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Praneeth N - PeerSpot reviewer
Director of Product Management at SID GLOBAL SOLUTIONS LLC
Real User
Apr 5, 2024
Helps to store and retrieve application data
Pros and Cons
  • "I find query optimization to be highly valuable for data management. Additionally, drag-and-drop query creation greatly facilitates data management tasks."
  • "The solution's stability can be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We use the tool to store and retrieve application data. It allows for storage via multiple threads and separates threads.

What is most valuable?

I find query optimization to be highly valuable for data management. Additionally, drag-and-drop query creation greatly facilitates data management tasks.

What needs improvement?

The solution's stability can be improved. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I can't provide a definitive comment on stability, but I'd lean towards the positive side and rate it around a seven out of ten. I've encountered more efficient and faster databases that deserve a higher rating. Therefore, I'm hesitant to rate SQL Server a nine out of ten for stability.

Buyer's Guide
SQL Server
April 2026
Learn what your peers think about SQL Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2026.
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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The number of users depends on the primary master database, which handles the core data. The solution typically serves around two million users interacting with the primary master database. In terms of deployment and maintenance, not much is needed. I'm quite familiar with databases, so that I can handle it myself. Even without guides, setting up and maintaining the system is manageable.

How was the initial setup?

The deployment process was fairly simple, especially with SQL Server and other modern products. The interfaces are easy to understand, and the configuration is straightforward. Typically, you need to configure a node endpoint for the JDBC driver if you're connecting from a client.

What other advice do I have?

Currently, we don't heavily rely on SQL Server for our projects. Most applications are developed for evaluation or quick setup and checking methods. For production-grade deployments, we primarily use PostgreSQL.

The database architecture plays a crucial role in data-heavy applications. I've worked with databases, particularly in telecom, requiring extremely real-time operations like quick authentication and seamless data transfer for calls. These use cases demand quick responsiveness and scalability, especially during high-traffic events like sports matches. Scaling up certain database nodes becomes essential to handle the increased volume of data.

I rate the overall solution a seven out of ten.I haven't personally used the .NET framework, but it seems to be more elaborate compared to Java or Python.

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.
PeerSpot user
Software Engineer at Intelligent Systems
Real User
Apr 2, 2024
Offers a variety of access protocols and database encryption features
Pros and Cons
  • "It is an extremely stable solution."
  • "Maintenance of the solution is an area of concern, and improvements can be helpful."

What is our primary use case?

I use the solution in my company to take care of the database management area.

What needs improvement?

The solution should provide users with features to automate some of the daily routines for which there are different tools available. SQL Server should serve as an out-of-the-box tool for database maintenance.

Maintenance of the solution is an area of concern, and improvements can be helpful. The solution should offer an out-of-the-box tool with automatic maintenance procedures, which could make it easier for less experienced people to set up the product easily.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SQL Server for twenty five years. My company is a system integrator and a Microsoft partner.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is an extremely stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a scalable solution.

I deal with small, medium, and large-sized customers who use the tool.

How are customer service and support?

It takes a lot of time for users to reach out to the right technical experts who can resolve their issues. Users are redirected to go through the medium-level support, who fail to resolve their issues. I rate the technical support a seven out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have limited experience with MySQL. I like SQL Server more than MySQL. Compared to SQL Server, MySQL requires more technical expertise in order to deal with some easy tasks.

How was the initial setup?

The product's initial setup phase is easy.

The solution can be deployed in ten to fifteen minutes.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The product is offered at a very high price, specifically for the enterprise segment, making it very difficult for our company to sell the product to our customers. In the enterprise segment, the tool has quite a bit of experience. For normal cases, the prices are okay.

For development purposes, the tool is free. For medium-sized customers who don't need some enterprise features, the tool would be available for 200 USD per month. For the enterprise segment, the tool's cost can go up to 6,000 USD.

What other advice do I have?

I have limited experience with scaling SQL Server for large datasets.

Speaking about the most beneficial for our company's data analysis needs, I don't know the huge range of services offered by Microsoft, like reporting or integration services, which make it easy for the users to deal with database manipulation, integrations, and reporting. The aforementioned services offered by Microsoft are quite user-friendly.

The tool covers almost all of the security features for data protection with a variety of access protocols, and the database encryption part covers all the cases in my company.

The solution is easy to maintain if you know what exactly you need to do.

The people required for maintenance depend on the scale at which the product is used in an environment, but under normal circumstances, one person is required to take care of the maintenance process.

My company uses the tool for a variety of integrations, especially with the old legacy systems, which can easily be adapted to SQL Server. With modern architectures and web services, it is also possible to integrate SQL Server with any product in the market currently.

Before buying the product, users should check and remember all the licensing parts of the tool since it can be very complex. Users should check very thoroughly for the use case and exactly what prices they need to pay to use it.

I rate the tool a ten out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Integrator
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
SQL Server
April 2026
Learn what your peers think about SQL Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2026.
893,164 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Jayesh Bhandari - PeerSpot reviewer
Group IT Head at Ashapura Minechem Ltd
Real User
Top 20
Mar 31, 2024
Accessible, even for those with limited skills

What is our primary use case?

