BMC AMI DevX vs Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials comparison

BMC and Redgate are both solutions in the Database Development and Management category. BMC is ranked #11 with an average rating of 7.8, while Redgate is ranked #12. BMC holds a 1.7% mindshare in DDM, compared to Redgate’s 3.9% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of BMC users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Redgate users who would recommend it.

BMC AMI DevX

Read 23 BMC AMI DevX reviews

7,985 Views
1,118 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essent...

Read 2 Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials reviews

2,551 Views
2,500 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

BMC AMI DevX

Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essent...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 15, 2026

BMC AMI DevX and Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials provide robust developer solutions. While BMC offers strengths in pricing and support, Redgate is noted for its extensive feature set, making it attractive for those valuing advanced functionalities.

Features: BMC AMI DevX offers advanced debugging, performance tuning, and comprehensive mainframe support. Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials includes database versioning, automation tools, and deployment features tailored for SQL Server environments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials integrates seamlessly with SQL Server, providing intuitive navigation and responsive support. BMC AMI DevX, suitable for mainframe environments, may encounter deployment challenges outside its niche, despite offering commendable support.

Pricing and ROI: BMC AMI DevX is seen as cost-effective for mainframe users, driving substantial ROI with its tools and support. Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials, although having a higher initial cost, offers value by enhancing SQL development efficiency and simplifying complex management tasks.

To learn more, read our detailed BMC AMI DevX vs. Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials Report (Updated: August 2026).

Buyer's Guide

BMC AMI DevX vs. Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials

August 2026

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Helped 908,834 peers since 2012

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

BMC AMI DevX

Ranking in Database Development and Management

11th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Software Configuration Management (1st), Debugging (2nd), Mainframe Application Development (1st), Test Data Management (4th), Mainframe Testing Tools (1st), Data Masking (3rd), AI Software Development (30th)

Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essent...

Ranking in Database Development and Management

12th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Database Development and Management category, the mindshare of BMC AMI DevX is 1.7%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials is 3.9%, down from 6.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Database Development and Management Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
BMC AMI DevX	1.7%
Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials	3.9%
Other	94.4%

Database Development and Management

Featured Reviews

Wisdom Mbiza

Product Engineer at Absa Group

Modern tools have boosted mainframe file extraction speed and simplified everyday workflows

I definitely think BMC AMI DevX could be improved or enhanced in terms of the logging in features. BMC AMI DevX's logging in feature is not so great. Whenever you try to log in, it always prompts you for passwords. Then when you have to switch sessions, because we usually have to switch between production and UAT, there's no quick way of switching between the two. Every time you try to switch, it prompts you to log in. Additionally, there's a pop-up that I always receive. When you click X on it, it doesn't disappear. Eventually, I just end up minimizing it. Furthermore, the startup of BMC AMI DevX takes a long time to start up before it loads. It doesn't just immediately start up and it's ready. It takes a good solid two to three minutes before it's ready so that you can work on it. BMC AMI DevX's logins and the other ones I can understand because security has to be there, but I do feel that once I've logged in, I shouldn't need to log in again. The startup problem is the annoying one because if I want to do something, I need to open it two or three minutes earlier to give it time to load up. The startup problem is the one that definitely needs to be addressed.

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ChristopherSmith1

Director, Enterprise Data Management at Glatfelter Insurance Group

SQL Search and change automation functionality help us manage our code repository and databases

The biggest problem with the Redgate SQL Toolbelt is just how heavy it is; it seems to take a lot of resources. It takes a lot of memory and a lot of processing power to run, and that tends to slow things down a bit. Making it a little more lightweight while still doing the same thing, as much as possible, is what we would like to see in the future. I've noticed that Microsoft SSMS runs much quicker without RedGate installed than it does with it installed. From bootup of the app to opening query windows and connections, SSMS is quicker without Redgate than with, by a significant margin. The other area for improvement is regarding licensing. Every month or two my SSMS loses it's redgate license key and I need to re-enter the key to continue using Red Gate, even though the license is annual.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"From a user perspective, the GUIs make it easier for people to see and interact with files on the mainframe."

"I like that Compuware File-AID can actually map out control sections within load modules, or, as they're now known, program objects."

"My guess is this would have taken twice as long, or we would have had many more issues without using Xpediter."

"As far as the software vendors that I work with go, Compuware has some of the best support, in terms of listening to customer requests and accepting enhancements to the product and the like."

"Our intention is to use Topaz for the next generation of mainframe developers to maintain mainframe applications."

"The visual ability to see potential downstream impacts to changes being made assists our developers in understanding the impact associated with their change."

"It does our CICS NEWCOPYs and our Db2 binds for us, whereas before, that was a manual process. It takes a lot of the workload off of the operations folks and off the DBAs."

"Compuware Xpediter is one of the best debugging tools for mainframe software development."

More BMC AMI DevX pros

"I've had really good luck with this product and I've been happy with it."

"It is easy to track the reports, this is what is most valuable for me."

"The most valuable feature is SQL Search."

Cons

"Their technical support could be better. There were times where, when we reported bugs, they would fix one bug but add another one. That's probably because of their support model. A lot of organizations are developing software using Agile rather than the Waterfall method, so things are happening all over the place. You get things quicker, but sometimes one fix will break another one or add other bugs."

"It's a very complicated tool."

