We use the solution for managing our database functions.
Modern Data Center and Cloud Engineer II at IE Network Solutions PLC
Easy to use, scalable, and good technical support
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is easy to use."
- "The performance could improve."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The solution is easy to use.
What needs improvement?
The performance could improve.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for approximately four years.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have found SQL Server stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I have found it to be scalable.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is good from Microsoft. We have four people that do the maintenance of the solution.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward, it took approximately one hour.
What about the implementation team?
I did the implementation myself.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is a license required for this solution.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others.
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.

Systems Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Stable, easy to use, and offers a quick deployment
Pros and Cons
- "The installation is pretty straightforward."
- "The pricing of the product could be better."
What is most valuable?
Right now, we are using DB2 and the SQL Server. It's really helpful for the replication of data. It's real-time and very easy to use.
The product is very stable. We find it to be reliable.
The scalability is okay.
The installation is pretty straightforward.
What needs improvement?
For now, we've found the features to be sufficient. I cannot recall feeling anything is actually missing.
The pricing of the product could be better. They could make it more reasonable or more competitive.
Microsoft's technical support could be better.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been supporting these servers for a couple of years at this point. It's likely been about two or so years. We've worked with them for a while.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. We're happy with it.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability potential depends on the resources. If the resources are enough, we can scale it. For us, it's already enough. However, if a company plans to expand, it should be prepared for that beforehand.
We have more than ten users on the solution currently.
How are customer service and technical support?
Microsoft technical support could be improved upon. They aren't the best. They could always be better.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We also use IBM DB2. We support it for our customers.
How was the initial setup?
We have found the solution to be straightforward. It's not overly difficult or complex. A company shouldn't have any issue with implementation.
The product implementation process depends on the needs of the client. For us, deployment was around 30 minutes to one hour. It's pretty quick.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution could be priced more competitively. We'd, of course, like it to be lower. Microsoft can sometimes be expensive.
Each customer needs their own license.
What other advice do I have?
We use the solution both on the cloud and on-premises.
I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. We've been pleased with its capabilities overall.
I would recommend the solution to other users and companies. They should know that it is very easy to use.
We had two people that handled the initial setup - an engineer and a manager. It's pretty easy to handle if an engineer is doing the setup.
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
Buyer's Guide
SQL Server
March 2025

