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reviewer1428423 - PeerSpot reviewer
Head of Technical Support at a real estate/law firm with 51-200 employees
Real User
Jul 11, 2021
Integrates well, high performance, and provides many features
Pros and Cons
  • "SQL Server provides good performance. Most of the SQL solutions can be integrated and this solution is no different, you are able to link other databases. For example, we have Oracle running a Postgres Server and it is linked. It follows the ISO standard when it comes to commands, it works well."
  • "This is an excellent solution when it comes to databases."
  • "They could improve by adding the SQL format."

What is our primary use case?

This solution is part of the ERP that we have for application. We use it for many purposes, such as POS in-store cash registers for enterprise companies.

What is most valuable?

SQL Server provides good performance. Most of the SQL solutions can be integrated and this solution is no different, you are able to link other databases. For example, we have Oracle running a Postgres Server and it is linked. It follows the ISO standard when it comes to commands, it works well.

What needs improvement?

They could improve by adding the SQL format.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SQL Server for approximately eight years.

Buyer's Guide
SQL Server
July 2026
Learn what your peers think about SQL Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: July 2026.
908,877 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable, I have not had any issue using it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is very good.

We have approximately 500 users using the POS.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have previously used IBM Informix, PostgresSQL, and Oracle Databases.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is straightforward and takes approximately 30 minutes. If you were to add more features the installation could take longer. For example, there are many features such as table partitioning allowing you to do queries faster, transferring data from one table to another, and performing quicker backups.

What about the implementation team?

We did the implementation ourselves. We have a team that does the maintenance for Windows Servers, Linux desktops, and Linux Servers.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There is a license required for servers and for the POS we use the free version. The free version allows you to have tables and a total database size of approximately 10 GB, which is enough for our requirements.

What other advice do I have?

This is an excellent solution when it comes to databases. I would recommend it to others.

I rate SQL Server a ten out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
System Administrator at ARTIc
Real User
Jul 9, 2021
Easy query creation, scalable, and reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "We have found the solution valuable because we are able to easily create a query, shrink, backup, and make new tables."
  • "This solution has helped our organization by providing a backbone for our SAP."
  • "If you are a new user then this solution could be difficult, they could improve by making the overall usage easier."

What is our primary use case?

We are using SQL Server for the backend of our SAP and are planning on moving to a cloud version soon.

How has it helped my organization?

This solution has helped our organization by providing a backbone for our SAP. We would not be able to operate without it.

What is most valuable?

We have found the solution valuable because we are able to easily create a query, shrink, backup, and make new tables.

What needs improvement?

We are using an older version of SQL Server and the migration to a newer version could be made easier.

If you are a new user then this solution could be difficult, they could improve by making the overall usage easier.

In an upcoming release, they could improve the ability to customize the solution.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SQL Server for approximately ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We have not experienced any problems with the stability of this solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

SQL Server is scalable.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have not used the support from Microsoft. However, we did have freelance support a few times.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is very easy. We did not have any challenges.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price of the solution is very expensive. If I went with the cloud version of SQL a license would cost me approximately 11,000 Riyals per month.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We have a team that has evaluated other solutions before we chose SQL Server, such as Oracle.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution. However, Oracle has a good reputation for quality that might be a better choice.

I rate SQL Server an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
SQL Server
July 2026
Learn what your peers think about SQL Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: July 2026.
908,877 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Ali Yazıcı - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Service Manager at Kuveyt Turk Participation Bank
Real User
Jun 8, 2021
Easy to set up, very stable, and quite scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution has proven to be very stable."
  • "We have been very satisfied with its capabilities over the last decade."
  • "The solution could offer more integration with other platforms."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for our banking database.

What is most valuable?

Overall, it's a very good device.

The solution has proven to be very stable.

The scalability potential is very high.

The initial setup is very straightforward and the deployment happens very quickly.

What needs improvement?

The solution could offer more integration with other platforms.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for about ten years or so. It's been about a decade. It's been a while. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The product is very stable, from my experience. It doesn't crash or freeze. There are no bugs or glitches. I've used it for ten years with very few issues. The performance and reliability are very good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution can scale quite well. If your company needs to expand it, it can do so pretty easily. It's not hard.

We currently have 5,000 users on the solution.

We do plan to increase usage in the future.

How are customer service and technical support?

We've dealt with Microsoft technical support in the past and we were very satisfied with the level of service provided to us. They are knowledgeable and responsive. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. I wouldn't describe it as difficult or complex. It's actually very simple. A company shouldn't have too much trouble with the implementation.