"The area for improvement is related to the testing tools that are available for unit testing or acceptance testing."

"It would be nice to have an audit trail to see what mainframe developers are using what."

"The ISPW plugin could be improved to add some functionality which is already in ISPF panels and not in the plugin."

"While I am aware of the possibility to integrate Git with BMC AMI DevX zAdviser, this integration does not fit within our solution landscape."

"I find it more cumbersome to use Topaz."

"Initial setup can be tricky in some cases."

More BMC AMI DevX cons

"The biggest problem with the Redgate SQL Toolbelt is just how heavy it is; it seems to take a lot of resources."

"I would like to see the bandwidth increase allowing me to easily analyze more data."

"Redgate SQL Toolbelt is a reliable solution, but it occasionally hangs when I generate a report with more than two gigabytes of data."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I like the seat-based licensing much more than MSU-based licensing, and that the cost has been competitive."

"It has saved our developers time and effort when working on documentation, which is now more readable and fluent."

"The price point is great."

"In terms of pricing, there isn't an extra charge for the parts of it we use. It comes with the licenses we purchased for other products, so no complaints there. The licensing is built in with the other products that you purchase from Compuware."

"The only thing I would mention related to the licensing and/or the pricing, is that they have some visualization features in there that are licensed by concurrent users. We're starting to trip up on that. We're looking to probably increase the number of concurrent licenses that we have. But those types of licensing strategies, where they license by concurrent users or the number of seats is confusing for some people. They don't understand why it works sometimes and doesn't work other times."

"In general, Compuware tools are very competitive."

"Our fees are paid on an annual basis."

"The cost is about $3,500 USD per individual to buy, and then it's about 20% per year for renewal."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

31%

Insurance Company

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Financial Services Firm

16%

Insurance Company

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	19

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for BMC Compuware Topaz Enterprise Data?

I don't directly deal with the pricing side of the solution.

See all answers

What needs improvement with BMC AMI DevX?

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What is your primary use case for BMC AMI DevX?

I work on mainframe, and some of the developers prefer to code on BMC AMI DevX because it looks more modern. For me, my basic use of it is just to extract information. Most of the time we end up ha...

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Compared 4% of the time

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IBM File Manager vs BMC AMI DevX

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

BMC AMI DevX

August 2026

Download BMC AMI DevX product report

Buyer's Guide

Database Development and Management

July 2026

Download Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials product report

Also Known As

File-AID, Data for Db2, Code Debug, Data Studio, Workbench for Eclipse, Code Pipeline

No data available

Overview

BMC AMI DevX is a mainframe DevOps platform for IBM Z environments that helps development and platform engineering teams increase release velocity, reduce change risk, and build a sustainable mainframe developer workforce.

Whether the priority is attracting the next generation of mainframe talent, safely evolving decades of business-critical code, accelerating release velocity, or demonstrating development ROI to leadership — BMC AMI DevX is designed to address all on a single platform. Teams can connect existing tools and adopt capabilities incrementally using an open-borders integration approach.

A 2025 Forrester Total Economic Impact study found that customers using BMC AMI DevX onboarded developers 50% faster, completed code changes 33% faster, increased release frequency by 50%, and reduced change failure rate by 33%.

Key capabilities:

Modern IDE integration (VS Code, Eclipse) with a unified development environment that reduces context switching
AI-powered code analysis including dependency mapping, impact analysis, and runtime execution path visualization
Automated unit, functional, integration, and performance testing with code coverage analysis
Git-compatible CI/CD integration with event-driven webhooks and an open plug-in library
DORA metrics and DevOps KPI tracking with AI/ML anomaly detection across the mainframe SDLC

BMC

Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials offers essential tools for optimizing, managing, and deploying SQL Server databases efficiently, ideal for professionals seeking reliable database solutions.

Designed for database professionals, Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials streamlines SQL Server database management with a suite of integrated tools. It simplifies complex tasks, increases productivity, and helps maintain consistency across deployments. By automating repetitive tasks, it allows users to focus on critical areas, promoting a more efficient workflow. Its integration with existing systems ensures a smooth transition and compatibility with current technologies.

What are the most important features?

SQL Compare: Compares and synchronizes database schemas to keep environments in sync.
SQL Data Compare: Matches data across databases to ensure data integrity.
SQL Source Control: Integrates with version control systems to track database changes.
SQL Prompt: Provides code suggestions for faster and more accurate query writing.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Time Savings: Automates repetitive tasks, reducing manual effort.
Enhanced Accuracy: Minimizes risk of errors with reliable comparison and synchronization.
Scalability: Supports growth with seamless integration with version control systems.
Increased Productivity: Boosts development speed by offering efficient code suggestions.

Industries implementing Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials often experience increased efficiency in database management. For example, financial services use it for precise data handling, while healthcare leverages its data integrity features to ensure accurate patient records, improving both the security and reliability of their IT infrastructure.

Redgate

Sample Customers

NRB, Iberdrola, Consorzio Servizi Bancari

Thinger.fi, Churchill College Univeristy of Cambridge, Margin Business Solutions Ltd., 4Penny.net, Sportinginsider.net, Lockheed Martin, Phillip Securities Pte Ltd, Nmbrs

Buyer's Guide

BMC AMI DevX vs. Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials

August 2026

Free Report: BMC AMI DevX vs. Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials

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