SQL Server is very useful in managing databases for various applications. It is easy to use, making it accessible even for those with limited skills. SQL is a preferred choice for handling limited data. Additionally, Microsoft provides excellent support for SQL Server.

How has it helped my organization?

We are using in-house ERP. Currently, we are using SQL for different projects, like surveys and documentation. The data are stored in SQL, which is our main database.

What is most valuable?

SQL Server is very easy to use. A person with limited skill also can handle the software easily. The retrieving time of the data is very fast. You don't require any higher configuration machine for that. If you have very limited resources, you can easily manage.

What needs improvement?

There is a limitation in the SQL. There are around 4GB restrictions, which Microsoft needs to work on.

If your data volume is higher, your server performance may suffer. Microsoft needs to focus on improving stability in such scenarios.

For how long have I used the solution?


What do I think about the stability of the solution?

If the dataset is limited, the performance is good. If it involves bulk data, then the speed is slow.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The number of users impacts the solution’s scalability.

100-500 users are using this solution.

How are customer service and support?

Customer support is fast and knowledgeable. Whenever we raise the ticket, they reply within two hours.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. It is not lengthy. It's a simple flow chart. There is no complexity in the application. It will take half an hour to deploy if you have the right hardware resources.

The first step is gathering the developers’ prerequisites, which depend on the application. We consider the projected data volume for the last ten years, which informs our capacity planning. Based on that, we recommend virtualization.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We have two kinds of licenses for SQL Server: perpetual and subscription-based. We already have the perpetual license. The subscription-based license is renewed every year. The perpetual license was obtained previously, while the subscription-based license is a newer solution we've deployed. We have both perpetual and subscription-based licenses. Perpetual license lacks support.

What other advice do I have?

SQL Server is very secure in terms of login and data protection. Security largely depends on the programmer’s implementation. When data is inputted, it is encrypted to prevent unauthorized access. So, laypeople cannot understand the content of the data.

If your organization needs secure data management or is considering migrating your systems to a virtualization platform, I strongly recommend utilizing Microsoft products. They are user-friendly and require no specialized skill level.

Microsoft has developed the software to be used for any major and smaller applications. Therefore, its integration is very good in terms of the specifications provided.

Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Independent Consultant at Unaikui
Real User
Mar 26, 2024
Enables us to have continuous integration with high uptime
Pros and Cons
  • "The stability is fine, especially if you're hosting it on AWS or Azure. You can get up to 99.99% stability on AWS."
  • "Support could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution for continuous integration, including CI/CD integration.

What needs improvement?

Support could be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SQL Server since 1992. I’ve used AWS and Azure for two and three years, respectively.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is fine, especially if you're hosting it on AWS or Azure. You can get up to 99.99% stability on AWS.

I rate the solution’s stability an eight out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

You can scale to any extent. You need to increase your EC2 or your app server.

Six team sites with 50 users each are using this solution.

How are customer service and support?

Sometimes the response time was high.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. Depending on the complexity, setting up the infrastructure can take a while. You can work on MVP. To deploy on AWS, select SQL Server along with several calls and CPU.

What about the implementation team?

The solution was deployed in-house.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

You receive other products, like free usage, depending on the number of product shares.

What other advice do I have?

You can use a Cloudflare or web application layer that controls security. Furthermore, you can implement SQL reverse proxy practices for in-house environments and beyond.

To ensure the security of my SQL server, we typically set up a configuration where an API communicates with the SQL Server, and there's a front-end interface. This setup prevents direct access to the database.

Four people are required for the solution’s maintenance, but it depends on the complexity of the solution. You can put one senior and three trainees.

Overall, I rate the solution 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.
PeerSpot user
IT Cybersecurity and Compliance Coordinator at Plaenge
Real User
May 22, 2023
Exceptional performance and robust stability, ensuring a highly secure environment
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of SQL Server is that it is easy to set up."
  • "There is room for improvement in terms of pricing for SQL Server."

What is our primary use case?

I use SQL Server for my SharePoint environment.

How has it helped my organization?

It offers exceptional performance and robust stability, ensuring a highly secure environment.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of SQL Server is that it is easy to set up.

What needs improvement?

There is room for improvement in terms of pricing for SQL Server.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with SQL Server for ten years.

I am working on the most updated version.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I would rate the stability a nine out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I would rate the scalability a nine out of ten.

I plan to increase my usage in the future.

How are customer service and support?

I would rate the technical support a ten out of ten.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward.

It is easy to install.

What was our ROI?

There is a return on investment. The cost benefits are good.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The cost associated with SQL Servers is on the higher side.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

While there are other options available such as Oracle Database, Firebird, and MySQL, we specifically chose SQL Server to fulfill our needs for Microsoft services.

We opted for SQL Server as our scalable server solution to meet the requirements of our Microsoft services.

What other advice do I have?

It's a good solution.

I would rate SQL Server a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Matt Hardy - PeerSpot reviewer
Infrastructure Manager/Deployment Manager at Hivedome Consultancy Services
Real User
Apr 15, 2024
An easy to use solution with third-party integrations
Pros and Cons
  • "It integrates well with other platforms."
  • "Running multiple instances on the same box would be beneficial."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution as the backend for the application.