The deployment was fast and barely took two days.

We have five people on staff who can handle the deployment and maintenance for us. They are administrators and engineers.

What about the implementation team?

We had a consultant that assisted us with the implementation. They were very helpful and made the implementation very simple.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We pay a yearly license to Microsoft. I can't speak of the exact cost, however.

What other advice do I have?

We're likely using the latest version of the solution.

I'd rate the product at a nine out of ten. We have been very satisfied with its capabilities over the last decade.

I'd recommend the solution to other users and companies.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Global Head ICT (CITP & MIE) at The Aga Khan Academies
Real User
Jun 4, 2021
Runs seamlessly, stable and scalable, and easy to deploy
Pros and Cons
  • "It is a stable product, and it runs seamlessly. It is not complex."
  • "We operate in difficult locations, such as Mombasa in Kenya and Mozambique in Maputo, where power is a big problem, and instead of desktop computers, we went for thin end-computing clients, and it worked really well with SQL Server."
  • "They have too many licensing options. They may want to simplify its licensing and bring it down to two, three, or four categories from ten to fifteen categories. Having so many different licensing options makes it difficult to decide which one to choose from. They can club things together. This is an area where they can make things easier for customers."

What is our primary use case?

We're using it for our on-premise servers, and we have the latest version of SQL Server.  

We use SQL Server for the database for Microsoft Navision. We also use it for the Track-It application that helps users in logging in their IT requests. We also manage all the IT inventory through Track-It. It does automatic auditing and traces online IT equipment.

How has it helped my organization?

We have end-computing devices with a server-client type of model. We have a server. All terminals are dumb terminals, but they get connectivity from SQL Server, and it has worked really well. We operate in difficult locations, such as Mombasa in Kenya and Mozambique in Maputo, where power is a big problem. Instead of desktop computers, we went for thin end-computing clients, and it worked really well with SQL Server.

What is most valuable?

It is a stable product, and it runs seamlessly. It is not complex.

It has been there for a long time, and they are doing whatever bug fixes they have to do. 

What needs improvement?

They have too many licensing options. They may want to simplify its licensing and bring it down to two, three, or four categories from ten to fifteen categories. Having so many different licensing options makes it difficult to decide which one to choose from. They can club things together. This is an area where they can make things easier for customers.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SQL Server for ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It has pretty good scalability. In terms of usage, we have two different types of usage. For end-computing usage, we have about 600 or 700 students who use the media labs. For Microsoft Navision and Track-It, we have about 100 staff members as users. 

It is being used fairly extensively. Microsoft Navision is one of the core solutions of our business, and it is used on a daily basis. End computing is used by students. Because of the pandemic, for the last 14 months, everything is closed, and everybody is remote, so end computing has not been used, but Navision continued to be used. After the school reopens in each location, we will continue to use it even more. We definitely have plans for expansion.

How are customer service and technical support?

Their response is fast.

How was the initial setup?

Its initial setup is very straightforward. In case there is an issue, Microsoft's tech support people come online and help you.

What about the implementation team?

For its deployment and maintenance, two people are required at each location. We have one database specialist and one IT service delivery engineer with networking knowledge.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It comes with the bundle package that we have. We have Microsoft Volume Licensing, so we don't have to pay for it separately. It is a part of the package.

What other advice do I have?

I would definitely recommend this solution. I have nothing to complain about.

I would rate SQL Server a nine out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Solutions Architect at One Click
MSP
Jun 3, 2021
Knocks ROI out of the park
Pros and Cons
  • "Scalability, cluster ability, ease of use, ease of implementation — these are all great."
  • "This solution is available at a much lower price point than Oracle, and it includes 99% of the same feature functionality, so I'd say it knocks ROI out of the park."
  • "In terms of exceptionally large databases, it doesn't scale as well as Oracle."

What is our primary use case?

SQL Server is enterprise database software. It provides the back end for any number of different applications, including web applications, and other types of internal applications, and software-based applications. It also provides a back end for enterprise backup tools. It's incredibly diverse in terms of its use case.

What is most valuable?

Scalability, cluster ability, ease of use, ease of implementation — these are all great. 

What needs improvement?

