SQL Server Management Studio Update Will Integrate GitHub Copilot

• A new version of SQL Server Management Studio brings the most significant updates to the tool in a decade.
• The new release demonstrates Microsoft’s renewed commitment to the tool, but it is the first time the tool could incur costs.
• The Copilot plan for SSMS has changed from offering its own Copilot to integrating GitHub Copilot.

Update: The plans for SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) have changed as of Sept. 2025. SSMS version 21 became generally available in May 2025, and it includes a preview of the Copilot functionality described in this report. However, SSMS 22 will jettison the custom Copilot experience of SSMS 21 and instead integrate GitHub Copilot due to customer feedback. SSMS 21 customers can continue using the old Copilot design, and the new GitHub Copilot integration will arrive in an SSMS 22 preview after preview 1. (SSMS preview 1, which is expected in Sept. or Oct. 2025, will not include any Copilot functionality.) The remainder of this report has not been updated and discusses the SSMS 21 design.