Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials vs. SolarWinds Task Factory

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
Redgate's SQL Toolbelt Essentials includes industry-standard tools for SQL Server development & deployment, enabling users to include SQL Server databases in agile processes and enabilng developers to embed robust and scalable development practices.
$1,209
per year per user (1-4 users)
SolarWinds Task Factory
Score 8.3 out of 10
N/A
According to the vendor, SolarWinds Task Factory saves time managing tedious ELT/ETL tasks with high-performing SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) components that can be used within the Visual Studio environment to connect to nearly any data source. Task Factory’s components and tasks have been optimized to ensure fast performance of data-centric applications, and the user can run Task Factory…N/A
Pricing
Redgate SQL Toolbelt EssentialsSolarWinds Task Factory
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Task Factory
1,245 (annual subscription license)
per server
Task Factory Azure Data Factory
1,495 (annual subscription license)
per ADF node
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Redgate SQL Toolbelt EssentialsSolarWinds Task Factory
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Redgate SQL Toolbelt EssentialsSolarWinds Task Factory
Considered Both Products
Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials

No answer on this topic

SolarWinds Task Factory
Chose SolarWinds Task Factory
No other product was considered because we knew we were safe with this product even when it was still Pragmatic Works (now Sentry One). Before using this product, we downloaded additional third-party tasks, some freeware, but a complete package like the one offered by sentry …
Chose SolarWinds Task Factory
CData Software was evaluated initially, and while we chose to go with Task Factory initially due to cost and simplicity, in the end we had to purchase CData's product anyway when Task Factory was not updated to work with Microsoft Dynamics 365 v. 9 for months after it was …
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
Redgate SQL Toolbelt EssentialsSolarWinds Task Factory
Data Source Connection
Comparison of Data Source Connection features of Product A and Product B
Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials
-
Ratings
SolarWinds Task Factory
9.4
40 Ratings
13% above category average
Connect to traditional data sources00 Ratings9.440 Ratings
Data Transformations
Comparison of Data Transformations features of Product A and Product B
Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials
-
Ratings
SolarWinds Task Factory
9.1
39 Ratings
8% above category average
Simple transformations00 Ratings8.739 Ratings
Complex transformations00 Ratings9.635 Ratings
Data Governance
Comparison of Data Governance features of Product A and Product B
Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials
-
Ratings
SolarWinds Task Factory
9.4
3 Ratings
14% above category average
Integration with data quality tools00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
Integration with MDM tools00 Ratings9.63 Ratings
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User Ratings
Redgate SQL Toolbelt EssentialsSolarWinds Task Factory
Likelihood to Recommend
8.6
(13 ratings)
8.2
(40 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(3 ratings)
Usability
7.0
(1 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
8.6
(5 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Redgate SQL Toolbelt EssentialsSolarWinds Task Factory
Likelihood to Recommend
Redgate
We use SQL Compare to troubleshoot performance problems quite a bit since our data model is more like a template and not everything is 100% in sync and customization occurs between different client databases. We continually get pulled into performance issues and the developers will say Client A is performing different than Client B, why? Using SQL Compare, we usually find that one client was tuned and had indexes altered or added that weren't deployed to all clients or other objects weren't deployed correctly during the release. On the other hand, since our data model practices allow client databases to drift I tried to create a new golden image by trying to compare multiple databases based on the same data model and found it to be a very difficult process to complete using SQL Compare. SQL Compare gave me too much information and doesn't allow enough filtering to eliminate a lot of the noise.
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SolarWinds
Since I started working with this great tool all data analysis programs have been running effectively. Implementation of projects and tasks have been effective and reliable. Data collected from each department gives us working plan on better management of various programs. The Dimension Merge SCD Transform helps us to load large volumes of data within a short period of time.
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Pros
Redgate
  • Simple and easy comparison of database schemas and data. Differences can be copied or synced from one database to another with a click of a button.
  • You can save "projects" so that you can easily rerun a previous comparison whenever you need to.
  • It has a very simple, easy to learn interface. I've never needed to read any documentation or watch any tutorials in order to figure out how to do something.
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SolarWinds
  • The single most beneficial component to Task Factory is the Upsert component. If you're familiar with writing MERGE statements in T-SQL, you'll appreciate the Upsert component. Drag the component into your Data Flow and a few clicks later you have a MERGE without the code complexities.
  • Where some native SSIS components leave you wanting more, Task Factory extends on many of these components as well as support for data sources not native to SSIS components.
  • The number of extra components that come in the Task Factory tool kit will expand your tool belt to do just about anything you need or want to accomplish in SSIS.
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Cons
Redgate
  • Pricing.... I wish there was an inexpensive developer version I could buy for myself.
  • Portability.... I would like to use it from a flash drive so I can use it where ever I am asked to work.
  • Unbundled.... This may be available already but I dont' recall I can buy it cheaply as a stand-alone product. Its only part of the bundle - cost effectively.
Read full review
SolarWinds
  • It was built by Pragmatic Works who sold it to SentryOne and now Solar Winds, concerned about future support. SolarWinds is discontinuing support for related products such as BiXpress.
  • Had issues with connecting to certain versions of SQL Server - would fail when deploying one package - had to deploy the entire solutions.
  • Occasional random failures observed with the Filter tranform.
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Likelihood to Renew
Redgate
No answers on this topic
SolarWinds
Task Factory has become a key product for our use of doing ETL work in SSIS. Their custom SSIS components allow us to work simply on the data engineering side of things. We can ignore the lower level work needed to connect to disparate data sources. This allows us to work faster and provide more value to the business
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Usability
Redgate
It's a good tool to have, but becomes expensive to buy a user license for each developer.
Read full review
SolarWinds
Compared to some of the other transformations I have worked with, it really is pretty simple for the type of functionality you get
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Support Rating
Redgate
They have a great community website where you can search for answers but are also very responsive when it comes to direct support.
Read full review
SolarWinds
Overall, the best vendor we currently have on the data side of the house. No issues, issues are resolved very quickly and upgrades go without any issues.
Read full review
Implementation Rating
Redgate
No answers on this topic
SolarWinds
Overall it went smoothly. Had a couple of gotchas with licensing and upgrading but nothing that really stopped us.
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
Redgate
I've used Visual Studio Database Projects for this type of work in the past with some success, but Redgate SQL Compare is faster, more transparent, and simply easier to use. Faster is self explanatory. More transparent, means that it's much easier to set up your desired options for schema change deployment scripts. Easier to use, It's really dead simple. Start a project, connect your source, connect destination, click compare.
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SolarWinds
ZappySys is an alternative provider that we tested. However, we found the ease of use, set up and installation to be much simplier and quicker using Task Factory. ZappySys has a number of the same connectors but are more difficult to setup and the GUI is not as intuitive and simple to use.
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Return on Investment
Redgate
  • Makes deployment fairly simple. Cutting our deployment time down.
  • With the SDK, we can customize our deployment process very quickly and easily.
  • History is not great, it does create scripts you can go back and see but it would be nice to have a quicker version view by object to save time.
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SolarWinds
  • We were able to support our developers with Task Factory features and reduce the development time by 40%.
  • Recently Task Factory has changed their pricing module and it seems to be pretty costly for our process. Our business team has started to evaluate whether this is worth it going forward.
Read full review
ScreenShots

SolarWinds Task Factory Screenshots

Screenshot of Salesforce.com SourceScreenshot of Dimension Merge SCD TransformScreenshot of Upsert DestinationScreenshot of REST Source