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SQL Server pros and cons

Vendor: Microsoft
4.2 out of 5
Badge Ranked 1

Pros & Cons summary

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Prominent pros & cons

PROS

SQL Server is praised for its robust performance and stability, making it a reliable choice for managing large databases and handling numerous transactions efficiently.
The integration with Microsoft tools such as Visual Studio and seamless compatibility with existing applications are highly valued, offering a cohesive experience for developers.
SQL Server's cost-effectiveness compared to competitors like Oracle is a notable advantage, along with its scalability and flexibility for various organizational needs.
Its strong focus on data security and backup capabilities ensures data preservation and recovery, contributing to high availability and business continuity.
Technical support from Microsoft is frequently highlighted as being helpful, enhancing user confidence in utilizing SQL Server for critical database operations.

CONS

SQL Server licensing costs are very high, which discourages small to medium-sized businesses.
Support from Microsoft has been criticized for being inadequate and slow.
Performance issues arise with large data sets, affecting speed and scalability.
Integration with non-Microsoft platforms and tools could be improved.
Security features need enhancement, especially compared to competitors like Oracle.
 

SQL Server Pros review quotes

it_user3876 - PeerSpot reviewer
Database Manager at a tech company with 51-200 employees
Feb 2, 2013
SQL Server has a dynamic resource allocation feature that allows disk and memory usage to scale to meet changing database demands, providing better performance and simplifying software management.
it_user4524 - PeerSpot reviewer
Founder & Principal Architect at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
May 1, 2014
I feel that this product is the best fit on the market for your database needs.
it_user5520 - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Manager at a manufacturing company with 501-1,000 employees
Apr 1, 2013
A great DBMS for organizations of all sizes.
Learn what your peers think about SQL Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2026.
892,287 professionals have used our research since 2012.
it_user6414 - PeerSpot reviewer
CEO at a tech company with 51-200 employees
May 10, 2013
Database developers who want to have a clear logical and physical understanding of database systems will no doubt benefit much from using SQL Server.
it_user103896 - PeerSpot reviewer
Sales Engineer at a tech consulting company with 11-50 employees
Apr 14, 2014
When all of these are considered, our business is able to run faster, more securely, with SQL as the back-end.
it_user135978 - PeerSpot reviewer
Developer at a retailer with 501-1,000 employees
Jun 27, 2014
I have complete warehouse logic inside stored procedure and it works like a charm.
it_user143286 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior IT Consultant/Program Mgmt at Consultant
Jul 31, 2014
After reviewing a client's Microsoft SQL environment, I have been able to set up specific alerts and jobs in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) to definitely show them where they are experiencing network latency, disk latency, memory pressure, etc., and I have done this type of performance review for over 20 clients in the last 5 years.
PS
Project Advisor at A private sector Company
Jan 2, 2017
The MSBI features SSAS, SSIS as well as SSRS together has enabled us to build a data warehouse for our Enterprise with Business Intelligence reports around the data.
it_user165207 - PeerSpot reviewer
Infrastructure Analyst / Engineer (24x7) at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Nov 27, 2014
It has always been reliable and consistent, providing tremendous functionality for many years.
it_user231318 - PeerSpot reviewer
Associate Consultant with 501-1,000 employees
Apr 28, 2015
It has enhanced our real time decision making capabilities.
 

SQL Server Cons review quotes

it_user3876 - PeerSpot reviewer
Database Manager at a tech company with 51-200 employees
Feb 2, 2013
Reloading all the data in a database can cause potential data loss especially when the size of database is large.
it_user4524 - PeerSpot reviewer
Founder & Principal Architect at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
May 1, 2014
The increasing cost of the platform is slowing adoption by the SMB space
it_user5520 - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Manager at a manufacturing company with 501-1,000 employees
Apr 1, 2013
For each additional core feature you want to add to your DBMS edition, it is more money.
Learn what your peers think about SQL Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2026.
892,287 professionals have used our research since 2012.
it_user6414 - PeerSpot reviewer
CEO at a tech company with 51-200 employees
May 10, 2013
SQL Server work best with Windows Operating System and it is not compatible with some other systems hence limiting its platform friendliness.
it_user103896 - PeerSpot reviewer
Sales Engineer at a tech consulting company with 11-50 employees
Apr 14, 2014
The Management Studio front end still needs work as does Indexing.
it_user135978 - PeerSpot reviewer
Developer at a retailer with 501-1,000 employees
Jun 27, 2014
There is always some place for improvements. Statistics could be better (2 table statistic), or dynamic partition function, but that is probably true with every other product.
it_user143286 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior IT Consultant/Program Mgmt at Consultant
Jul 31, 2014
When reviewing SQL processes it would be great if all of the local processes on the SQL server were marshaled to a remote SSMS client.
PS
Project Advisor at A private sector Company
Jan 2, 2017
In SQL 2008, data encryption is not a fully mature feature. Encryption works fine for individual rows, but for handling a batch a for loop has to be written, which is not straightforward.
it_user165207 - PeerSpot reviewer
Infrastructure Analyst / Engineer (24x7) at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Nov 27, 2014
The user interface can be improved through the adoption of the intuitive interaction design of the MS Office 2013 applications.
it_user231318 - PeerSpot reviewer
Associate Consultant with 501-1,000 employees
Apr 28, 2015
We had a stability issue with the SSRS component when we deployed it into the production environment.