We are a product-based company, and we use it as part of our product. It is deployed in a public cloud and on-premises.
Chief Technology Officer & Vice President, Delivery at a recruiting/HR firm with 1-10 employees
Very stable, easy to use, and easy to move data across versions, but needs better indexing, performance, scalability, and JSON support
Pros and Cons
- "It is easy to use and very stable."
- "We use it as part of our product, so it is helpful for us."
- "Its support for JSON should be improved. It does support JSON, but the support is not good enough currently. They should also improve the way indexes work. Its performance can also be improved because sometimes it becomes very slow for certain table designs. It cannot have more than a certain amount of data. As compared to other databases, its capability to handle large volumes of data is not very good."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
We use it as part of our product, so it is helpful for us. It is easy to move data across versions, and it holds lots of our internal data for operations.
What is most valuable?
It is easy to use and very stable.
What needs improvement?
Its support for JSON should be improved. It does support JSON, but the support is not good enough currently.
They should also improve the way indexes work. Its performance can also be improved because sometimes it becomes very slow for certain table designs.
It cannot have more than a certain amount of data. As compared to other databases, its capability to handle large volumes of data is not very good.
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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 has been very stable. We had a very good experience with it.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scaling is a challenge because you cannot scale horizontally. We've run into a couple of scenarios where we were not able to scale it easily.
How are customer service and support?
Their support is quite satisfactory. They have not been perfect every time, but they have mostly been quite good. They're prompt, but they weren't able to resolve some of the issues.
How was the initial setup?
It is easy to install.
What about the implementation team?
Our IT team handles the installation.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
You should know its limitations. It cannot have more than a certain amount of data.
I would rate SQL Server a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Consultant at Botmantra
Reliable, scalable, and easy installation
Pros and Cons
- "The installation is really easy."
- "We use the solution for managing database information from our clients and for testing database access."
- "I would like to see the integration with other platforms improved in the future."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for managing database information from our clients and for testing database access.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see the integration with other platforms improved in the future.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for four months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I have found the solution to be scalable.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is really easy.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others and we are going to continue using it.
I 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.
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.
GF at Innopact GmbH
Extremely mature, scalable, and stable
Pros and Cons
- "The product has been on the market for over 25 or 30 years. It's an extremely mature solution."
- "The solution is very stable; there are no bugs or glitches, it does not crash or freeze, and it's very reliable in terms of performance."
- "Technical support could be faster."
- "The solution is very expensive."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for data storage. We use it for its data warehouse, BI services, and AI.
What is most valuable?
If you compare the SQL Server with the block storage it's stable and it's working.
The product has been on the market for over 25 or 30 years. It's an extremely mature solution.
The solution is pretty scalable.
The initial setup is pretty straightforward, depending on your requirements.
What needs improvement?
The solution is very expensive.
Technical support could be faster.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for many years. It's been a while. It's likely been over ten years or so - a decade or more.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It does not crash or freeze. It's very reliable in terms of performance.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution scales well. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so with ease.
Three people are using the solution in our organization.
How are customer service and technical support?
We've used technical support in the past. However, it's not a very fast support system. For the new Office 365, it's better. This solution still needs to work on support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
For a specific task, we are using this solution. However, for some other tasks, we're using MongoDB, MariaDB, Oracle, or something else. It depends on the task and the solution and the requirements.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is not overly complex or difficult for the most part. The initial setup's level of straightforwardness, however, depends. If you only need an SQL Server, it's easy. If you need a cluster, it's more difficult. If you need a great cluster all over the world, it's more difficult.
What about the implementation team?
I handled the installation myself. I did not need the help of an integrator or consultant.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is expensive. The pricing is different and not really standardized. If you're using it on Azure you pay on your workloads. If you have a separate dedicated instance, you pay for the course. It's different, according to the situation, however, in either case, it's expensive.
What other advice do I have?
We are customers and end-users.
We are using the 2014 and 2019 versions of the solution.
I'd recommend the solution to other organizations and users. However, if it will work for a company, or if it will work for them in an ideal manner depends on the requirements you have to fulfill as an organization. For example, race cars may be good cars, and great products, however, it's for a specific task. For other tasks, it may not be useful.
I general, I'm quite satisfied with the solution and it does what I need it to do. I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten.
