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reviewer1488372 - PeerSpot reviewer
Associate Manager at a consultancy with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Provides great CDC mechanism for adding data incrementally; simple installation
Pros and Cons
  • "A big advantage is the ability to store any type of data in SQL Server."
  • "Performance could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We use SQL Server to import data from different source systems. Depending on requirements, you act as the resource and can schedule jobs in the Azure environment. The server can be stopped when not required so there's no cost when it's not being used. We make use of the pipeline to put the data into the SQL Azure environment and extract it to the server. I'm the associate manager.

What is most valuable?

The best feature in SQL Server is the CDC mechanism for adding data incrementally. Another good feature is the ability to store any type of data in SQL Server, it's a big advantage.

What needs improvement?

You need to be careful if you have a very large amount of data, because the platform can be degraded if you're not on top of it. Oracle handles that issue better and it's the main problem I have with SQL Server. The performance should be better.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a stable product. 

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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This product is scalable, we have between 20 and 30 users in our company. We'll continue to use this product. 

How are customer service and support?

We haven't needed to contact technical support. If there is an issue we use the different SQL forums and we can easily fix issues. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward, you can install with basic knowledge. Installation doesn't take long at all, I did it myself. 

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

There are no annual licensing fees, you pay when you use the product. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate this solution a nine out of 10.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Infrastructure and Networks at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Reasonably priced, stable, scalable, and the support is good
Pros and Cons
  • "We like business integration, database, and analysis."
  • "I would like to see more integration with other platforms."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution for data warehousing and products to the platforms developed by the company. 

What is most valuable?

We like everything. We use all of the features that SQL offers. 

We like business integration, database, and analysis.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see more integration with other platforms.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used this solution for more than ten years

We are using the latest version.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's a stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's a scalable solution and we have 1,000 users in our organization.

We are stabilizing, so we are not going to increase our usage with SQL.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is okay. We don't have any issues with them.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward.

It took a couple of hours to install, no more than that.

What about the implementation team?

We completed the implementation ourselves.

We have a team of 34 admins and engineers to deploy and maintain this solution.

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

We purchased our license and the pricing is fine for us. 

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

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
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SQL Server
August 2025
Learn what your peers think about SQL Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: August 2025.
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Gajanan Shalgar - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Engineer at OMFYS Technologies India Pvt.Ltd
Real User
Top 10
Installation is straightforward, flexible-to-use and it has secure functions
Pros and Cons
  • "SQL Server and their offers are very good. You can switch over, export, and do other things."
  • "The free version of SQL Server is time-limited before updating to the paid version."

What is our primary use case?

I use SQL Server for .NET. We have ERP software in the background and we use the SQL Server for its creation.

What is most valuable?

SQL Server and their offers are very good. You can switch over, export, and do other things. I got access from users and it is very flexible to use.

What needs improvement?

SQL Server is technically good. For questions or other queries, we go through the internet and they explain it there. I think the structure of their product is good.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SQL Server for one year and a month.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's stable. It was very easy for me to handle it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The free version of SQL Server is time-limited before updating to the paid version. So, sort of more access and more work in your database to help process most of the time. It's better to purchase it for more secure functions.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have a technical support engineer who handles maintenance and security for SQL Server. I think Microsoft's technical support is also very good.

How was the initial setup?

It's a straightforward installation. I installed SQL Server 2012, 2013 and 2016.

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

The usability of the free version is limited. They also have some guidelines on how to use the paid ones. You still have to check your IT requirements after purchasing it. We are using a licensed one right now, which has more functionality than the free version.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Amazon Web Services (AWS)
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
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
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."
  • "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."

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
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1522923 - PeerSpot reviewer
Head of IT, CTO at a insurance company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Reliable, scalable, and user-friendly but the pricing could always be better
Pros and Cons
  • "It's much more friendly in comparison with Oracle."
  • "I am fine with the pricing, but pricing is an area that can always be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We are using this solution as a database. The main purpose is as an SQL Server.

How has it helped my organization?

Our backend and core systems are using Microsoft SQL Server. We have no complaints from anyone who is using it.

We have nothing that we can compare it with.

What is most valuable?

It's much more friendly in comparison with Oracle.

