We have hundreds of databases that are using SEL Server and there may be other capabilities.
Manager at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees
Feature-rich, stable, scalable, and easy to install
Pros and Cons
- "There is no lack of features."
- "The agility of the non-SQL-based features is relevant on the market."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
It's a standard product that is used with standard applications, which is why we use it.
There is no lack of features.
What needs improvement?
There are newer models that are available on the market. The agility of the non-SQL-based features is relevant on the market.
Integration is one thing but it's making use of all the iterations or the new cloud data result.
Today's architectures are in many different directions. Not always via SQL relational databases, but also NoSQL databases, and they have a pretty good Java database as well.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using SQL Server in our organization for 10 years, but I am not a day-to-day user.
We use a couple of the versions. We have used the 2016 version and most likely have used some newer versions as well.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
SQL Server is a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We don't have any issues with the scalability of SQL Server.
We have hundreds of thousands of applications using this solution.
How are customer service and support?
We have a dedicated Microsoft account team and we have also dedicated support conditions.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Areas in our organization use AWS Lambda.
We use other relational databases. The most important product besides SQL Server is Oracle. We use SQL Server and Oracle equally.
How was the initial setup?
I am not a patient person with installations, but there are no issues with the installation of this solution.
We have a database team to maintain this solution along with an engineering team, an operational team and we have eternal resources.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The enterprise-level license agreement is very complicated. It's complex, not only with SQL server but with a number of products.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others.
I would rate SQL Server an eight 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.

Owner at 2 Bit
Very fast with reliable, easy-to-access data
Pros and Cons
- "For me, the initial setup is very easy as I have years of experience with the product."
- "With so much data, things can get slow, which is why I would like to be able to understand how to better optimize queries."
What is most valuable?
The solution is very fast.
The data is reliable and I can normalize the database and normalize the data so that I can collect whatever information I need. If I collect the data correctly, then I can share whatever report I want.
Normally, when the data is in the database, it will always be a long-term information holder, instead of putting it in Excel or something like a spreadsheet or something like that.
For me, the initial setup is very easy as I have years of experience with the product.
What needs improvement?
I could use some more guidelines about making the correct queries to understand the structure better. I'd like to have a better idea and to understand how to make a nice query, which is good for the system and good for the hardware.
Sometimes you have to have different data in different tables and you want to merge them into something together. I'd like to be able to do this in a different way.
Sometimes I need to have more optimization. I want to understand how can I optimize this or that? Especially now, when we're working with a lot of camera information, where we are using a lot of cameras for photogrammetry, we need to take this data and put it into the SQL Server and we would like to be more flexible with the data.
With so much data, things can get slow, which is why I would like to be able to understand how to better optimize queries.
Those who are not familiar with the solution can find the initial setup intimidating and difficult.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for 30 years at this point.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I don't have so much experience with scaling. It's my understanding that that task is a specialist job.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have dealt with technical support in the past. I'm happy with them. They have been helpful.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I'm not only working with SQL Server. When I need the database, I will always do it in SQL Server or Maria Database or something like that.
How was the initial setup?
For me, the initial implementation is easy, however, I know a lot of people can't set it up and believe everything is hard. It's difficult if you didn't know how to do it. You have to know, in the beginning, how to define what hardware you need and how many disks, for example. You need to understand if it should be a cluster disk or not. Long ago, it used to be hard disk access only. Things have changed.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution does come at a cost.
What other advice do I have?
I'm a customer and an end-user.
This solution is one of my favorites and I would rate it at a nine out of ten. I'm very pleased with its capabilities.
Microsoft has a freeware option that might be called something like SQL Server Express. I'd advise new users to try to put that one up. It's easy to implement. If you need more data, then buy the correct server. The SQL Server is expensive, however, when you see how nice data is installed and how easy you can get access to it, it may be worth it. If new users need help, they can always go to YouTube to find answers for the freeware.
SQL Server has a steep learning curve, however, it's worth it to learn about it and understand it.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
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July 2025

Learn what your peers think about SQL Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: July 2025.
