dbForge Schema Compare vs Redgate SQL Compare vs ApexSQL Diff

dbForge Schema Compare for SQL Server is a tool that helps you compare databases, analyze differences, and synchronize schemas using scripts. Let's see how it fares in comparison with two of its closest rivals – Redgate SQL Compare and ApexSQL Diff.

dbForge Schema Compare for SQL Server is invaluable when it comes to the following tasks:

Find differences in live databases, native SQL Server backups, snapshots, or script folders
Restore functions and procedures from native SQL Server backups
Export schema comparison results to HTML, XLS, and XML
Generate concise and accurate T-SQL scripts for synchronization
Synchronize staging or production databases with development databases
Automate routine synchronization tasks from the command line
Set up database development with Continuous Integration

dbForge Schema Compare vs Redgate SQL Compare
vs ApexSQL Diff: a feature-by-feature comparison

The following table provides a detailed comparison of dbForge Schema Compare for SQL Server v5.3.29, Redgate SQL Compare v15.0.2.22953, and ApexSQL Diff v2022.02.1171. For quick navigation, use the side menu.

Data sources

dbForge Schema Compare

Redgate SQL Compare

ApexSQL Diff

SQL Server databases

Native SQL Server backups

Database snapshots

Custom mapped tables

Script folders

Non-schema object comparison

dbForge Schema Compare

Redgate SQL Compare

ApexSQL Diff

Database properties

Extended object properties

Per-object security permissions

T-SQL code comparison

dbForge Schema Compare

Redgate SQL Compare

ApexSQL Diff

Ignore case

Ignore white spaces

Ignore comments

Ignore keyword reduction

Ignore signatures

Decrypt and compare encrypted objects

Object filter

Support for system-versioned tables

Support for graph tables

Version control integration

dbForge Schema Compare

Redgate SQL Compare

ApexSQL Diff

Git

Mercurial

Team Foundation Version Control (TFVC)

Subversion (SVN)

SourceGear Vault

Perforce (P4)

Working folders

Support for the command line

Synchronization

dbForge Schema Compare

Redgate SQL Compare

ApexSQL Diff

Generate and review deployment scripts

Perform dependency checks to script database objects in the correct order

Resolve synchronization issues automatically, ensuring error-free script deployment

Get warnings on potential issues prior to deployment

Additional scripts

Comparison reports

dbForge Schema Compare

Redgate SQL Compare

ApexSQL Diff

Export to interactive HTML

Export to XLS

Export to XML

Add a timestamp to the report file name

Other features

dbForge Schema Compare

Redgate SQL Compare

ApexSQL Diff

Save comparison project settings for recurring use

Integration with DevOps

Integration with SSMS

Support for the command line

Command-line wizard

Pricing

Conclusion

As you can see, all three solutions offer a roughly similar set of features, but the pricing policy differs a lot. Each product can be purchased as part of a bigger bundle, but only two of them are available separately, which shows a more flexible approach. When it comes to the actual price, you can purchase Redgate SQL Compare for about the same price as you would purchase dbForge Schema Compare and Data Compare offered together in a single dbForge Compare Bundle for SQL Server. Finally, your eventual choice might as well depend on all those little functional differences highlighted in our comparison.

Your ultimate schema comparison tool

dbForge Schema Compare for SQL Server is available as a standalone application and as an add-in for SSMS. What's more, it is offered as part of dbForge Compare Bundle, which also includes dbForge Data Compare for SQL Server and comes at a reduced price if compared with two tools purchased separately.

Get a free trial of dbForge Schema Compare today!

Download dbForge Schema Compare for a free 30-day trial to evaluate all of its powerful capabilities
hidden under a sleek user interface.

Download

dbForge Schema Compare vs Redgate SQL Compare vs ApexSQL Diff