Microsoft MDS vs Stibo STEP MDM comparison

Why PeerSpot?

The compared Microsoft and Stibo Systems solutions aren't in the same category. Microsoft is ranked #3 in MDM , with an average rating of 5.7, and holds a 9.9% mindshare in the category. Stibo Systems is ranked #8 in CMDM , and holds a 5.5% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Stibo Systems users who would recommend it.

Microsoft MDS

Read 24 Microsoft MDS reviews

4,083 Views
3,144 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Stibo STEP MDM

Read 5 Stibo STEP MDM reviews

2,178 Views
1,568 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft MDS

Stibo STEP MDM

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Microsoft MDS and Stibo STEP MDM based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about ON EBX, SAP, Microsoft and others in Master Data Management (MDM) Software.

To learn more, read our detailed Master Data Management (MDM) Software Report (Updated: October 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Master Data Management (MDM) Software

October 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 921,523 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

Microsoft MDS

Average Rating

7.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Master Data Management (MDM) Software (3rd)

Stibo STEP MDM

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Cloud Master Data Management (MDM) (8th)

Mindshare comparison

While both are Data Integration and Access solutions, they serve different purposes. Microsoft MDS is designed for Master Data Management (MDM) Software and holds a mindshare of 9.9%, down 11.2% compared to last year.
Stibo STEP MDM, on the other hand, focuses on Cloud Master Data Management (MDM), holds 5.5% mindshare, down 7.5% since last year.

Master Data Management (MDM) Software Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft MDS	9.9%
ON EBX	9.6%
Semarchy xDM	9.1%
Other	71.4%

Master Data Management (MDM) Software

Cloud Master Data Management (MDM) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Stibo STEP MDM	5.5%
Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC)	18.1%
Semarchy xDM	11.5%
Other	64.9%

Cloud Master Data Management (MDM)

Featured Reviews

Negha Agarwal

Data Management Consultant at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

Centralized master data has improved data quality but now requires a clearer future roadmap

An area where Microsoft MDS can be improved is that Microsoft has announced Microsoft MDS is being removed from SQL Server two thousand twenty-five. The future of the product is genuinely uncertain, and that's something any organization evaluating it needs to factor in seriously. Microsoft MDS is still supported on SQL Server two thousand twenty-two and earlier, but the trajectory is clear that Microsoft is not investing in Microsoft MDS going forward. I would also say that the cloud story is a gap because there's no native cloud version of Microsoft MDS. For clients who are moving workloads to Azure, that's an increasingly awkward conversation. Microsoft's direction for MDM in the cloud is through other capabilities like Azure Purview and Dataverse, but those are different products with different feature sets.

Read full review

RahulSoni

Senior Data Consultant at Simple MDG

Modular design, product-based MDM and easy to setup

Stibo is a great product if you want to utilize it in product-based MDM. Customer-base, they are still growing, but product-base is fine because every single time you have to create hierarchies in the product and not care about all the other stuff. But the major thing is the hierarchy, at which particular type that product is and what that product does, how it looks, what is the catalog, what are the relationships with other stuff. So, from that note, Stibo is great. Around 20 to 25 people were there when I was on a particular project. I knew around 20 to 25 people who knew Stibo MDM and were part of it.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It gives you the flexibility to have in-depth experience; it allows you to collect data and save it as a golden record, and you have the flexibility for data stewardship."

"The solution is easy to install."

"The pricing of this solution is good."

"We used Azure Cloud service to set it up, and it was very easy to setup and configure."

"It has a very good feature called Excel plug-in. You just have to install the plug-in, and then it directly connects to the MDS instance where you can maintain and manage your data and publish it right through Excel. You don't need to go to the front end to make any changes. It has easy integration with SQL Server, and you can use SSIS to do the ETLs. It is a part of the Microsoft stack. It works with most of the Microsoft stuff."

"Compared to other databases, it is easier to manage and administer."

"The advantage of Microsoft MDS is that it's so handy, so customizable, and easy to use."

"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."

More Microsoft MDS pros

"The second feature I love is its modular design, where you can create a certain number of entities and create hierarchical entities."

"It's powerful and it's stable."

"Data profiling allows us to recognize values from our upstream applications. It helps us place limits on the creation of new data domains to organize the ecosystem. The golden record, crucial for downstream applications, ensures data integrity and consistency."

"The solution is very feature-rich out of the box, it's highly customizable and configurable, and the way you can build workflows and business rules is very powerful."

"It's very user friendly, and we can do everything in one place."

"The match engine and the BPM solution are very good and are satisfying us right now."

Cons

"The duplication feature is not so good."

"JMD repositories have records that come in thousands and millions, which takes a long time to process."

"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."

"Microsoft MDS' language should be simple so everyone can use it easily."

"The future of the product is genuinely uncertain, and that's something any organization evaluating it needs to factor in seriously."

"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."

"It would be a better option to have an on-cloud version."

"Microsoft MDS isn't getting strong support because Microsoft is focusing more on cloud solutions."

More Microsoft MDS cons

"It took three or four times the amount of time we expected it to."

"The search feature for searching internal records could be improved."

"The initial setup is complex."

"In terms of stability, integration using APIs is not that stable. We are having some problems with its ability to integrate with the platform through APIs."

"There is scope for improvement with regard to the UI."

"There is scope for improvement with regard to the UI. Also, some options that are used regularly should be on the front page so that the user does not have to dig deep to find them."

"The customer service and support were a little adamant about giving workarounds rather than accepting that something was not working correctly."

"The analytics module can be improved. It is a self-service solution for creating new reports and submitting visions to bring more data to the CEO table."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Product licensing is very complicated. It would be helpful to have an online calculator to estimate the cost of a license."

