Likelihood to Recommend 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.
Read full review Appropriate for general querying and some DBA work. It's the universal least-offensive solution for most environments - not best of breed, but not subject to unusual/extensive requirements. It just works. On the other hand, some functionality (e.g. data import/export, snippets) are perfunctory and minimal and seem to be either difficult or impossible to automate. If you need to streamline those operations, you'll be forced to rely on third-party solutions that mostly work on top of (instead of with) TOAD.
Read full review Pros 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. Read full review Export data into excel. Export data into excel using a pivot table functionality. Navigation between windows is intuitive and easy to understand. Good for SQL novices and experts alike. Read full review Cons 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 The workflow is a relatively new feature. Quest is adding additional functionality and the workflows are useful now. Would be nice if the 'Automate' feature was a bit easier to use. Would be nice if some of the SQL Editor features in the traditional interface worked better in the new workflow interface (although, these are being fixed with each release). Would be nice if there were fewer releases. Read full review Usability It's a good tool to have, but becomes expensive to buy a user license for each developer.
Read full review I find Toad Data Point easy to use for both the novice and the experienced business analyst. If all you desire is to access data and create spreadsheets...this is a snap. Toad Data Point actually has cool data analysis features built into it. The newer workflow interface makes automating steps a snap
Read full review Support Rating 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 Alternatives Considered 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.
Read full review Although Toad and
UltraEdit are both great products, from an SQL standpoint Toad is a much better editor and troubleshooter.
Read full review Return on Investment 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. Read full review It is the least common denominator - not particularly optimized for our environment or workflows. Hangs or slowdowns add anywhere from 5% - 7% for projects utilizing large/complicated data setts. (This could be due to other IT-imposed constraints and not entirely due to TOAD.) Trying to perform some operations requires reading documentation and experimenting in order to figure out the TOAD-specific approaches and commands. It just works (when we understand it). Updates don't break things and things don't suddenly start behaving differently. Best of all, we don't mysteriously lose functionality. Read full review ScreenShots