I'd recommend the solution to other users and organizations.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Manager - RPA & Transition at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Stable with prompt technical support and capable of scaling
Pros and Cons
- "The performance is reliable."
- "The stability of the product is very good; it is reliable, there are no bugs or glitches, it does not crash or freeze, and it does not give us any trouble."
- "You do need to have technical knowledge in order to install the solution. It's not something a layperson can do."
What is our primary use case?
Typically, the SQL Server is used in many, many ways. We primarily use SQL Server when there is a data requirement for our projects.
Typically there are uses around where you are creating a database. I've yet to store the data in our RPA server. We need MS Excel through Microsoft.
Any sort of RPA process where you require data through housing data or using a database, you need an SQL Server.
What is most valuable?
The solution is extremely stable. The performance is reliable.
The scalability of the solution is very good.
Technical support is pretty good. they are prompt in their responses.
What needs improvement?
You do need to have technical knowledge in order to install the solution. It's not something a layperson can do.
The scalability can always be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for a number of years now. It's been a while. I have some experience with it.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of the product is very good. It's reliable. There are no bugs or glitches. It does not crash or freeze. It doesn't give us any trouble.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is very capable of scaling. A company should have no trouble expanding the solution as needed.
You can always add on to the server or make compartments into it.
We have a team of about 200 or more people using the solution.
We do plan to continue using the solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
We've dealt with technical support in the past. We found that their responses have been prompt. Given their engagement to typical organizations, they do decent work. I would say that we are mostly satisfied with the level of support on offer.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did not use any other databases prior to SQL. We only use SQL.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup does take some time. It depends upon how you are establishing the server in your environment and depends upon the firewall of your organization. It is a lengthy process, however, it is not that grueling. Depending upon the firewall of your organization, it does take time. That influences the time.
What about the implementation team?
I can handle the installation myself. I did not need the help of a consultant or integrator. However, whoever installs it must be somebody who has the technical knowledge. Not everybody can do it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have an organizational license.
What other advice do I have?
We are customers and end-users. We do not have a business relationship with SQL.
We are using the latest version of the solution. I cannot recall the exact version number.
I would recommend the solution to other users, companies, and organizations.
I'd rate the solution at 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.
Database Operation Assistant Manager at a consumer goods company with 10,001+ employees
Plenty of features, flexible, but could be more scalable
Pros and Cons
- "I have found the most valuable features to be the flexibility and the vast amount of features available."
- "The scalability is adequate but could improve."
What is our primary use case?
I use the solution for analytics and reporting.
What is most valuable?
I have found the most valuable features to be the flexibility and the vast amount of features available.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for approximately three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is adequate but could improve. We have approximately 100 people using the solution in our company.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is not difficult, it is quick. It took approximately 15 minutes to complete.
What about the implementation team?
We have four technicians that do the deployment and maintenance of the solution.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend this solution to others.
I rate SQL Server a seven 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.
ASM at a healthcare company with 51-200 employees
A relational database management system that's easy to use, but performance could be better
Pros and Cons
- "SQL Server is definitely easy to use, and with the volume that we have, it's also stable."
- "Performance could be better. But I don't know if it's a problem with my application or with my database."
What is our primary use case?
It's a database that we use for our commercial applications, and our ERP sits on it.
What is most valuable?
SQL Server is definitely easy to use, and with the volume that we have, it's also stable. Maintenance is much easier compared to other products. I may not be comfortable with Oracle because I don't have much experience with it. But in this case, SQL Server is much better for me.
What needs improvement?
Performance could be better. But I don't know if it's a problem with my application or with my database. Maybe it can have the capability, but I may not be using it to the extent that it could be used, or the configuration is not as per the standard.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using SQL Server for over ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
SQL Server is a stable solution.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very easy.
What about the implementation team?
I implemented this solution by myself.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to potential users. If they have their own in-house team, they can manage it very easily. Microsoft is always easy to manage. It's a product where no expert is required for its maintenance.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give SQL Server a seven.
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.
Manager with 501-1,000 employees
Popular, works well, and easy to use and deploy
Pros and Cons
- "It is a typical database solution, and it is working well so far. It is easy to use, and it is also very common and popular, which makes it easy to find a support partner."
- "It will be very useful to have high-level database monitoring. It should also have built-in business intelligence reporting."
What is most valuable?
It is a typical database solution, and it is working well so far. It is easy to use, and it is also very common and popular, which makes it easy to find a support partner.
