approximately 200 users using this solution. We increase the number of users every year.
How are customer service and support?
I have not contacted their technical support.
How was the initial setup?
The process for the deployment is straightforward. It takes approximately four hours to complete.
What about the implementation team?
We did the implementation of SQL Server in-house. We have eight people managing the solution. The team includes managers, technicians, and administrators.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is a subscription that needs to be purchased to use the solution.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise others this is a good Microsoft solution.
I rate SQL Server a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Systems Engineer at NTT DATA
Good usability, satisfactory performance, and easy setup
Pros and Cons
- "Its usability is very good. Its performance is satisfactory."
- "We are satisfied with the product in general."
- "Their support could be better. There should be more visibility on the progress of the ticket, and their last line of support should be more knowledgeable. Other than that, we have nothing to complain about."
What is our primary use case?
It is for supporting our custom applications. We have a number of custom applications that we use that have SQL embedded.
I am using the version before the latest one.
What is most valuable?
Its usability is very good. Its performance is satisfactory.
What needs improvement?
Their support could be better. There should be more visibility on the progress of the ticket, and their last line of support should be more knowledgeable. Other than that, we have nothing to complain about.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for seven to eight years.
How are customer service and support?
Their support could be better. Sometimes, you don't have much visibility of how your service request is progressing. There should be more visibility, and the last line of support should be more knowledgeable.
How was the initial setup?
It was straightforward. It took two to three hours.
What about the implementation team?
We have internal staff for its implementation. We have a team of about three or four people who are well-versed with SQL Server, and we have 30 to 40 users who use this solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
You need to pay for the license. It most probably has per-core licensing.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others. We are satisfied with the product in general. Overall, I'd rate it an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
CEO at TMentors
Problem-free, easy to implement, and very reliable
Pros and Cons
- "The scalability is very good."
- "Overall, we've been satisfied with the capabilities of the product."
- "The remote access aspect needs to be improved in terms of security."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution on FastAutomate, our core product, to store the aggregated data from different nodes. It resides on the server that's handling the agents. We also use it for different organizations for development. Therefore, we use it for development mainly.
What is most valuable?
Overall, we've been satisfied with the capabilities of the product.
The solution is stable. It works without issue - to the point you rarely need any technical support at all.
The scalability is very good.
It's got an easy initial setup.
What needs improvement?
The remote access aspect needs to be improved in terms of security. Right now, it's a little bit hard.
Also, they need to work on the user interface, as it's a little bit old. They need to improve it a little bit.
The pricing could be lowered a bit.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've used the solution for a while.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Its stability has been good. The solution performs well and is reliable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have found the solution to be scalable. If a company needs to expand, it can do so.
How are customer service and support?
Techni al support is good. That said, it's hard to judge as you don't need support on SQL Server. It's working without trouble or issues. Therefore, it's rare to seek support for SQL Server. You rarely have to deal with them.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I've also used SQL Azure.
The recommendation is based on the use case. It depends on what use case the customer will need. If they don't have the capacity to manage their own Server, I would recommend Azure, as it's managed. Therefore, you don't have to worry about the management and administration.
The main difference between the two is, in some data types it is not available on SQL Azure while it's available on SQL Server or vice versa. There's a version of SQL Server with a little bit of limited functionality. That said, the difference is not huge. You can go back and forth between them if you want.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very easy. It's even easier than before, in fact. A company shouldn't have any problems with the implementation.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price could be less.
What other advice do I have?
I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten. If the price was a bit less or the remote access was better, I would rate it tighter.
In general, I've been happy with the product.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. partner
Architect of Solutions at Interbank
It's an inexpensive solution that integrates well with cloud-based tools
Pros and Cons
- "SQL Server is an inexpensive solution. I recommend it if the project isn't sensitive. SQL is similar to Oracle and integrates well with tools in the cloud environment. The difference is that Oracle is for data solutions where there is replication and moderation."
- "Our biggest problem with SQL Server is latency. The communication between the cloud and the on-premises environment is slow. The data needs to be encrypted for security, and you have to exchange data certificates between environments. You can adjust the configuration to improve performance, but it would be nice if SQL Server had some templates to resolve problems."
- "Our biggest problem with SQL Server is latency."