In terms of exceptionally large databases, it doesn't scale as well as Oracle. It scales excellently and it's flexible and it can provide a solution for exceptionally large databases, but it doesn't work as well as Oracle does for this particular use case. The performance starts to drag in the case of exceptionally large databases; especially where there's a lot more feature functionality. With Oracle, there's a lot more tunability.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with this product for 20 years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's exceptionally stable. The ease of implementation and the ease of use can't be beaten. I think it's outstanding overall.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability-wise, it's outstanding. The one limitation it has is that at the very, very high end of petabytes-sized databases, it doesn't scale as well as Oracle. Still, you're not going to run into very many exceptionally large databases. Almost 100% of the use cases for it scale very well.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is available for a separate cost. If you don't have a subscription or a support contract, then you don't get support. You'll be stuck with online forums — that's how you'll have to get answers to questions. Assuming you have a support contract with Microsoft, it's outstanding.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward. 

What was our ROI?

This solution is available at a much lower price point than Oracle. Plus, it includes 99% of the same feature functionality. I'd say it knocks ROI out of the park.

What other advice do I have?

If you're interested in using this product, make sure that you have a good understanding of best practices for database implementation. Make sure to incorporate them in your deployment right off the bat. You won't want to have to go back and have to take production databases down because you have to change the configuration, post-implementation. Make sure you get all of these things done, pre-production implementation.

They've come a long, long way in the 20 years I've been working with them. Overall, on a scale from one to ten, I would give SQL Server a rating of nine.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Information Technology Manager at OrchidaSoft
Real User
May 31, 2021
Reliable, easy to maintain, easy to develop, and easy to use
Pros and Cons
  • "The performance of SQL Server is perfect."
  • "Security is an area that can be improved. It could be more secure; more security is needed."

What is our primary use case?

We develop software for another company. We mainly develop on-premises solutions.

We use this solution with our accounting ERP software. Our product is called Orchida ERP and we have many clients in Egypt who are using this software. Its database is SQL Server.

We mainly work in ERP. 

We currently have a small project in SharePoint for Microsoft, but 80% of our work is with Orchida ERP

We have our software with SQL server for 20 years. Our software will not work without SQL Server. 

We provide consultancy in installing this solution for our clients.

What is most valuable?

It is easy to maintain, and it's easy to set up.

It is also easy to develop. Overall, it's easy.

It can work with many different sizes of data, anywhere from 10 to 50 gigs of data.

The performance of SQL Server is perfect. It does not need to be enhanced.

What needs improvement?

If you work with more than 50 gigs of data, it will run slower than Oracle.

Security is an area that can be improved. It could be more secure; more security is needed.

We have some clients who have been exposed to the SQL injection virus. 

We would like SQL to be able to manage this problem or to come up with an alerting system to alert the user that the server has been exposed. This has become more of an issue because of the Corona Virus and people are working from home.

Some have been infected by the SQL injection Virus and will lose their data.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using  SQL Server for 20 years.

Most of our clients work with version 14 and version 19, which is the latest.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

SQL Server is scalable. Our clients are medium-sized companies, not large. They don't have professional IT.

We have 20 people in our organization who are using this solution, but we have many clients who are using it. We sell our consultancy service to more than 200 clients every year.

How are customer service and technical support?

If we have any issues, we search Google and the internet to resolve them.

Our company has not used Microsoft Support. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have tried many versions of Oracle, including Oracle 11, Oracle 12, and the latest version, which is easy to maintain and similar to Microsoft.

Some of our clients are also using Express SQL. It is not good, but also not bad. If you have small amounts of data then it will meet the requirements.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is straightforward. It is easy, you continuously click the next button until you are done.

It takes 20 to 25 minutes to install. There are no issues with the installation, it is very basic.

What about the implementation team?

We did not use an integrator, we have an in-house team to install and implement this solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Some of our clients purchase the license and others do not; they use Express SQL Server.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

One of our clients is using an SQL Server on Linux. We don't use it but it is a very interesting product. It's a good trend, the Linux environment has become a market share that is growing in Egypt.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others who are interested in using it.

We can't compare this solution with other databases, as we do not have enough experience with other similar tools. 

Overall, SQL Server is good. I would rate SQL Server an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
Database Administration Team Leader at a transportation company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
May 6, 2021
A stable relational database management system with a valuable Always On feature
Pros and Cons
  • "I believe Always On is the most valuable feature. It's also easy to use and not very tricky."
  • "Analysis services have a lot of room for improvement. Basically, manageability on the available tools. They should have improved them already. They are not very efficient. My main headache is with the analysis service, and it would be really good if Microsoft developed some additional tools that are more user-friendly to manage the analysis. This is both from the perspective of management, users' roles, and performance analysis. My main wish for SQL Server would be that management tools for analysis services grow and mature a bit."