We are using the standard features. I don't see any areas that can be simplified with the standard functionalities. We don't use any special extended features.

From my point of view, using SQL Server 2017 and 2019 is very good. I haven't experienced any issues or been in a situation where I was struggling with problems for which I didn't have access to proper documentation or proper functions.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SQL Server for eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

After eight years in our company, we have not had any issues with SQL Server from a stability point of view.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We are a small company. We don't have any issues with this and we are fully virtualized. If we need to, we can extend the amount of CPUs as we want.

Our core system is being used by 50 users, but they are not accessing the SQL Server. We have approximately 10 users in our company who are using the SQL Server.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have never used technical support.

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

I am using Avamar and Data Domain. I have been using Data Domain for four or five years. It was used as the data storage for the backup solution in our sister company.

I worked with Oracle in the previous company. Microsoft SQL Server is better.

We have also used Software Center, Active Directory, Microsoft Exchange, and almost everything that is Microsoft-based.

How was the initial setup?

It was installed by an outsourcing company. It is another sister company.

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

It's cheaper than Oracle.

I am fine with the pricing, but pricing is an area that can always be improved.

We are Microsoft D-level partners. Pricing is not an issue for us, because of the outreach of our mother company.

What other advice do I have?

We are a Microsoft-based company.

I would rate SQL Server a seven 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
Digital Transformation Architect at Comdata
Real User
Very stable, user-friendly, easy to troubleshoot, and easy to manage databases
Pros and Cons
  • "It is a very user-friendly solution. It is easy to manage the databases and troubleshoot any issue. It is a perfect solution for the volume or transactions that we need to manage."
  • "The way to make cursors and manage raw data in rows can be improved. Currently, the way to construct or build these cursors is very hard, and you can waste memory. You need a highly skilled person to make it more efficient. It can also have support for Cubes, which is the organization of data in different dimensions by using MDX languages."

What is our primary use case?

We developed a product that is using five or six databases supported on SQL Server. 

What is most valuable?

It is a very user-friendly solution. It is easy to manage the databases and troubleshoot any issue. It is a perfect solution for the volume or transactions that we need to manage.

What needs improvement?

The way to make cursors and manage raw data in rows can be improved. Currently, the way to construct or build these cursors is very hard, and you can waste memory. You need a highly skilled person to make it more efficient.

It can also have support for Cubes, which is the organization of data in different dimensions by using MDX languages.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is very stable. I would rate it an eight out of ten in terms of stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable. You can get scalability by using the link servers, or you can create another instance in another server and make a link with that server. It is very quick.

We have around 50 users of this solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have not interacted with them.

How was the initial setup?

Its initial setup is easy. It takes a week. One of the things that you need to pay attention to is the collection.

What other advice do I have?

It is a nice product. You can use it as you want. If you don't know how to use it, you will waste it. Oracle is more powerful than this, but it is great for our needs.

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
it_user1022898 - PeerSpot reviewer
Director at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Stable and able to process a lot of data, but it is expensive and integration needs improvement
Pros and Cons
  • "Stability is one of the most valuable features."
  • "Indexing, as well as integration, are areas of this product that need improvement."

What is our primary use case?

We use SQL Server to process a lot of data. We are using versions and 2015 and 2018.

What is most valuable?

We like the whole product and we use most of the features.

What needs improvement?

Indexing, as well as integration, are areas of this product that need improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using SQL Server for approximately five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's a stable solution. Stability is one of the most valuable features.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's somewhat scalable.

How are customer service and technical support?

We don't have any issues with technical support.

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

We have used SQL Server from day one, along with OpenSQL. We used them both regularly.

We don't use Oracle often but we do have a few areas where it is used.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward. 

We have experience and did find it to be challenging.

We do multiple deployments which require three or four teams.

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

The cost is high and because it's an expensive product, we are in the process of moving towards open-source solutions.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We have evaluated MongoDB and are in the process of transforming ourselves.

What other advice do I have?

We will continue using SQL Server for some things but not everything. Most of our applications will be migrated to MongoDB and others.

I am not in the position to recommend SQL Server to anybody. Rather, I am more in the area of quality assurance. 

I would rate this solution a seven 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
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