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Principal Database And Cloud Architect at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
A relational database management system with a valuable developer edition, but the price could be better
Pros and Cons
- "I love the developer version. Microsoft tells you about all the cool things they provided for everybody. You can develop and do anything with it. It's really good to learn. Oracle will not give you that much freedom, and Microsoft really kills it. You don't do anything with it but develop, learn, break, and push it to its limits. If there are problems, you show Microsoft or ask them, "what's going on here?" There is good community support for the developer edition, and that's what I really appreciate. You can teach people about it without limitations. You can have small databases created. You can keep it for a year and then work on it. It's a good thing for learners and developers."
- "The price could be better. It costs a lot, and competing databases like Postgres are free."
What is most valuable?
I love the developer version. Microsoft tells you about all the cool things they provided for everybody. You can develop and do anything with it. It's really good to learn. Oracle will not give you that much freedom, and Microsoft really kills it.
You don't do anything with it but develop, learn, break, and push it to its limits. If there are problems, you show Microsoft or ask them, "what's going on here?" There is good community support for the developer edition, and that's what I really appreciate. You can teach people about it without limitations. You can have small databases created. You can keep it for a year and then work on it. It's a good thing for learners and developers.
What needs improvement?
The price could be better. It costs a lot, and competing databases like Postgres are free.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using SQL Server for about ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
There are problems in all systems, and I don't see any difference between open source and proprietary solutions. SQL Server, Postgres, and Oracle are all vulnerable. There are no known issues per se, but any system can be broken. There is nothing special about this database.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
SQL Servers and other databases are all scalable. I just don't see any problem with scalability.
How are customer service and technical support?
Whenever we have issues, we talk directly with Microsoft. They are responsive, and they help.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I'm more into open source solutions, and I love Postgres. I've worked as a database administrator as well. But I really hate all the tools used to manage performance or backup or just any of those disaster, recovery, and availability solutions. I hate them. They really impose a lot of overhead in a demonstration and aren't really flexible. When you're in the cloud, you don't have to worry about most of those things.
Some of them still exist, but the cloud providers do provide them and you stick to that. You enhance them or add some more features, but really the most hated feature is, making sure that your database really can recover from many kinds of disasters. Resiliency, the most important part and when that is really managed by the cloud online, the overhead costs are removed. The rest is really easy. Performance is okay, and there are indicated spots for data because I work with financial data and a lot of it is our important critical data. So, the cloud is really the best thing that happened to us.
How was the initial setup?
When it comes to the initial setup, most of them can be automated. For example, most setup settings for progressions, management, disaster and recovery, failover, and failback. Most of those things can be automated and provisioned into one kind of pipeline. Connecting that data to an application and even provisioning from the code repository through Jenkins. Those things are really easy to automate.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It costs a lot.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise potential users to use SQL Server with Microsoft Azure. I don't recommend managing it locally.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give SQL Server a seven.
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.
Senior Developer at a government with 51-200 employees
Easy to scale, simple to set up, and offers many great features
Pros and Cons
- "The backups are excellent."
- "I would like to see better integration between their link server and other platforms, such as IBM."
What is our primary use case?
Usually, we use a lot of the vendor software, like ManageEngine, and stuff like that. They use Postgres, however, I prefer to use Microsoft's SQL server. We have a couple of servers and we integrate that information into it. I can run reporting and analysis off of that.
What is most valuable?
There's a lot of great features. I like T-SQL, which is wonderful. The backups are excellent. There's a lot of things that are much easier to manage. All of the features and functions within the SQL language itself, the store procedures, I really, really enjoy. The security has been excellent.
The initial setup is very straightforward.
The stability is very good.
We find it easy to scale if we need to.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see better integration between their link server and other platforms, such as IBM, due to the fact that, a lot of times, you want to set up a linked server so you can be on SQL and pull data off of another server using that link server. Sometimes they don't play well together. There just needs to be better integration for those types of situations.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for about eight or nine years at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is great. There are no bugs or glitches. it doesn't crash or freeze. It's very reliable. The performance is great.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scaling is easy if you need to do it. You simply set up a cluster and you can just grow it up.
In our organization, all the end-users are pretty much integrated into it and using it. As far as developers, there are two developers and me that are using it.
How are customer service and technical support?
