Oracle SQL Developer Reviews

We use it daily to merge our databases. In my function, I use it as my client database.

I am also using a newer version. It is small client, which is new product. We use the GUI product daily. This is my daily tool for whatever I am doing. 

• It is very easy to use. 
• I have a lot of flexibility with it. 
• For DBA tasks, it is also very good.

It is easy to use. 

The newer version has a lot of new features. It generates output and scripts for your Ultrix. It can generate JSON, XML, etc. 

The competing products have more features. 

It is stable. There are no problems. It is a client.

It is just client. It does not really matter. It is scalable, especially the newer version is non-GUI version. You do not have to install it, just dump it on the OS, then use it.

There is no setup. It is just set it up and you connect the database.

It is basically free. 

Try this if you do not need a lot of storage, especially since it is free and if it is the newer version with no GUI version. Everybody should try it because you do not have to code things to create output from JSON or DDL. It allows you to get everything you want together: tables, indexes, etc.

We use it to support developers. Its main use is for developers to connect to a database.

The main benefit of SQL Developer is that it is free.

The possibility to connect.

There are many additional features I would like to see. The main one would be installation with an installer.

The stability depends on what version you're using. There are more successful versions and are less successful versions. For example, 17.3 is less successful. There were many bugs. Now, we are trying to pull all the developers to upgrade to 17.4.

No problem with scalability.

I used technical support twice. They were not supportive. I didn't get a solution. During the support session, we simply upgraded to the next version. The bug was then gone.

We didn't have a previous solution but, in parallel, we use Toad; its license is expensive.

The important criteria for me when selecting a vendor are good support and an affordable price.

I think a conventional installation, with an installer, would work better. Now, it is a zipped .exe.

Using this solution depends on budget and on the number of developers. The more developers you have, the less you will want SQL Developer.

One of the goals of the tool is to allow the user to complete tasks with the least number of steps. For example, to load an Excel spreadsheet into a table, you just have to complete a simple, four-step wizard and all the data will be in your table.

Another example is having quick access to queries you executed some time ago without having to manually save them. That way, you can still access an important or frequently used query that maybe you forgot to save.

Generating data files from queries with minimum setup is a time saver. You can preset the output format you want (CSV, insert, Excel, JSON to name a few), run your query and the file will be generated in that format.

• The tight integration with other Oracle products and database features/options. For example, you can open data models, and review AWR and ASH reports.
• The ability to reuse your own queries to create report definitions in different layouts and to render the output in HTML/PDF formats.
• Export table data and query results in at least 10 different output formats.
• The Cart to collect DDL/DML scripts for DB artifacts that need to be deployed together. Great when you want to execute a repeatable process in several schemas and/or databases.

I would like to see the Monitor Sessions functionality to provide access to SQL Monitor reports in the same format used by Oracle Enterprise Manager. That would help developers to see what their SQL statements are doing as they run.

The output (generated report) is the same. It's an HTML+ flash type of report that both products allow to save. The part that I like about Oracle Enterprise Manager is that once you get into a report, it keeps refreshing its execution statistics and performance metrics as the query progresses. SQL Developer only shows a snapshot of the execution statistics and performance metrics at the moment you request the report.

Both products have access to the same API to produce these reports so I thought it would be nice if SQL Developer could match OEM's default behavior.

I would like to see more functionality to assist in having database-enforced source control on objects and data.

I think the product is really stable and the Oracle Database Tools team is very responsive to any issues that could impact its usability.

Customer Service:

I think this is one of the brightest aspects of SQL Developer. The Product Manager and the main developers are very active in the OTN Forums, Stack Overflow, Social Media, etc. They’re always presenting at conferences, providing articles, blog posts and all kinds of insights on the best ways to use the product.

Technical Support:

Technical Support is also great because the SQL Developer team is available to the community, providing answers to questions and releasing bug fixes in a timely manner.

SQL Developer has reached a maturity level where it offers pretty much the same essential functionality (and much more) that you can find in other solutions, with the benefit of being free. Why not use it then?

Initial setup is as easy as download, unzip and start using it. I recommend using the version that includes its own Java Runtime Environment. Of course, this is from the perspective of a single user.

I did not evaluate other options.

Invest some time on standardizing the preferences/reports and centralize them so that all of your developers use exactly the same setup. For example, you could customize all the preferences that format your code in order to follow your company’s SQL and PL/SQL standards.

It's a free tool which allows you to see an Oracle Database structure and run queries against Oracle Databases.

• It's a free tool
• Ability to analyze performance, using Explain Plan statement
• Ability to export and import data without using any Oracle utilities

It would be nice to have the ability to access DBs than Oracle.

No stability issues.

No scalability issues.

Very good.

I have used tools such as Toad, PL/SQL Developer, SQL Navigator. I switched because this one is free.

Initial set-up was straightforward. Just download the solution from Oracle OTN and after that run the installer.

It’s a free tool.

Toad, SAP ADS, SQL Navigator.

It’s a great tool for accessing and exploring Oracle Databases.

We use it for test queries, before implementing scripts for monitoring. Also, we use it for querying and getting data of the whole environment monitored with our products.

Helps us to test and to develop scripts for monitoring applications.

I only use it for connecting to instances and to do queries, I don't know details of the features.

Queries. 

No stability issues as of yet.

No scalability issues as of yet.

I have not used it.

No, I've always Oracle SQL Developer.

It's very easy to use.

Using execution plan, I am able to do lots of query tuning.

• Easy to use
• Nice interface

Execution plan.

Because it is in Java, sometimes Java crashes the product, and of course there is the total dependence on Java.

I have never stressed the product to find out.

I have never needed to contact technical support.

I used Embarcadero and Toad. I gave up both because one is for every kind of database (I do not believe in this) and the other is only for Oracle, and its IDE is not good.

The initial setup is always a problem, it cannot find the Java SDK.

I have never paid for it, I use open source.

In Brasil, only big companies can use Oracle because of the price. I prefer NoSQL and open source databases.

 Embarcadero and Toad.

Take care during the initial setup and have patience. It can be too heavy and eat your memory.

Export option on query results.

Faster access to DB tables.

Could be made to load faster.

Five years.

No.

No.

No.

Good.

Good.

Yes.

It was easy.

Good.

Good.

No changes required.

No.

Among the most valuable features is the tight integration with database features/options.

• Being able to see all of the database objects.
• Being able to create objects.
• Being able to edit objects.
• Being able to open data models.
• Being able to review AWR and ASH reports.

Standardized tool.

The interface could be friendlier for the DBA by having dashboards, like Enterprise Manager.

Since 2015.

There are occasional run time issues.

I did not encounter any issues with scalability.

Technical support is great. They are extremely responsive and helpful with issues/questions.

Yes, Toad. I changed because my new company didn’t have a Toad license.

Initial setup is very easy. Download, unzip, and start using it.

A license is not needed for this product.

I did not evaluate other options. Invest some time on standardizing the preferences.

Invest some time in standardizing the preferences.