We're SSIS for flat file data ingestion. Our data sources are Excel files, but if the data sources are SQL servers, I use store procedures instead of SSIS packages.
It's easy to use but setting up a large number of tables and columns can get cumbersome
Pros and Cons
- "SSIS is easy to use."
- "SSIS is cumbersome despite its drag-and-drop functionality. For example, let's say I have 50 tables with 30 columns. You need to set a data type for each column and table. That's around 1,500 objects. It gets unwieldy adding validation for every column. Previously, SSIS automatically detected the data type, but I think they removed this feature. It would automatically detect if it's an integer, primary key, or foreign key column. You had fewer problems building the model."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
SSIS is easy to use.
What needs improvement?
SSIS is cumbersome despite its drag-and-drop functionality. For example, let's say I have 50 tables with 30 columns. You need to set a data type for each column and table. That's around 1,500 objects. It gets unwieldy adding validation for every column. Previously, SSIS automatically detected the data type, but I think they removed this feature. It would automatically detect if it's an integer, primary key, or foreign key column. You had fewer problems building the model.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used SSIS for three or four months.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
SSIS is a stable product, but the problem is with the UI you use to build things. If you have it deployed on a virtual machine, everything crashes sometimes. That's one of the significant problems we face with Microsoft products.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have problems with the ports for the analysis services. If everything is deployed, you need to redeploy. It's hard to scale out. If you plan to scale up, you need to prepare everything correctly from the start. Everything needs to be properly configured and deployed.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We decided to use SSIS because most developers know SQL Server. If they need to hire data engineers, they can just use generic languages like SQL Portal. You don't need to know Talend or other data warehouses and database engines. They prefer SQL Server because that's the most common product.
How was the initial setup?
Setting up SSIS is difficult. I rate it seven out of 10 for ease of setup. It takes around a week to setup a simple data warehouse with three tables.
What other advice do I have?
I rate SSIS six out of 10. SSIS can get the job done for bigger datasets. However, SQL Server lags if you're working with more than a terabyte or petabyte of data. I recommend exploring the tool because most of the video tutorials on the internet are outdated, and the official Microsoft documentation is geared toward advanced users. Beginners will have a hard time. You need a senior engineer to teach you, or you must explore the tool on your own.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

DevOps Consultant at Coforge Growth Agency
Easy to set up, quick to deploy, and reliable
Pros and Cons
- "It is easy to set up. The deployment is also very quick."
- "Involving a data lake or data engineering aspects would be useful. While it is there, we need more features included."
What is our primary use case?
I was using the solution to implement some business logic. What we do with the data collected is, for example, use it with Excel and some other databases. We do write our own logic to input the data into the SQL server. We'll be taking inputs and putting them into our business logic.
How has it helped my organization?
It is a very helpful tool to integrate. We can have our logic ready by putting data from different data sources, and based on our business requirements, we can have the logic created with the help of the SSIS package.
What is most valuable?
It allows us to use our own logic. We can create our own packages where it can help us to define the business logic.
It is easy to set up. The deployment is also very quick.
It is stable and reliable.
The product is scalable.
What needs improvement?
There aren't any improvements that are required for SSIS at the moment.
We'd like better data lake architecture so we can move SSIS to the data lake if necessary. Involving a data lake or data engineering aspects would be useful. While it is there, we need more features included.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for almost six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable. The performance is good. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This is a very scalable product. You can expand easily.
We have 200 people using the solution. They are developers.
How are customer service and support?
I've never used technical support in the past. I don't have details as to how helpful or responsive they are.
How was the initial setup?
The solution is very straightforward. It's not overly complex.
The package deployment takes some time. It depends on the size of the data which is being pulled in. For the normal setup, it hardly takes much time. For the most part, it is very fast.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I'm not sure of the exact cost of the solution.
What other advice do I have?
I'm an end-user.
We are using the latest version of SQL Server 2019. Typically, I start on-prem and move to the cloud.
It's a good tool for merging data from various data sources. We can have automated administrative functions and data-loading features. We can populate the data for the data warehouse and for data merges. This is one of the best analytic tools for a person or enterprise. We can recommend it for data analysis and data analytics purposes.
I'd rate the solution ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
SSIS
May 2025

Learn what your peers think about SSIS. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
853,831 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Technology Innovation Leader at Netrix S.A.