Learn what your peers think about SQL Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Senior Manager at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
Easy to manage with good stability and knowledgable technical support
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is easy to set up."
- "The configuration process can be a little complex."
What is most valuable?
We find the Microsoft SQL Server affordable compared to its real competitors.
We find it easy to manage.
It offers a very robust infrastructure for us.
The solution is easy to set up.
We have found the stability to be good.
We've had a good experience with technical support. They are helpful.
What needs improvement?
We may use different levels of SQL Server when it comes to licensing. We have some Enterprise and some Standard services. They can improve the recovery processes of the replication or disaster recovery scenarios for the lower-tiered version, such as the Standard server.
While we have many options in Enterprise, it's expensive for most companies.
The configuration process can be a little complex.
Technical support can take a while to respond in Turkey.
The solution may be better with some integration with some factory cloud software. With the standard version, the lodgement process is never enough. We are replicating near real-time to make recovery easy and to make all the RPO targets as expected.
You cannot recover SQL Servers, especially for big financial companies like ours. It's not easy to erect SQL Servers on any other site, and with an acceptable data loss in the foundations.
For how long have I used the solution?
Personally, I have used the solution for about 15 years at this point. It's well over a decade. I've used it for a while.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability has been great. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. it's reliable.
How are customer service and technical support?
The Microsoft team never responds fast in Turkey. I cannot say they are fast. Unless you have some Enterprise agreement, they're not quick. However, I find that when I deal with the same technician a few times, they are quite good and very helpful. They are very capable. They know what they are talking about.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We also use Oracle Servers.
How was the initial setup?
The initial implementation is easy and straightforward. It's not overly complex or difficult to set up.
However, it's not just the server we have to set up. We have a cluster environment. Mostly it's just, click, click, click and you are done, however, the configuration process is a bit more difficult. Adjusting performance levels, in particular, can be a real challenge.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The enterprise version of the solution is very expensive and most companies would likely find that they wouldn't be able to afford it.
What other advice do I have?
We're a customer and an end-user.
I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. We've been very happy with its capabilities.
I would recommend the solution, however, it will only be effective if the company hires an effective administrator. While there are default settings, you will likely need to configure quite a bit and connect most of your hardware in the correct way. To be effective, it really needs to be tuned by a professional.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Marketo Consultant at Webtech software servies
Easy to query, straightforward for beginners, and extensive online support community
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of this solution are easy queries and straightforward programming for beginners."
- "SQL Server could improve by providing something similar to an interface or dashboard where a developer can do debugging, this would make a developer's work easier. Additionally, the optimization could be better. If there was an interface showing information needed for the optimization it would help because there can be some data loss making it difficult to optimize the SQL Server."
What is our primary use case?
We use SQL Server for web application and website development.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of this solution are easy queries and straightforward programming for beginners.
What needs improvement?
SQL Server could improve by providing something similar to an interface or dashboard where a developer can do debugging, this would make a developer's work easier. Additionally, the optimization could be better. If there was an interface showing information needed for the optimization it would help because there can be some data loss making it difficult to optimize the SQL Server.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution within the past 12 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?
The scalability is good for simple applications. However, the problem with scalability is if the application is too large, it cannot handle it. We have to depend on other database servers.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have not used technical support but I have used the open forums online that provide all the information that we have needed. There is a large online community for support.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is a license required for this solution and we pay monthly. The price is reasonable compared to other solutions.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate SQL Server an eight out of ten.
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.
Sr Lead Data & Information Architect at a pharma/biotech company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Simple to set up, simple to use, stable, and scalable
Pros and Cons
- "I like that it's a cloud solution, is simple to set up, and is simple to use."
- "It would definitely be better if SQL Server were free."
What is most valuable?
I like that it's a cloud solution, is simple to set up, and is simple to use.
We are also totally satisfied with the stability and scalability of SQL Server.
What needs improvement?
It would definitely be better if SQL Server were free.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using SQL Server for two years.
It's a cloud-based solution.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We have had no issues with stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable, and we have had no issues so far.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward and is comparable to that of PostgreSQL.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We pay per second of usage, but there are different offerings of the license.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated Oracle and PostgreSQL.
What other advice do I have?
For people who would like to use SQL Server for specific use-cases, I would definitely recommend it.
On a scale from one to ten, I would rate this solution at eight.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT Specialist at a government with 1,001-5,000 employees
A relational database management system that's relatively stable
Pros and Cons
- "I like that it's relatively stable."
- "It would be better if it had more integration with other systems."
What is our primary use case?
We use SQL Server for collecting and storing our data.
What is most valuable?
I like that it's relatively stable.
What needs improvement?
It would be better if it had more integration with other systems.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using SQL Server for over five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I think it's scalable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's relatively stable.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support is good. When I have a problem, they're responsive.
How was the initial setup?
I've tried to do the initial setup, and I don't think it's that easy. But I think the configuration is normal.
What about the implementation team?
I set up and deployed this solution myself.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this product to new users.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give SQL Server an eight.
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 a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Highly functional in Microsoft environments, reliable, and scalable
Pros and Cons
- "I have found that SQL Server works very well in the Microsoft Dynamics environment."
- "There is room for improvement in performance when managing a large quality of data and a high number of active users."
What is our primary use case?
The solution is used for database management.
What is most valuable?
I have found that SQL Server works very well in the Microsoft Dynamics environment.
What needs improvement?
There is room for improvement in performance when managing a large quality of data and a high number of active users.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for approximately 17 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have found the stability great.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is very good. We have five people in my organization using this solution in my organization.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used previously Oracle MySQL, IBM DB2, and SAP HANA. They are better suited for large-size data management.
What about the implementation team?
We have approximately 15 people handling the deployment and maintenance of the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is on a pay-per-use pricing model.
What other advice do I have?
I would strongly recommend this solution to others wanting to implement it in a Microsoft environment.
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.
Computer engineering student at a educational organization with 501-1,000 employees
Stable with good technical support and integrates well with Visual Studio
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable aspect of the solution is that it's integrated with the Visual Studio and also with Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio. It's a tool they have and it's quite easy to use and understand. It's the interface for programming for SQL Services."
- "The solution could be better integrated with the SQL Server Studio tool."
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use the solution for the development of various applications, database connections, that I need for projects.
I just use it myself, for assignments. I am a student and am studying the product.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable aspect of the solution is that it's integrated with the Visual Studio and also with Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio. It's a tool they have and it's quite easy to use and understand. It's the interface for programming for SQL Services.
The solution is very stable.
The solution scales well.
The initial setup is straightforward.
What needs improvement?
I don't have a deep technical knowledge of the solution. It's hard to discuss features that may be lacking.
The solution could be better integrated with the SQL Server Studio tool.
There are some complexities with the initial setup sometimes as there are a lot of options.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for two years at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable in terms of performance.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution can scale. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so.
As a student, I don't yet have plans to increase usage of the product.
How are customer service and technical support?
I've been in touch with technical support. I contact them to assist with a bug that I detected, that was not really related to SQL Server. It was, however, related to another tool, the Microsoft SQL Server Studio. They responded quickly. I was quite satisfied with their level of support for the most part.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I've also worked with PostgreSQL, and MySQL as well as MongoDB. I found that, in comparison, PostgreSQL was not as easy to use.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was pretty straightforward. It's very similar to other software products. The Visual Studio is easier, however, it's still mostly straightforward. It could be better integrated with this SQL Server Studio tool. You have to install it separately. If they could be installed together, that would be an improvement in my opinion. While not everyone would use it, the developer would find it a helpful item to have.
It can sometimes be confusing to install by yourself since it does have many options that you need to decide on.
What about the implementation team?
I was able to install the solution myself. I did not need the assistance of an integrator or consultant.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
You do need to pay for a license in order to use the product.
What other advice do I have?
I'm just an end-user.
I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. I'm mostly happy with its capabilities.
I'd recommend the solution to other users. It's a solution that is nice and standardized. We are learning all about it at school and its industry standards make it a good option.
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.

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