What is our primary use case?

We use it for both database services and analysis services.

What is most valuable?

I believe Always On is the most valuable feature. It's also easy to use and not very tricky.

What needs improvement?

Analysis services have a lot of room for improvement. Basically, manageability on the available tools. They should have improved them already. They are not very efficient. My main headache is with the analysis service, and it would be really good if Microsoft developed some additional tools that are more user-friendly to manage the analysis. This is both from the perspective of management, users' roles, and performance analysis. My main wish for SQL Server would be that management tools for analysis services grow and mature a bit.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SQL Server for about 15 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's stable. The database service is better than the analysis service, but it's quite stable. It's as stable as the support it has. If it has a good infrastructure and good machines with disks, it's quite stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

SQL Server is vertically scalable. We have about 3,000 people using this solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

We haven't used their technical support a lot. I would say it depends on the scope of the help you need. On a scale from one to ten, I would give technical support a seven.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I don't know the exact prices because my focus is essentially technical and not on the bills. A few years ago, they changed the billing policy for the Enterprise Edition, and it became less attractive. But I believe they are still cheaper than Oracle. SQL Server isn't cheap, but it's not expensive either. 

What other advice do I have?

I would tell potential users that it's important to have a good infrastructure, but my advice is for any database, not only SQL Server. It's important to have a good infrastructure and a good network if you're planning to use Always On and clusters. I believe the most important thing is the infrastructure where the SQL Server will be based.

On a scale from one to ten, I would give SQL Server an eight.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1264416 - PeerSpot reviewer
Domain architect at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Apr 15, 2021
Rich feature sets, business oriented, and reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is easy to use, has rich feature sets, and is business-oriented."
  • "They could improve the solution by allowing more portability between on-premise and the cloud."

What is our primary use case?

There are many applications between Microsoft and SQL. Most are in the legacy direction, but some are more modern databases with those application requirements. We have used it for multi-purposes such as back-office products applications and cloud office environments.

What is most valuable?

The solution is easy to use, has rich feature sets, and is business-oriented. 

What needs improvement?

They could improve the solution by allowing more portability between on-premise and the cloud.

More improvements can be brought around hyper-threading. Like we see in work engines of hyper-threading. It is very complex in terms of the way they do it. If it was via CPU or something else, it would be much easier.

In a future release, they could improve by expanding their form base capabilities.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for a couple of years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have found the solution to be very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable.

How are customer service and technical support?

The support is good for the solution.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We used Oracle and DB2 in the past.

How was the initial setup?

Initially, the installation took a while. We have started deploying configurations that are now standardized. We have automated it, but it can still be problematic. For the most part, the installation is now quite easy. Additionally, The way they have many configurable parameters that influence performance is in a way problematic.

What about the implementation team?

We did the deployment of the solution and we have a team of 15 people doing the deployment and maintenance.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The licenses are really expensive. Their licensing model should be more simplistic.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others and we plan to keep using it in the future.

I rate SQL Server a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Kevin Honde - PeerSpot reviewer
Data Solution Architect at Econet Wireless Zimbabwe
Real User
Apr 10, 2021
Easy to manage, stable and scalable, and has backup and recovery tools
Pros and Cons
  • "It is easy to manage for the administrator. It is also easy to use for applications that are Windows-based. It is a very stable product, and it has got backup and recovery tools."
  • "Its security can be improved. When you look at the Windows environment, it isn't the most secure environment. It is exposed to so many attacks. They continuously need to improve the security of the platform on which it sits."

What is our primary use case?

SQL Server is used as database software. People who are using .NET and Windows-oriented tools prefer SQL Server.

What is most valuable?

It is easy to manage for the administrator. It is also easy to use for applications that are Windows-based.

It is a very stable product, and it has got backup and recovery tools.

What needs improvement?

Its security can be improved. When you look at the Windows environment, it isn't the most secure environment. It is exposed to so many attacks. They continuously need to improve the security of the platform on which it sits.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for more than ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is pretty scalable. You can scale your machine and nodes. Instead of using just one node or one server, you can use multiple servers and then cluster them together for failover and performance. You can also do replication across sites. Currently, we have around 50 users.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have got support from Microsoft. They are very quick at resolving issues. They are quite good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We were using different products. 

