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NetBeans vs dbForge Studio for SQL Server comparison

Why PeerSpot?
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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

dbForge Studio for SQL Server
Ranking in IDE
8th
Average Rating
8.8
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
NetBeans
Ranking in IDE
9th
Average Rating
8.2
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the IDE category, the mindshare of dbForge Studio for SQL Server is 4.5%, up from 3.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NetBeans is 4.9%, up from 3.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
IDE Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
dbForge Studio for SQL Server4.5%
NetBeans4.9%
Other90.6%
IDE
 

Featured Reviews

SG
SQL server database administrator at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Database work has become more efficient while performance analysis still needs improvements
One area I would like to see improved in dbForge Studio for SQL Server is the performance when using schema and data comparison for large databases, as the comparison can take some time and require more visual review. I would prefer more built-in guidance around generated synchronization scripts to quickly understand what will change before including the script.
DB
Java Developer at a tech vendor with 501-1,000 employees
Some of the valuable features are Java development, RCP ​support and support for various other languages.
* Java development support. (The Java editor is one of the best Java IMHO editors. Java projects support Ant and Maven.) * RCP support * GUI editor for Java windows * RCP support: An easy way to create your own app using NetBeans base. There is a lot of documentation for RCP creation. * Plugins can be easy created. Also there is support for other languages as C/C++, HTLM5, Javascript, Groovy, PHP... There is a lot of plugins that can be easily installed.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution is very scalable; if you set up a very large database, billions of records or so, if you have enough memory and enough disk space, it's quite easy to do."
"If you do SQL for a living you need a robust productivity tool."
"The features that I find are the most valuable are easy querying, screen objects, relational diagram creation, and simplicity."
"It's quite easy to install and use from a local machine or laptop, as well as on a server."
"dbForge Studio for SQL Server has positively impacted my organization by making routine database development and troubleshooting more efficient, leading to improved DBA productivity, faster troubleshooting, and reduced manual efforts, rather than directly reducing staffing or infrastructure costs."
"I like the ease of use and quick data usage."
"C++ 11 support (for a long time)"
"I recommend NetBeans because it is easy to use, open source, free of charge, and has really strong community."
"It comes out of package fully-loaded with a lot of great features for web development."
"One of the most important features is that Apache Maven supports it."
"NetBeans has helped us to increase our productivity and defect solving since the IDE is smart."
"When you have to develop in Java, this IDE is ideal because it has many plugins that make your life easier... For example, when working with Hibernate or with JPA, creating entities is very easy through a graphical interface."
"Setup is very simple and short, and integrating existing code and projects is also very simple."
"Overall, for our company, it has been a good addition, as development times have been shortened using NetBeans."
 

Cons

"The only issue that I have is that it depends on hardware resources, it takes a lot, that is the only set back with the solution."
"One area I would like to see improved in dbForge Studio for SQL Server is the performance when using schema and data comparison for large databases, as the comparison can take some time and require more visual review."
"The lock files and login are two features we've had issues with. As far as I can see, there's no way to switch off the login in SQL Servers. If there could be a way to switch off the login, for transactions, or in operations, or tables, that'd be great."
"I once had a problem stopping a long running query, not sure whose fault was, mine, the server or something else."
"Background scanning of sources on demand, disallowed by Options (processor usage, build cannot be deleted by the old version build)."
"The background scanning of projects should be optimized after starting NetBeans."
"Debugging: Watches, Evaluate Expression, and data inspection are limited."
"One of main areas that the tool can improve is performance."
"There are always rooms for improvement for any product."
"It is a very heavy load on the computer, especially when you compare with Sublime Text Limited plugins and themes."
"I would like there to be better integration with Git, as there are IDEs such as Eclipse that offer this integration in a much more elegant way than NetBeans."
"The debugging mechanize could be improved compared to IntelliJ, for example."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Because it's 2012 version, it's a one-off enterprise license that we have never had to upgrade."
"I am sad that CLion is not free. Currently, it has no support for Linux makefiles, only cmake, and this is a big mess."
"It is an open source and free tool, with no changes, and the licensing allows me even to change source code, if I need."
"NetBeans is free and open source."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Construction Company
16%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Insurance Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business1
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise2
 

Interactive Demo

Demo not available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Boeing, Sony, Honda, Oracle, BMW, Samsung
Weyco Group Inc.
Find out what your peers are saying about NetBeans vs. dbForge Studio for SQL Server and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
915,341 professionals have used our research since 2012.