Item: Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials
Rating: 10
Author: Richard Davies

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

My small web development team uses Redgate SQL Compare to help us manage our SQL databases across different environments (development, QA, and production, etc.). It eliminates the tedious and manual task of comparing database schemas and synchronizing them and their data across these different environments.

Pros and Cons

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.

I honestly can't think of anything I don't like or anything I would change.

Return on Investment

It's reduced errors and bugs associated with deploying new application features and forgetting to apply required database changes (or incorrectly applying them).
It's made deploying new features a quicker task, eliminating the often laborious task of synchronizing schemas and data across databases.
These sometimes complex queries and operations can easily be performed by any developer and don't require the involvement of a database administrator to perform.

Alternatives Considered

I haven't felt the need to try many different products like Redgate.

Support Rating

I don't remember if I've ever needed to use their support.

Key Insights

Do you think Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials's feature set?

Yes

Did Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Redgate SQL Toolbelt Essentials again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote

Likelihood to Recommend

If you maintain different copies of the same database (whether on the same server or on different servers) this is a must have tool. For example, in web development, it's common to have a development database, a testing/QA database, and a production database. This tool makes it easy to compare those different databases for any differences and synchronize changes and data between them. Now, when you deploy a new set of features to production, you can use this to deploy any accompanying database changes. However, if your application includes code that manages the database (for example, a new module or feature might include code to apply related database schema changes when it's installed), then this tool might not be necessary.

Redgate SQL Compare: the only SQL comparison tool you'll ever need!

Overall Satisfaction with Redgate SQL Compare