How was the initial setup?

It is easy to install. It might take 20 or 30 minutes to install.

What about the implementation team?

I installed it myself.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Its price is fine. You have to buy the license and support.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We compared it with Oracle and MySQL. We got a lot of dev inputs, and we also looked at the vendors supplying the solutions. We found SQL Server to be the best and chose it because of the vendor.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others. We would definitely keep on using this solution.

I would rate SQL Server an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1001628 - PeerSpot reviewer
Information Systems Manager at a aerospace/defense firm with 51-200 employees
Real User
Apr 2, 2021
A scalable and easy-to-deploy solution that secures our data, saves time, and just runs
Pros and Cons
  • "The management studio is probably the thing we use the most for running quick queries and creating quick reports. Quite often, somebody comes and says, "Hey, can you find XYZ?" It is so much easier just to jump in there and run a quick query."
  • "SQL Server is pretty much bulletproof; it just runs."
  • "They can build more performance-tuning tools in it. They can also make the stuff a little more user-friendly and provide the ability to schedule jobs. They can perhaps also streamline it a little bit so that it is not so resource-intensive, which would be helpful. SQL Server has a tendency to consume all the memory you allow it to. If you are not careful, you can basically break your server. I would like to see it having a smaller footprint in terms of system resource consumption. They might want to consider re-evaluating their pricing. It is expensive."
  • "SQL Server has a tendency to consume all the memory you allow it to. If you are not careful, you can basically break your server."

What is our primary use case?

It is used for the backend database for our ERP system and the document management system. We are using its latest version.

How has it helped my organization?

It saves time. Our data is also a lot more secure. Prior to SQL Server, things were run in a flat-file database that required a ton more maintenance to keep it running. SQL Server is pretty much bulletproof. It just runs.

What is most valuable?

The management studio is probably the thing we use the most for running quick queries and creating quick reports. Quite often, somebody comes and says, "Hey, can you find XYZ?" It is so much easier just to jump in there and run a quick query.

What needs improvement?

They can build more performance-tuning tools in it. They can also make the stuff a little more user-friendly and provide the ability to schedule jobs.

They can perhaps also streamline it a little bit so that it is not so resource-intensive, which would be helpful. SQL Server has a tendency to consume all the memory you allow it to. If you are not careful, you can basically break your server. I would like to see it having a smaller footprint in terms of system resource consumption. 

They might want to consider re-evaluating their pricing. It is expensive.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for 12 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is pretty much bulletproof. We never had data corruption and database failure. We've had hardware failures, but that's not the fault of the software.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is very scalable, and you don't run into indexing issues like you would with a flat file. I don't think we've even scratched the surface in terms of its capabilities. Our databases are fairly small in comparison to others in our industry who are using the same software. 

We've got about 40 users using it, and primarily, they don't touch the database directly. They're just using it through ERP and our document management system. They are just non-IT employees. They are office users.

We're using it fairly extensively for the core of our business software, and we will likely increase the usage of it. We've got some projects in the hopper that will take advantage of SQL Server. So, we plan on increasing our usage of it.

How are customer service and technical support?

I didn't have the need to contact Microsoft support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We haven't used any other solution prior to SQL Server. It was just a flat-file.

How was the initial setup?

It was pretty straightforward. It basically walks you through the process. It took a couple of hours.

What about the implementation team?

Initially, we used a consultant to set up our ERP system, but that was 12 years ago. Since then, we've upgraded it several times, and that was done in-house. Our experience with the consultant was overall positive.

For its maintenance, we are a department of two.

What was our ROI?

We have definitely seen a return on investment when it comes to SQL Server.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is expensive, especially when you have open-source products that are just about as functional and they're free. They might want to consider re-evaluating their pricing.

We purchased it in retail. It was somewhere in the neighborhood of 9,000. There is just the standard licensing fee. If they migrate this product the way they're trying to do everything else, eventually, it is going to be subscription-based, which is going to suck, but that's the way the industry is going, so it is what it is.

What other advice do I have?

If you've never done it before, Microsoft has plenty of documentation and online guides to walk you through it. Just take your time, and follow the steps. If you can do it in a virtual environment, it is better because it is easier to start over if you mess it up, but it is fairly user-friendly. If you have questions during the setup, stop and Google it. The information is out there.

I would rate SQL Server an eight out of ten because there is always room for improvement.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free SQL Server Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: July 2026
Buyer's Guide
Download our free SQL Server Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.