How has it helped my organization?

SQL Server is a backend for software products that our company writes and distributes.

What is most valuable?

SQL Server is easy to use, but there is a great deal of complexity that you can dive into to use it to its best. Also, it integrates well with other platforms.

What needs improvement?

SQL Server should make the pricing simpler. It should add simplified load-balancing features.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SQL Server for 24 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

There's a reporting database feature in SQL Server, but running multiple instances on the same box would be beneficial. That's one limitation we've encountered. Many of our customers utilize a hosting provider that offers multi-tenant SQL Servers, but we cannot implement a multi-tenant reporting database. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution’s scalability is good.

How was the initial setup?

There are a lot of different deployment options. The default options will work pretty well. We have to change a few things for our setup. Deployment is not at all long. It takes a couple of minutes. It took a long time for the first time because I had to go back and redo it and change the configuration, but it runs pretty smoothly now.

The deployment process follows: mount the ISO and run a script. That script retrieves some entries from a table and creates several instances based on that table using active directory SQL Server accounts, which is an out-of-the-box option. There are a lot of features that you can add to the setup to make it quieter. We've automated it so we can spin up an instance as needed for development processes.

What about the implementation team?

Deployment was done in-house.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I rate the solution a 9 out of 10.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Chief Technology Officer at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Reseller
Top 10
Apr 10, 2024
Affordable and provides good integration and data analysis capability
Pros and Cons
  • "The fact that SQL Server fully integrates within the entire Microsoft ecosystem is a plus."
  • "The solution’s initial setup could be complex, requiring some design of how you want to lay everything out and what type of storage you want to put certain things on."

What is our primary use case?

We use SQL Server for data warehousing or business-intelligent projects. When you leverage the solution with Azure, it's the only database you'll ever need. Oracle is overpriced, but Azure SQL and on-premise SQL are both great products.

What is most valuable?

The fact that SQL Server fully integrates within the entire Microsoft ecosystem is a plus.

What needs improvement?

The solution’s initial setup could be complex, requiring some design of how you want to lay everything out and what type of storage you want to put certain things on.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SQL Server for 25 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

SQL Server is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Compared to other solutions like MongoDB and MySQL, SQL Server is a scalable solution.

How are customer service and support?

The solution’s technical support is okay.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Oracle is an expensive relational database, and its configuration can be overly complicated. Oracle is less user-friendly. MySQL is not a relational database, but it's a flat-file database. MongoDB is a free tool that allows you to get what you pay for.

How was the initial setup?

The solution’s initial setup could be complex, requiring some design of how you want to lay everything out and what type of storage you want to put certain things on. It could be complex, but any database platform will have some complexity.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Historically, SQL Server has been much more affordable than Oracle, which is overpriced.

What other advice do I have?

SQL Server can be used for web applications and Dynamics Business Central. Any Azure app will deploy some element of SQL Server. The solution's security features meet our data protection requirements. SQL Server integrates with Microsoft Active Directory, Microsoft Azure, and Microsoft Entra, making it secure. However, since SQL Server is the most popular product, it's also the most popular platform to be hacked.

The solution's data analysis capability, performance monitoring, and error logging are all pretty good. I would recommend SQL Server to other users.

Overall, I rate the solution ten out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
Integration developer at Blackwoods
Real User
Apr 1, 2024
An easy-to-manage solution with good integration capabilities
Pros and Cons
  • "SQL Server, a widely adopted database management system, is utilized across numerous sectors. Initially competing with Oracle and Db2, SQL Server has gained popularity. It serves as the backend database for a variety of applications."
  • "The tool's support needs to be improved."

What is our primary use case?

SQL Server, a widely adopted database management system, is utilized across numerous sectors. Initially competing with Oracle and Db2, SQL Server has gained popularity. It serves as the backend database for a variety of applications. 

What needs improvement?

The tool's support needs to be improved. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the product for 25 years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Performance issues are a common concern when using SQL Server. However, it's important to recognize that the problem may not solely lie with SQL Server. It is stable. My team has four members using it. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I find that using SQL Server is more cost-effective than Oracle. Although Oracle remains the top choice regarding power and stability, SQL Server is steadily catching up. We still have dedicated administrators for Oracle maintenance, whereas SQL Server requires less maintenance. While I'm not entirely clear on all the technical features and comparisons, Oracle generally offers more advanced features, such as table-locking options.

How was the initial setup?

The tool's deployment is easy. 

What other advice do I have?

We also have a data warehouse. This warehouse feeds into Power BI for data presentation. Currently, we're in the process of transitioning because we have various teams and solutions in place.

The tool serves the purpose of managing all the data within a system. It is utilized extensively for storing, processing transactions, and conducting analysis.

I rate the overall product a nine out of ten. Its ability to integrate with other products is good. The tool is popular and easy to manage. You can find resources easily to manage it. 

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free SQL Server Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: April 2026
Buyer's Guide
Download our free SQL Server Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.