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Microsoft MDS vs Riversand MDMCenter comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

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

Microsoft MDS
Ranking in Master Data Management (MDM) Software
2nd
Average Rating
7.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.9
Number of Reviews
22
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Riversand MDMCenter
Ranking in Master Data Management (MDM) Software
14th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Master Data Management (MDM) Software category, the mindshare of Microsoft MDS is 12.4%, down from 13.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Riversand MDMCenter is 1.2%, down from 2.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Master Data Management (MDM) Software
 

Featured Reviews

Satyam Saxena - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhanced data management and cost effective with flexible integration capabilities
If Microsoft MDS were part of Azure, it would be significantly more helpful. Additionally, integrating fuzzy duplication within MDS itself, rather than relying on SSIS, would streamline operations. The current requirement to store data in Azure tables after processing it in MDS, due to its lack of direct Azure integration, is a drawback.
reviewer1739961 - PeerSpot reviewer
Updates large sets of products quickly; provides good off-the-shelf functionality
I'm the managing director and we are customers of Riversand This solution provides a good user interface and the ability to update large sets of products quickly. It's one of its best features along with providing good off-the-shelf functionality. The ability to create bespoke workflows could be…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Technical support is very good."
"What I like about Microsoft, is that it has a huge database with many users."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft MDS is its compatibility with ETL tools like SSIS, which simplifies operations for end-users."
"The best thing about it is that it comes with the Microsoft package."
"The most valuable feature is the administration console."
"Unlike specialized tools, MDS is adaptable for various industries, making it a versatile choice for master data management."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft MDS is its management."
"It is very easy to deploy and provision a machine."
"It's a stable solution. I have no complaints."
"Has a good user interface and the ability to update large sets of products quickly."
"I like their matching feature, and the survivorship rules are very strong. I also like their out-of-box reports, data quality dashboards, and more. Those are also very handy and helpful. Internally, I like the kind of configurations that we can create, validations, and enhancements. Those configurations are pretty straightforward and useful. It's a user-friendly tool that is very cool."
 

Cons

"Microsoft MDS' language should be simple so everyone can use it easily."
"If Microsoft MDS were part of Azure, it would be significantly more helpful."
"JMD repositories have records that come in thousands and millions, which takes a long time to process."
"The only drawback is that it does not have the matching, merging, and all true MDM components. For these, you have to use another competent called Data Quality Services (DQS). You need to plug it in and use it along with MDS for true MDM. Both of these are integrated together, but you have to do them separately, whereas, in Profisee, there are a couple of screens where you can configure the matching process, create matching rules, and other things, and everything is in one product, which is not the case with MDS. In order to implement a true MDM, you need MDS, DQS, and SSIS. You have to use MDS to store your golden records, DQS to configure and standardize all your rules and matching percentages, and SSIS to load the data to DQS and MDS. At the same time, you also need Melissa Data to clean up your addresses to validate and standardize the addresses. That's the main component of true MDM. It would be good if they can create a true matching component inside MDS and merge MDS and DQS."
"Stability can be fragile at times. If you are not attentive or make a mistake, it can cause problems."
"The stability could be improved."
"Microsoft MDS isn't getting strong support because Microsoft is focusing more on cloud solutions."
"The Microsoft license cost could be lower."
"The ability to create bespoke workflows could be improved."
"Integration could be better. Riversand is majorly focusing on only the MDM hub part. They don't have their own integration platform. We have to rely on a third-party integration partner. They say this is the format, and it's the client's responsibility to bring the data into their required format. They have to have an integration partner and develop their integration capabilities. It's not so flexible to read any data format or system, for example, SAP. They don't have a connector."
"The solution does not have a good match and search capability."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"SAP is more expensive than Microsoft."
"The pricing of this solution is good."
"I would like to see better pricing."
"The solution does require a license and we have enterprise licenses."
"Microsoft MDS is an expensive solution."
"MDS is a part of the SQL Server enterprise license. I am not aware of any additional costs."
"With Microsoft, we buy everything though an agreement, so we purchase volume licensing every year."
"Product licensing is very complicated. It would be helpful to have an online calculator to estimate the cost of a license."
"Riversand MDMCenter isn't expensive. I believe their price is in the mid-range."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Healthcare Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
23%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Computer Software Company
10%
Retailer
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft MDS?
More generic related things can be included in the services.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft MDS?
Microsoft MDS is free. Currently, there is no pricing concern with the tool.
What needs improvement with Microsoft MDS?
Microsoft MDS is outdated and lacks modern capabilities. It is too slow and does not support automated mapping or AI-based functionalities. Although I created Python scripts for some machine learni...
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Also Known As

Microsoft Master Data Services, Microsoft MDM, Microsoft SQL Server Master Data Services, MS MDS
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

ETA a.s., Apeejay Surrendra Group, Blue Star Infotech, Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation, The Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, New Belgium Brewing
Topco, PC Connection, Balsam Brands, Nivea, Eucerin, Tine, Schneider Electric, Miller, ExxonMobil, Baxter, ConocoPhillips, Cameron International, Chevron, Husky Energy, Saint-Gobain, Fingerhut
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft MDS vs. Riversand MDMCenter and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
850,671 professionals have used our research since 2012.