Azure Data Studio: When Will It Replace SSMS?

• Administrators may need to use both Azure Data Studio and SQL Server Management Studio to manage SQL Server for the next few years.
• Microsoft states Data Studio is not replacing Management Studio, but its investment clearly favors Data Studio.

Azure Data Studio is a cross-platform tool designed for data specialists and administrators working with SQL Server and PostgreSQL databases. It has better query and collaboration tools than SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), the older alternative, and is available on more platforms. Microsoft states Data Studio is not replacing SSMS, and administrators still need SSMS for some low-level activities and security controls. However, with the amount of Microsoft investment in Data Studio and the lack of investment in SSMS, Microsoft’s strategy is clear: Data Studio will likely replace SSMS in a few years.

Overview

Despite the name, Azure Data Studio is not an Azure service, but a cross-platform, stand-alone client application, designed for data specialists who need a combination of query, collaboration, and management capabilities. It is primarily for querying and managing SQL databases hosted in Azure or on-premises. It offers many of the same database query and management features that are found in SSMS, SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT), and Visual Studio (VS) Code extensions, which are tools used by database engineers, database administrators, and developers. Data Studio uses the same connection methods and authentication process and presents the user with the familiar database object structure used by SSMS and SSDT. (See the illustration “Azure Data Studio’s UI.”)