Versatile, simple to install and maintain, and quick to deploy
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable aspect of this solution is that it is simple to use and it offers a flexible custom script task."
- "There is connectivity with other databases, however, this is the most significant issue that has to be addressed."
What is our primary use case?
SSIS orchestrates data transformation in the environment, which includes Oracle and SQL Server databases.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable aspect of this solution is that it is simple to use and it offers a flexible custom script task.
What needs improvement?
Connectivity to databases other than Microsoft. This is the Achilles' heel.
Integration with other vendors' connectivity should be available as well as being able to read and write data to databases or data storage other than with Microsoft.
There is connectivity with other databases, however, this is the most significant issue that has to be addressed.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using SSIS for five years, but I first used it in 2007.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
SSIS is quite stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
SSIS is moderately scalable.
The company is fairly substantial. They have approximately 400,000 people in the company, but I am not aware of how many are using this solution. It is quite a bit.
There are a lot of developers using it.
I am not aware if they plan to increase their usage, it is not within my decision.
In terms of my immediate surroundings, we intend to use cloud tools, Azure technologies, and Microsoft. First and foremost, Microsoft ADF. Azure Data Factory is the cloud's SSIS replacement.
How are customer service and support?
For this particular product, we have not used technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I started with SSIS but then switched to IBM Datastage.
That was where I worked, this was already in use at another organization.
I recently moved jobs, and this is the platform of choice for ETL once again. Informatica data center was used in various other organizations.
I was attending Informatica workshops. I wasn't Informatica actively, but I might in the future, perhaps soon.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward.
It only took five minutes to deploy SSIS.
For maintenance, we rely on our platform team.
We will probably need one person for maintenance. Let's say it's only one person. But I'm not speaking on behalf of the entire company; I'm speaking on behalf of a single team of perhaps 1,000 people.
What about the implementation team?
We did not use a consultant or third-party vendor, everything was done in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
This is difficult since it is included in the SQL server license.
Depending on the arrangement that a certain company has with Microsoft, it may supply the permanent license that is included in the SQL server license, or it may be a time-bound license if it is a partner license or other enterprise license.
I am not sure what our relationship with Microsoft is like or what the program is, but I believe it's some sort of enterprise license.
In the past, I worked with permanent licenses.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend SSIS to others who would be interested in using it.
I would rate SSIS an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Technical Consultant at LinkDev
Works well, offers good performance, and is straightforward to set up
Pros and Cons
- "It's saved time using visualization descriptions."
- "We'd like more integration capabilities."
What is our primary use case?
The solution is a business application. It's used for integrations between different databases, migrating from one to one, and importing data from one thing to something else.
What is most valuable?
Overall, it works well.
The performance is good.
It's saved time using visualization descriptions.
The initial setup is straightforward.
The product is scalable.
It's stable.
We find the solution to be reasonable.
What needs improvement?
We have faced some problems, mostly from a different provider with different language handling.
We'd like the solution to increase the types of integrations on offer. We'd like more integration capabilities.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for 20 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's very stable and reliable. There aren't bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. The performance is fine.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We can scale the solution just fine.
It is our plan to increase usage in the future.
We have ten users on the solution right now.
How are customer service and support?
I've never used technical support. I cannot speak to how helpful or responsive they would be if we needed assistance.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did not previously use another solution.
How was the initial setup?
The solution is straightforward to set up. It's not overly complex. It takes about half an hour to set up.
We have five people that can handle deployment or maintenance tasks.
What about the implementation team?
We can handle the initial setup on our own. We do not need outside assistance from integrators or consultants.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is fairly priced. I'd rate it four out of five in terms of affordability.
What other advice do I have?
My company is a Microsoft partner, and we use multiple Micorosft products.
We're using the latest version of the solution.
I'd recommend the solution to other users and companies.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
General Manager IT at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Good SFTP connectivity but technical support could be better
Pros and Cons
- "SSIS' best feature is SFTP connectivity."
- "Microsoft's technical support has decreased in quality over the last few years, becoming less responsive and tending to pass problems on instead of solving them."
What is our primary use case?
SSIS is mainly used for data migration transfer.
What is most valuable?
SSIS' best feature is SFTP connectivity.
What needs improvement?