What is our primary use case?
I have SQL Server running in an on-premise environment, but we are testing it out on the cloud. We are trying out using APIs to access a database. SQL Server creates a lot of opportunities for us. While some of the larger companies have Oracle, SQL Server is more common in Peru. I'm responsible for administration and implementation, including configuration and data replication.
What needs improvement?
Our biggest problem with SQL Server is latency. The communication between the cloud and the on-premises environment is slow. The data needs to be encrypted for security, and you have to exchange data certificates between environments. You can adjust the configuration to improve performance, but it would be nice if SQL Server had some templates to resolve problems.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with SQL Server for 10 years.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I worked on Oracle Database for four years. In the last year, I have been working with various cloud databases, including Cosmos DB and DynamoDB in AWS and Azure.
What other advice do I have?
I rate SQL Server nine out of 10. SQL Server is an inexpensive solution. I recommend it if the project isn't sensitive. SQL is similar to Oracle and integrates well with tools in the cloud environment. The difference is that Oracle is for data solutions where there is replication and moderation.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Kurucu, Bilgisayar Programcısı at Optimus Yazılım
Easy to use and there is great value having the database engine running continually
Pros and Cons
- "It's great that the database engine is always on."
- "The solution doesn't have too many surprises and is easy to understand."
- "The solution is lacking a compound index for comparing values."
- "For Turkey, the licensing costs are too high."
What is our primary use case?
We are an independent software vendor and users of this product. I'm a company founder.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature for me is that the database engine is always on.
What needs improvement?
The solution is lacking a compound index for comparing values as you find in PostgreSQL. SQL Server doesn't support that feature so we need to build binary indexes to be able to compare those compound values. I'd also like to see AI capabilities. Oracle has a cloud solution which maintains its own indexes. If you buy a service from Oracle's cloud system, it keeps track of the queries that you have made to the database and it automatically implements its own indexes. It's such a good optimized database and I'd like to see an SQL Server that maintains its own indexes with AI capability.
I have an issue with memory support: If you create a table and a third procedure followed by an additional procedure using that third procedure, and then wish to alter the original table with the two dependent objects, you have to drop those third procedures and alter the table and recreate dependencies. Those dependencies make it impossible to work in an online environment. If there's a problem, for example, in your implementation and you have to modify a production system, for example, it can't be done. SQL Server generates DLL files in this instance and you can't change DLLs of a running program. It should be easy for them to solve.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for 20 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have the issue of memory support but the solution is stable.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
For Turkey, the licensing costs are too high. Previously, independent software vendors like us would buy the license from Microsoft and resell to our customers.
For vendors it was half the retail price, but that's no longer possible. Sometimes enterprise companies buying in bulk can get licenses at a better price, but we don't have that and it's impractical for us to sell this solution.
What other advice do I have?
The solution doesn't have too many surprises and is easy to understand. It's all dependent on the architecture and implementation. Newer products use code-first solutions and I'm not sure people will continue to go down the SQL path. If I were starting my project now, I would have chosen another database.
I rate the solution eight out of 10.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Download our free SQL Server Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Updated: August 2026
Popular Comparisons
Teradata
Snowflake
Oracle Database
MySQL
MongoDB Atlas
SAP HANA
IBM Db2 Database
MariaDB
Amazon Redshift
CockroachDB
SAP IQ
Google Cloud SQL
Amazon Aurora
Oracle Database In-Memory
Actian Ingres
Buyer's Guide
Download our free SQL Server Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Quick Links
Learn More: Questions:
- Microsoft sql2017 VS SAP Hana
- SQL Server 2005 vs. InfoBright - what are the pros and cons of these solutions?
- SQL Server 2012 - can I make OLTP transactions from my ERP run in memory?
- How does NuoDB compare to MySQL and SQL Server?
- What are the main architectural differences between Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle Multitenant?
- Would you say the price of SQL Server is high compared to that of similar products?
- Has using SQL Server helped your organization in any way?
- Which authentication mode is best for SQL Server?
- Which solution do you prefer: Microsoft SQL Server's enterprise edition or Oracle Database's enterprise edition?
- Which is better: SQL Server or SAP HANA?

