What needs improvement?
It will be very useful to have high-level database monitoring. It should also have built-in business intelligence reporting.
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 scalability of the solution?
We have around approximately 600 or 700 users of this solution. Currently, everybody is using this solution, and we don't have a plan to increase its usage.
How are customer service and technical support?
We don't have a direct connection with Microsoft support. We have a support partner who is in contact with the official Microsoft support.
How was the initial setup?
Its initial setup is easy.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend 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.
CEO at SkyNet
Easy to manage and configure, reliable, easy to expand, and good documentation
Pros and Cons
- "What I like most is the management, as it is very easy compared with other products."
- "To others who are interested in using this solution, I would say go for it."
- "Security is an issue."
- "Security is an issue. This is an area that needs to be improved."
What is our primary use case?
I am an IT professional, I write services for my clients. I provide support services for SQL, firewalls, and operating systems. IT infrastructure support in general is what I provide.
What is most valuable?
What I like most is the management, as it is very easy compared with other products.
What needs improvement?
Security is an issue. This is an area that needs to be improved.
There is security built-in, but most of the developers don't emphasize the security enough. When they are building the products or databases, they don't focus on the security of the database.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been providing services for this solution to my clients for five or six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We have had no issues with stability. It's one of the most stable products.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This solution is scalable. It is easy to expand.
How are customer service and technical support?
In the five or six years that I have been handling SQL Servers, I have not had to contact technical support.
Their documentation is sufficient for troubleshooting and maintenance activity.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I am also using Sophos.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
We have our in-house team of more than 10 engineers for maintenance.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Pricing is a bit on the higher side. It could be reduced.
What other advice do I have?
To others who are interested in using this solution, I would say go for it. It's a stable database that is easy to configure and maintain. I would suggest this solution when compared with other databases.
I would rate SQL Server an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Sr. Solution Architect at Team Computers
Very fast with an easy initial setup and reasonable pricing
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup isn't overly complex."
- "The basic features of the solution are excellent overall."
- "The backup capacity needs to be bigger."
What is our primary use case?
We are primarily using the solution for pulling data and analysis.
In the auto industry, are the dealer management systems for which there is kind of portals from which the dealers are maintaining information can have access to retail data, bookings, and details surrounding individual customers.
We are fetching data and using it for analytics purposes, basically.
What is most valuable?
The basic features of the solution are excellent overall.
The initial setup isn't overly complex.
The pricing is reasonable.
The solution scales well.
The solutions very fast. It reads and writes six to eight times faster than any other tool.
What needs improvement?
The solution is very different from Oracle, which is a product we also use.
Mainly the data capacity needs to be improved. The data values are limited. They are smaller or medium scale. The MySQL is working fine, however, when it comes to large data sets or large data volumes, Oracle can handle them better. The backup capacity needs to be bigger.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
When it's medium or small-scale data volume, people are referring to MySQL, however, when the data volume grows the people are referring to Oracle. In my estimation, the stability is fine.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of the product is pretty good. It can scale effectively and expands better than other options.
We have around 40 users on the solution currently.
Our main usage is not for the database and we simply use basic aspects of the platform.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support isn't an aspect of the solution I know too much about. I've never been in direct contact with them. Therefore, I can't speak to how helpful or responsive they are.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We also currently use Oracle.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup isn't too complex or difficult. It's pretty straightforward. It's less complex of a process as compared to other solutions.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost isn't overly expensive. It's very reasonable. Our customers are happy with the price. It's in a good range.
What other advice do I have?
We are partners with Microsoft. We use multiple deployment models, and typically those are private cloud or on-premises options.
Overall, I would rate the solution at an eight out of ten. We've been mostly very satisfied with the capabilities of the product. It's fast. It's our preferred product.
I'd recommend the solution to other users and organizations.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. partner
Chief of Information Technology at a manufacturing company with 201-500 employees
Review about SQL Server
Pros and Cons
- "We have found there are many useful features such as the solution is continually being upgraded, ETL capabilities for extracting and transformation, and it is very easy to use."
What is most valuable?
We have found there are many useful features such as the solution is continually being upgraded, ETL capabilities for extracting and transformation, and it is very easy to use.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution has been really stable in my experience.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have approximately 20 to 30 users of the solution in my organization here in Colombia, Mexico.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is simple.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of the solution could be reduced, it is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
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.
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