In the next release, SSIS should include automated JSON file management.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
SSIS is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
SSIS is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
Microsoft's technical support has decreased in quality over the last few years, becoming less responsive and tending to pass problems on instead of solving them.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
SSIS' licensing is a little high, but it gives good value for money.
What other advice do I have?
I'd give SSIS a rating of seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Admin at IEC (Electoral Commission of South Africa)
It's easy to use, so you can spend less time and get more done
Pros and Cons
- "The main value of any Microsoft product is the ease of use. You can achieve more with less time. That's what's beneficial for me. With many competitors, you might need to spend more time coming up with a solution because you have to focus on taking care of the product."
- "It would be nice if you could run SSIS on other environments besides Windows."
What is our primary use case?
SSIS is helpful when you have tasks in a particular workflow that need to be completed on different schedules. You can start a specific task, and SSIS goes through the workflow to check a few things before it decides whether the task needs to proceed. Right now, maybe a quarter of the company is using it, but we plan to expand use in the future.
What is most valuable?
The main value of any Microsoft product is the ease of use. You can achieve more with less time. That's what's beneficial for me. With many competitors, you might need to spend more time coming up with a solution because you have to focus on taking care of the product.
What needs improvement?
It would be nice if you could run SSIS on other environments besides Windows.
For how long have I used the solution?
We use SSIS ad hoc when a problem arises that requires it. We've used it a few times over the last year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
SSIS is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
SSIS is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
Microsoft support isn't helpful most of the time. We get most of our answers from forums.
How was the initial setup?
Installing SSIS is straightforward and takes an hour or two.
What about the implementation team?
We deployed SSIS in-house.
What was our ROI?
We've seen a return on using SSIS.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
An SQL Server license includes licenses for the database engine, reporting services, SSIS, and analysis services. That's the nice thing about this package. When you buy it, you get all of these different add-ons.
What other advice do I have?
I rate SSIS eight out of 10. I would recommend it.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Manager, Data & Intelligence Group, Technical at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
A very user-friendly UI with good adaptability to multiple data sources
Pros and Cons
- "The UI is very user-friendly."
- "Options for scaling could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
This is an infrastructure tool and our primary use case is for data warehouse integration.
How has it helped my organization?
The solution has enabled us to perform tasks more quickly.
What is most valuable?
The UI is very user-friendly and I like that the solution has the ability to adapt to multiple data sources.
What needs improvement?
I haven't found too many successful scaling options and that's something that could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for over 10 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 solution could be more scalable.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. The deployment took a day and we did it in-house.
What other advice do I have?
I rate this solution eight out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Sr. Training Manager with 201-500 employees
I had to buy a tool to cut down on its complexity, but I haven't seen anything better than this
Pros and Cons
- "It's something I needed for bulk imports. I'm not a big fan of it, but I haven't seen anything better."
- "I have a tool called ZappySys. I need that tool to cut down on the complexity of SSIS. That tool really helps with a quick turnaround. I can do things quickly, and I can do things accurately. I can get better reporting on errors."
What is our primary use case?
Our company sells contracts when you buy a car. We sell aftermarket insurance for the tyre, wheel, ding, dent, windshield, etc. When somebody buys a contract, we capture all of that data into a legacy database PostgreSQL, and my task is to incorporate that into our financial platform using T-SQL. So, I write queries, procedures, and views. I use SSIS, and I use SSRS. My job is to get the data into our financial system so that we can process claims, payments, cancellations, and refunds.
What is most valuable?
It's something I needed for bulk imports. I'm not a big fan of it, but I haven't seen anything better.
What needs improvement?
One of the problems I ran into was that the database that I had had a status. I couldn't always flip the status, so I didn't know what data I already had. I had to use SSIS to grab a bunch of data and check the database to see if I needed to insert it. It works okay, but as I plan better, I'm trying to weed it out. SSIS is a bit prickly because anytime you go and change something, it tends to break. That's because there is metadata behind the tool.
I have a tool called ZappySys. I need that tool to cut down on the complexity of SSIS. That tool really helps with a quick turnaround. I can do things quickly, and I can do things accurately. I can get better reporting on errors.
What other advice do I have?
I'm not a fan of SSIS itself. I would rate out-of-the-box SSIS a four out of 10, but with the ZappySys tool, it is a pretty good solution, and then I would rate it an eight out of 10.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

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