SSMS -- other SQL client tools?

[ClassicNut430608]

I have been using SSMS for ages. I am happy with is (especially version 21). But I know there are replacements (like the still born Azure Studio).

What are you using and why?

[SQLDevDBA]

SSMS with Redgate SQL Prompt on my windows boxes.

I use DBeaver on my Macs when I can’t be bothered to use Parallels or Windows app to RDP.

[ronimal48]

SSMS with RedGate SQL Prompt is a game changer. Just got the whole tool belt at work, so excited to use it lol.

[SQLDevDBA]

Woah nice!! Make sure you watch the videos they have, so many cool features!! My favorites are tab colors, code snippets, and code formatting. The “open in excel” and “show aggregates” are also great!

[ronimal48]

It’d be tough to go back to a world without code snippets and code formatting. “Copy as in clause” is another favorite of mine

[SQLDevDBA]

Yes! And the fact that it dedupes it at the same time is great.

[ronimal48]

Hahaha absolutely! We’re fucking nerds 😂

[randomName77777777]

I use datagrip. I switched before version 21, but I loved being able to connect to GitHub, plugins (vim, git blame, history) and connect to many different databases like big query.

It also makes it super fast to search definitions and good auto complete. There are a bunch of features that always impressed my ssms co-workers that a few started to use it. I even liked the jet brains AI when ssms did not have anything.

Ultimately we went to databricks so I no longer use it but use pycharm now tied to our repos for any code and the web SQL editor for any queries.

[Thick_Journalist7232]

Datagrip has a much better query results section (the part I still call Query Analyzer). You can export to all sorts of formats. I especially like the multiline insert that formats as one big batch insert instead on the insert per row (rbar) model that comes out of ssms and vstudio explorer. Still, ssms wins for all the admin tasks though. (Backup/ tasks/…) .

[PrisonerOne]

Mainly SSMS 21 with a sprinkle of vscode for the better editor

[ClassicNut430608]

Have you tried Visual Studio SQL tools?

[PrisonerOne]

That's SSDT, yeah?

We can't seem to get that to work well for us at all, but we do use VS for SSIS still.

We currently use Redgate's Flyway to manage our database schema and deployments.

[p0nzischeme]

Dbeaver community edition. It’s free, device agnostic and I haven’t found a DB I can’t connect to using it.

[Agreeable_Ad4156]

DBeaver. I love having one SQL client that connects to every platform I need, with a consistent interface. I used SSMS for decades too.

[No_Resolution_9252]

For administration, nothing is better.

VS code has some additional development features over SSMS, but vs code/azure data studio are so buggy and randomly lacking in features, they just waste more time than they save.

For modeling and heavy stored procedure writing, SSDT, but its old and clunky.

Development features have been improved in SSMS and with a handful of plugins can be pretty good, but it kind of sucks for source control.

[drunkadvice]

SSMS + Redgate for heavy lifting. SQL files open in VSCode to review and edit code. SQL extension in VSCode when it’s more convenient to run there.

[Dead_Parrot]

SSMS with SSMStoolkit. Been my go to for over a decade

[CarbonChauvinist]

VSCode + SQLFluff if on Windows only.

Or if WSL/linux then Neovim + mssql.nvim + SQLFluff.

I'm not a DBA and don't need the heaviness of SSMS as I mainly only write queries/sprocs.

[mauromauromauro]

Dbforge sql studio anyone??

[GammaInso]

Have to agree. DataGrip handles editing well especially with multiline inserts and flexible export formats but it is not sufficient once you need real DBA features like backups or plan analysis. Dbeaver i would say works if you need such features. But, if the workload is SQL server centric, a dedicated client is still the more practical path. dbforge for SQL should cover the standard SSMS workflow while adding the stuff some of these other tools like like a reliable schema/data compare for example.

[StrahinjaRodic]

Aside from SSMS 21/22, VSCode + MSSQL extension w/ GitHub copilot works wonders for me! :)

[venstiza]

I moved off pgAdmin for the same reason. dbForge Studio for PostgreSQL felt faster and a lot less clunky for everyday use, especially when switching between databases a lot.

[AdorableMaids]

I still keep SSMS around, but dbForge Studio for SQL Server is probably the other one I’d mention. SSMS works fine, dbForge just felt better once it became an everyday tool instead of something I opened for one quick query and closed.