We haven't used tech support as we used to have a business partner that wanted us to talk to them instead. Therefore, I can't speak to how helpful or responsive they would be if you need assistance.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Here at the company, they used Postgres, and what I didn't care about it was that it was okay, but it didn't integrate with a lot of the other applications. I felt Microsoft did a better job of that.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is pretty straightforward. The only thing that sometimes gets weird is if you have somebody that's needing an ODBC driver from another type of application back to the SQL server. It's usually that other application trying to figure out what it needs to connect to SQL. It's not really SQL's fault.
What other advice do I have?
We are customers and end-users.
We are using both the latest version and a previous version of the solution. I don't have the exact version numbers on hand.
I would advise new users first to get help implementing it unless you know the solution well, as there's so much that it can do. A lot of times you can actually make a little mistake. Say if you're going to go in a certain direction, if you get some advice, you may be much happier going in another direction completely.
In general, I would rate the solution at a nine out of ten. I've been quite satisfied with its capabilities. It's an excellent product that still has room for growth.
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.
Domain architect at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Rich feature sets, business oriented, and reliable
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is easy to use, has rich feature sets, and is business-oriented."
- "They could improve the solution by allowing more portability between on-premise and the cloud."
What is our primary use case?
There are many applications between Microsoft and SQL. Most are in the legacy direction, but some are more modern databases with those application requirements. We have used it for multi-purposes such as back-office products applications and cloud office environments.
What is most valuable?
The solution is easy to use, has rich feature sets, and is business-oriented.
What needs improvement?
They could improve the solution by allowing more portability between on-premise and the cloud.
More improvements can be brought around hyper-threading. Like we see in work engines of hyper-threading. It is very complex in terms of the way they do it. If it was via CPU or something else, it would be much easier.
In a future release, they could improve by expanding their form base capabilities.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for a couple of years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have found the solution to be very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable.
How are customer service and technical support?
The support is good for the solution.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used Oracle and DB2 in the past.
How was the initial setup?
Initially, the installation took a while. We have started deploying configurations that are now standardized. We have automated it, but it can still be problematic. For the most part, the installation is now quite easy. Additionally, The way they have many configurable parameters that influence performance is in a way problematic.
What about the implementation team?
We did the deployment of the solution and we have a team of 15 people doing the deployment and maintenance.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The licenses are really expensive. Their licensing model should be more simplistic.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others and we plan to keep using it in the future.
I 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.
BI Developer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Provides comprehensive functionality that makes tasks incredibly easy
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable aspect is the ability to utilize jobs and various functions to accomplish specific tasks, which cannot be achieved with standard procedures alone. This allows for a combination of features and functionalities to be employed."
- "I have experience working with SQL Server 2016 and older versions, including handling JSON data. Initially, I found the JSON capabilities to be less helpful, but over time, they have greatly improved. SQL Server now offers extensive capabilities for working with various forms of data, particularly when communicating with text, such as in JSON format. I particularly prefer working with these features on Azure, as it provides numerous possibilities, especially in the field of business intelligence (BI). Additionally, the serverless platform offered by Azure is highly beneficial and makes tasks easier to manage."
What is our primary use case?
SQL Server is used to establish secure storage and protect databases from potential vulnerabilities, including those originating from Slack.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable aspect is the ability to use jobs and various functions to accomplish specific tasks, which cannot be achieved with standard procedures alone. This allows for a combination of features and functionalities to be employed.
What needs improvement?
I have experience working with SQL Server 2016 and older versions, including handling JSON data. Initially, I found the JSON capabilities to be less helpful, but over time, they have greatly improved.
SQL Server now offers extensive capabilities for working with various forms of data, particularly when communicating with text, such as in JSON format.
I particularly prefer working with these features on Azure, as it provides numerous possibilities, especially in the field of business intelligence (BI). Additionally, the serverless platform offered by Azure is highly beneficial and makes tasks easier to manage.
I have not seen significant returns thus far, but I am eager to enhance my experience by transitioning to work in Azure. This shift to Azure is something I am motivated to improve upon.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with SQL Server since 2018.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We have not had any issues with the stability of SQL Server.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is dependent on memory.
