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Microsoft MDS vs SAP Master Data Governance comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 15, 2026

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
4th
Average Rating
7.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
23
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
SAP Master Data Governance
Ranking in Master Data Management (MDM) Software
2nd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
32
Ranking in other categories
Data Governance (17th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Master Data Management (MDM) Software category, the mindshare of Microsoft MDS is 8.2%, down from 11.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP Master Data Governance is 7.9%, down from 21.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Master Data Management (MDM) Software Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
SAP Master Data Governance7.9%
Microsoft MDS8.2%
Other83.9%
Master Data Management (MDM) Software
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer1524357 - PeerSpot reviewer
Solution Architect at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Has supported endpoint management while revealing areas where usability and latency can improve
The couple of times we found issues with technical support from Microsoft for Microsoft MDS, they resolved them. The response time and understanding were adequate, though there was always a language barrier between the teams. The teams we worked with were in Korea, and it was sometimes a language issue.
reviewer2402049 - PeerSpot reviewer
Governance / Data Governance Initiative Advisory And Strategy Leadership at a consultancy with 1-10 employees
Centralized master data has improved quality and now supports consistent global governance
Regarding what SAP can do better in SAP Master Data Governance, they have an entire roadmap of constant improvements since they deployed the product, always adding new business functionality and add-ons. Each company may have different feedback, wishing for certain features. The essence of SAP Master Data Governance is to provide structure, and from my standpoint, it offers a pretty good structure. There will always be areas for improvement; for example, when I deployed it a few years ago, their approach to internal orders for finance was still new, and they were figuring out how it would work based on organizational requirements. The financial data objects are straightforward, but financial statements are a bit more challenging. It is not a one-time deployment; it requires ongoing investment in user and product knowledge, and you need to weigh the pros and cons of any IT solution. I often advise clients to walk before they run because establishing hierarchies requires having a designed structure before implementation, though you can add that later. For additional functions in SAP Master Data Governance, it is interesting because on my project, we are already using AI technology for data cleansing before records are entered into SAP Master Data Governance. It would be beneficial to have the Dun & Bradstreet add-on within SAP Master Data Governance. However, one must remember that for AI to work effectively, it requires good data. Without that, AI does not make a difference. SAP Master Data Governance will always require a human perspective, especially to identify duplicate records. While SAP Master Data Governance provides technical capabilities for identifying potential duplicates based on searches, it requires human oversight due to the complexity of analyzing data fields. I believe integrating AI into the product could work, particularly after a solid data migration, which ensures that the records are reliable before utilizing AI for analytics.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"One of the main features I have found useful is the integration with Azure active directory."
"I would recommend Microsoft MDS to companies that need a simple solution at no cost."
"It's very easy to use."
"The pricing of this solution is good."
"The beauty with Master Data Services is that it's centralized in one place and the problem with other solutions is that most of them have been created in house."
"We used Azure Cloud service to set it up, and it was very easy to setup and configure."
"The ease of use is valuable."
"The solution is easy to install."
"The scalability is very good."
"I like how the solution integrates with other SAP tools and third-party solutions."
"SAP Master Data Governance helped the organisation prevent bad and unauthorised master data from entering the production database."
"A good solution for large enterprises."
"Some of the features that I have found to be beneficial are the search and uploads functions."
"We've found the solution to be quite flexible."
"The solution's GUI is very good, the entire product is very user-friendly and easy to navigate, and normal users, not SAP experts, are able to get around the solution without too much trouble."
"Our organization was able to gain more trusted data."
 

Cons

"The price of the program has gone up, so I would like to see better pricing."
"There are occasions when the solution maintains SD and we get duplications of MDS."
"I would like to separate the website from the database side. By default, you have the webserver running on the same server as it is the database."
"The version that I work with is on-premises and it required an additional virtual machine on the cloud. It would be a better option to have an on-cloud version."
"From my understanding, MS, as of 2021, will not maintain the product going forward."
"If Microsoft MDS were part of Azure, it would be significantly more helpful."
"The solution could be better integrated into Microsoft's other products."
"Microsoft MDS is outdated and lacks modern capabilities."
"The product is not user-friendly."
"I would like to see harmonizing with some of the external third-party products so that it will all be within SAP."
"SAP could do better in attracting talent and simplifying technology adoption."
"The user experience can be improved."
"It's not very scalable. We ran into all kinds of issues in trying to capture items."
"There is no clarity and direction on how to manage bills of materials (BOMs) or routing in MDG."
"Lacks some features that are available in other solutions."
"The multidomain MDM feature is based on EIP systems, which may not be a good model for all master data."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"With Microsoft, we buy everything though an agreement, so we purchase volume licensing every year."
"MDS is a part of the SQL Server enterprise license. I am not aware of any additional costs."
"The pricing of this solution is good."
"I would like to see better pricing."
"SAP is more expensive than Microsoft."
"Microsoft MDS is an expensive solution."
"Product licensing is very complicated. It would be helpful to have an online calculator to estimate the cost of a license."
"The solution does require a license and we have enterprise licenses."
"The licensing cost is reasonable."
"The cloud solution is subscription-based, it is paid monthly or quarterly. If the solution is on-premises, it is a one-time fee. As far as I am aware there are no additional costs."
"The pricing is a bit too high."
"The product is too expensive."
"The cost of the product is not ideal."
"We have an enterprise license. The whole SAP landscape pricing model is based on the number of users, and the number of transactions. The price could be better, there is always room for improvement in the price."
"SAP Master Data Governance is an expensive product."
"SAP Master Data Governance is an expensive solution."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Media Company
8%
Computer Software Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
8%
Healthcare Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise15
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise24
 

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 was pretty affordable. We implemented the solution without a problem.
What needs improvement with Microsoft MDS?
I cannot really give specifics about disadvantages. From what we have seen, speaking to customers, Microsoft MDS was sometimes a bit slow. The frustration they had was just around usability and use...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SAP Master Data Governance?
The challenge with SAP MDG is not only the cost but the resources. The skills required are niche in the market, and while you can purchase the product either one time or on a subscription basis, th...
What needs improvement with SAP Master Data Governance?
Regarding what SAP can do better in SAP Master Data Governance, they have an entire roadmap of constant improvements since they deployed the product, always adding new business functionality and ad...
What is your primary use case for SAP Master Data Governance?
I am currently working with data governance and then advisory and expert for SAP Master Data Governance.
 

Also Known As

Microsoft Master Data Services, Microsoft MDM, Microsoft SQL Server Master Data Services, MS MDS
SAP MDG, SAP Data Governance
 

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
Convergent IS, CHIO Aachen, Dell, Hamburg Port Authority (HPA), City of Boston, Mozzart, Mitsui Knowledge Industry (MKI), AOK Bundesverband, eBay
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft MDS vs. SAP Master Data Governance and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
893,438 professionals have used our research since 2012.