"I would like to see better pricing."

"Microsoft MDS is an expensive solution."

"The solution does require a license and we have enterprise licenses."

"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."

"SAP is more expensive than Microsoft."

Information not available

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Master Data Management (MDM) Software solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

921,523 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Outsourcing Company

11%

Construction Company

Manufacturing Company

15%

Retailer

13%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	15

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft MDS?

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing shows that the licensing is one of Microsoft MDS's genuine advantages, as it's included in SQL Server Enterprise Edition at no additional cost....

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft MDS?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Microsoft MDS?

My main use case for Microsoft MDS is as a central master data repository for clients running SQL Server-based data environments. The typical scenario is a mid-sized organization that has product d...

See all answers

Ask a question

Earn 20 points

Comparisons

ON EBX vs Microsoft MDS

Compared 10% of the time

SAP Master Data Governance vs Microsoft MDS

Compared 9% of the time

Semarchy xDM vs Microsoft MDS

Compared 8% of the time

Qlik Talend Cloud vs Microsoft MDS

Compared 8% of the time

IBM InfoSphere MDM vs Microsoft MDS

Compared 7% of the time

More Microsoft MDS Competitors

Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC) vs Stibo STEP MDM

Compared 16% of the time

Reltio Cloud vs Stibo STEP MDM

Compared 14% of the time

IBM Master Data Management on Cloud vs Stibo STEP MDM

Compared 11% of the time

SAP Master Data Governance vs Stibo STEP MDM

Compared 7% of the time

More Stibo STEP MDM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft MDS

October 2026

Download Microsoft MDS product report

Buyer's Guide

Stibo STEP MDM

October 2026

Download Stibo STEP MDM product report

Also Known As

Microsoft Master Data Services, Microsoft MDM, Microsoft SQL Server Master Data Services, MS MDS

No data available

Overview

Microsoft MDS is valued for its seamless integration with SQL Server and Azure Active Directory, dynamic data masking, and row-level security. It offers flexibility for data stewardship, supports data quality business rules, and features Excel integration while maintaining cost-effectiveness with SQL Server Enterprise Edition.

Microsoft MDS is primarily utilized for master data management, enabling the integration of data from multiple sources for analytics and ensuring data consistency across operations. It is suitable for maintaining customer databases and standardizing data variations. MDS supports data cataloging and harmonization, making it essential for process inventories and enterprise reference data management. Users leverage its capabilities for data stewardship and validation, facilitating the management of multiple identifiers and ETL process sourcing. Its flexibility allows for seamless data modeling and management without extensive manual intervention.

What are the key features?

Dynamic Data Masking: Ensures sensitive data protection during use and access.
Row-Level Security: Provides granular access control to database rows.
Data Quality Business Rules: Ensures data accuracy and consistency.
Excel Integration: Simplifies data interaction via a familiar tool.
Azure Active Directory Compatibility: Enhances secure user authentication.
SQL Server Integration: Offers seamless connectivity with database systems.

What benefits and ROI should users expect?

Cost-Effectiveness: Offers comprehensive features within SQL Server Enterprise Edition.
Ease of Installation: Quick setup reduces implementation time.
Strong Access Control: Enhances data security and compliance.
Data-Sharing Capabilities: Promotes collaboration across departments.
Workflow Support: Streamlines business processes for efficiency.

In industries like finance, healthcare, and retail, Microsoft MDS plays a critical role in managing large volumes of data while ensuring data accuracy and compliance with regulations. Organizations implement MDS to standardize customer data, track vital changes, and maintain reliable data inventories. The flexibility of MDS allows it to adapt to specific industry requirements, supporting the automation of data processes and enhancing overall data quality without significant manual efforts.

Microsoft

Stibo STEP MDM provides robust solutions for managing and organizing product information and digital assets, ensuring data integrity through advanced profiling and golden records.

Renowned for its strong match engine and BPM capabilities, Stibo STEP MDM features customizable workflows and business rules that enhance data quality management. Its modular design and integration with InDesign simplify catalog creation. Offering a scalable environment rich in features, it supports entity creation and hierarchy setup with high user-friendliness and comprehensive documentation. However, improvements can be made in the search feature, analytics module flexibility, and setup complexity.

What are the most important features of Stibo STEP MDM?

Powerful Match Engine: Facilitates accurate data matching and deduplication.
Customizable Workflows: Tailor workflows to improve data quality management.
Modular Design: Offers ease of use and integration for catalog creation.
Scalable Environment: Supports complex entity creation and hierarchy setup.
InDesign Integration: Enhances catalog design capabilities.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Enhanced Data Integrity: Achieve accurate data through profiling and golden records.
User-Friendly Documentation: Facilitates organization-wide training.
Ease of Use: Simplifies complex operations with its scalable and modular setup.
Streamlined Product Management: Facilitates centralized catalogs and cross-company product data management.

In specific industries, companies leverage Stibo STEP MDM to centralize product catalogs and manage digital asset versions and attributes. It supports wholesale entities with cross-company product data management, adhering to industry standards like ETIM. Additionally, it enriches product data through vendor and data pool inputs while ensuring compliance with regional regulations, making it an essential tool for managing product and customer data efficiently.

Stibo Systems

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

Sears Canada, Best Buy, Oriental Trading

Buyer's Guide

Master Data Management (MDM) Software

October 2026

Download Free Report

Find out what your peers are saying about ON EBX, SAP, Microsoft and others in Master Data Management (MDM) Software. Updated: October 2026.

DOWNLOAD NOW

921,523 professionals have used our research since 2012.

We monitor all Master Data Management (MDM) Software reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.