The matter at hand pertains to whether we are discussing an issue in general or specifically in the context of on-premises environments. However, it is clear that memory and capacity are significant factors in both scenarios.
Proper management of memory and capacity is essential to ensure smooth system operation and prevent any performance or stability issues.
As a result, it is essential to handle these issues completely and appropriately in order to meet the system's requirements.
How are customer service and support?
I have not contacted technical support.
How was the initial setup?
The installation process is not complex, but it requires attention to detail in terms of selecting the necessary services and configuring the Cisco server.
This ensures a proper setup and a tangible model for effective management. While it may not be complicated, it is important to choose the appropriate features during installation.
Working with ID was not my primary focus; however, I have had the opportunity to work with it for several companies.
What about the implementation team?
It can take an hour to an hour and a half to deploy.
Maintaining it is more challenging than the initial setup. One of the main concerns is ensuring sufficient memory allocation. The default capacity is typically set around sixty, but it can be increased if needed. If there is insufficient memory, it can lead to server downtime and cancellation of transactions, as exceeding the memory limit poses a risk. Therefore, it becomes crucial to address this issue by allocating more memory resources. Additionally, backups and restores play a significant role in ensuring data safety and recovery in case of any issues.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
For a brief period, approximately one year before 2018, I had experience working with the open-source version of SQL Server. During that time, I found SQL Server to be the preferred choice, in my opinion.
What other advice do I have?
I developed an application for specific purposes related to McDonough. Using Microsoft SQL Server, I constructed the entire database and implemented supporting stored procedures. This application was commissioned by the European Union to enhance government institutions and similar entities.
Additionally, I worked on financial-related stored procedures specifically related to Serbia Card, as part of a project for the USA.
We acted as a subcontractor for S&P within your company. I have extensive experience in SQL Server, particularly within the Microsoft environment.
They should think twice before they do anything and double-check. Definitely.
I have explored different options such as SonicWall and open-source solutions, but my preference lies with SQL Server. I find SQL Server to be fantastic, as it provides comprehensive functionality and makes tasks incredibly easy.
Working with Postgres is also simpler compared to other databases like Oracle. Perhaps my familiarity with Excel has made SQL Server more intuitive for me. While I understand that Oracle is known for its complexity, I appreciate that its code and syntax bear similarities.
Overall, I have a strong affinity for Microsoft products.
I would rate SQL Server a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Sr. Systems Analyst at a maritime company with 10,001+ employees
Low-cost product that does what you want and is easy to set up
Pros and Cons
- "Microsoft is less demanding because everything is GUI, unlike Oracle, where you need to use command lines."
- "SQL is a highly unstable server - there are patch updates on the Windows server every week, which is why we only use it for non-critical systems."
What needs improvement?
Performance-wise, SQL cannot handle large amounts of data. In the next release, I would like them to commission SQL Server on Linux, as has been announced in the past but has not yet happened.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using SQL Server for thirteen to fourteen years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
SQL is a highly unstable server - there are patch updates on the Windows server every week, which is why we only use it for non-critical systems.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was very easy - much, much easier than Oracle - and took about a day to complete. Microsoft is less demanding because everything is GUI, unlike Oracle, where you need to use command lines.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
This is a very cheap product.
What other advice do I have?
SQL's performance is good enough if you have a low amount of data. For those looking into implementing SQL Server, I would advise first analyzing your requirements and whether your system is critical or non-critical. If it is non-critical, go for SQL as it will save you in terms of cost, but if it is critical, avoid SQL as it will bring you down in one day. I would rate this solution as eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT Manager at Drukarnia Interak sp. z o.o.
Has good stability
Pros and Cons
- "We're satisfied with the stability."
- "We pay a license fee, it could always be cheaper."
What is our primary use case?
This is the main database for our financial system. I'm the IT manager and we are customers of SQL server.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using this solution for many years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We're satisfied with the stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have around 100 users. The database isn't used directly, so users are not even aware that there is a SQL Server underneath.
How are customer service and support?
There are some local companies that have direct relations with Microsoft. We use them regularly when we need some support.
How was the initial setup?
I don't recall, it's been many years since we implemented this product.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We pay a license fee, it could always be cheaper.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend this solution and rate it 10 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.

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