database client · Microsoft

SQL Server Management Studio

Free Windows-only client for SQL Server and Azure SQL, with no support for other engines.

56/100

#11 of 12 database clients
Facts checked 8 Oct 2026

In short

SSMS is free for personal or enterprise use¹.
It runs on Windows only; Microsoft's FAQ says there is no macOS version¹.
Its engine list covers SQL Server, Azure SQL, Synapse and Fabric SQL, and no PostgreSQL, MySQL or Oracle³.
Schema Compare needs SSMS 22.7 or later⁵.
Release 22.10.2 is dated 28 September 2026⁴.

SSMS suits anyone who works only with SQL Server or Azure SQL and wants a free tool with plans, diagrams and schema compare^1,5,8,9. It scores low on the engine lines by design, because it connects only to Microsoft engines³. The catch: Windows only, closed source, and the Copilot assistant is a separate install¹.

Best for: SQL Server and Azure SQL administrators and developers on Windows.

Where the points come from

Systems0 of 6

Databases3 of 27

Connections and trust3 of 17

Tools29 of 29

Price21 of 21

Systems 0 of 6 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Other systems	NoneThe FAQ says SSMS is available only for Windows; system requirements list only Windows versions^1,2.	0 / 6

Databases 3 of 27 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Main SQL engines	SQL ServerSupported engines are SQL Server and Microsoft cloud SQL services such as Azure SQL and Synapse³.	3 / 15
NoSQL and cloud engines	NoneThe engine list names only Microsoft SQL engines, none of the four we count³.	0 / 8
JDBC or ODBC drivers	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's components page³; ODBC appears only in the import and export wizard⁷.	0 / 4

Connections and trust 3 of 17 points

Rule	What is published	Points
SSH tunnel	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's FAQ or components pages^1,3.	0 / 8
Open-source apps	NoThe FAQ asks if SSMS is open source and answers no¹.	0 / 6
Recent release	YesRelease notes show 22.10.2, released 28 September 2026⁴.	3 / 3

Tools 29 of 29 points

Rule	What is published	Points
SQL code completion	YesThe FAQ lists IntelliSense and keyword completion in the query editor¹.	4 / 4
Visual query builder	YesMicrosoft says SSMS includes visual designers for building Transact-SQL queries⁸.	3 / 3
ER diagrams	YesMicrosoft says SSMS includes visual designers for diagramming databases; the FAQ mentions database diagrams^8,1.	4 / 4
Schema or data compare	YesSchema Compare compares databases, .dacpac files and projects; it needs SSMS 22.7 or later⁵.	4 / 4
Import from CSV or Excel	YesThe Import Flat File wizard loads .csv and .txt files into a new table⁶.	4 / 4
Export formats	CSV, Excel, JSONThe FAQ says results save as CSV. Release 22.4.1 added Excel, JSON, Markdown and XML as formats for saving grid results^1,4.	3 / 3
Query plan viewer	YesDocs show graphical actual execution plans in the results pane⁹.	4 / 4
AI assistant	YesRelease notes of 18 March 2026 say GitHub Copilot in SSMS is generally available. Some overview pages still say Preview^4,10.	3 / 3

Price 21 of 21 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Free edition	YesThe FAQ says SSMS is free for personal or enterprise use¹.	6 / 6
Perpetual licence	YesThe app is entirely free¹.	5 / 5
Cheapest paid plan	$0Free for personal or enterprise use¹.	10 / 10

The rule behind each line: how we score database clients.

Plans and prices

As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.

Plan	Price as listed	Per month	Notes
SSMS1 person	Free¹	$0	Free for personal or enterprise use

Strengths

Free for personal or enterprise use¹.
Includes schema compare, database diagrams, a visual query designer and graphical execution plans^5,8,9.
Imports CSV and text files with a wizard, and the import and export wizard handles Excel^6,7.
GitHub Copilot in SSMS became generally available in March 2026⁴.
Gets frequent releases; 22.10.2 is dated 28 September 2026⁴.

Limits

Runs on Windows only^1,2.
Works with Microsoft SQL engines only³.
Not open source¹.
GitHub Copilot is a separate component that is not installed by default and needs a GitHub sign-in^1,10.

Other database clients

1
DBeaverDevelopers and analysts who work with many database engines
91/100
$113/yrcheapest paid plan
2
DbVisualizerDevelopers who connect to many engines and want a free edition for basic work
84/100
$199/yrcheapest paid plan
3
Beekeeper StudioDevelopers who want a multi-engine client with a free open-source edition
81/100
$108/yrcheapest paid plan
4
DataGripDevelopers who write a lot of SQL and want an IDE-style editor
81/100
$121.93/yrcheapest paid plan

All 12 database clients

Sources

SQL Server Management Studio frequently asked questions, Microsoft Learn. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
System requirements for SQL Server Management Studio, Microsoft Learn. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Components and features, Microsoft Learn. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Release notes for SQL Server Management Studio 22, Microsoft Learn. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Schema Compare in SQL Server Management Studio, Microsoft Learn. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Import Flat File to SQL, Microsoft Learn. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Import and export data with the SQL Server Import and Export Wizard, Microsoft Learn. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Visual Database Tools, Microsoft Learn. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Display an actual execution plan, Microsoft Learn. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Get started with GitHub Copilot in SQL Server Management Studio, Microsoft Learn. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.

Website: learn.microsoft.com/en-us/ssms · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with Microsoft.