dbForge Schema Compare for SQL Server
Features Overview

dbForge Schema Compare for SQL Server is a reliable tool that saves your time and effort when it comes to comparison and synchronization of SQL Server database schemas. Available both as an SSMS add-in and standalone application, Schema Compare helps you compare your production database with another SQL Server database, a snapshot, a scripts folder, or a native backup.

You can compare database objects, analyze differences, and perform schema synchronization via SQL scripts. Apart from that, you can automate routine schema synchronization and integrate Schema Compare with your DevOps.

For a detailed guide on how to work with Schema Compare, refer to our tutorial.

Supported Data Sources

You can set the following database objects as Source and Target for schema comparison and synchronization:

  • SQL Server databases
  • Native SQL Server backups
  • Database snapshots
  • Custom mapped tables
  • Scripts folders
  • Azure SQL Cloud objects
  • SQL Server installed on Linux
Supported data sources

Supported Schema Objects

You can apply object filters and compare the following objects:

  • Application Role
  • Assembly
  • Asymmetric Key
  • Broker Priority
  • Certificate
  • Contract
  • DDL Trigger
  • Default
  • Event Notification
  • Symmetric Key
  • Full Text Catalog
  • Full Text Stoplist
  • Function
  • Message Type
  • Partition Function
  • Partition Scheme
  • Procedure
  • Queue
  • Sequence
  • Role
  • Route
  • Rule
  • Schema
  • ...and more!
Supported schema objects

Non-Schema Object Comparison

Besides a multitude of database schema objects, dbForge Schema Compare helps you synchronize the following object types:

  • Database properties
  • Extended object properties
  • Per-object security permissions
Non-schema object comparison

T-SQL Code Comparison

You can easily compare T-SQL code using a number of options:

  • Ignore case
  • Ignore white spaces
  • Ignore comments
  • Ignore object names in definitions
  • Ignore keyword reduction
  • Ignore signatures
  • Decrypt and compare encrypted objects
  • ...and more!
T-SQL code comparison

Version Control Integration

You can link a version control system to Schema Compare. The supported systems include Git, Azure DevOps, Team Foundation Server (TFVS), and Subversion (SVN).

  • Compare database objects in scripts folders committed to a version control system
  • Compare database objects in different revisions (including HEAD revisions)
  • Create schema snapshots for audit and rollback
Scripts folder and version control integration

Synchronization

The sync functionality helps you do the following:

  • Generate and review deployment scripts
  • Migrate schema differences (individual, selected, or all)
  • 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
Synchronization

Analysis of Comparison Results

Schema Compare allows you to manage and analyze the comparison results in the following ways:

  • Filter, group, and sort objects in the results grid
  • View the DDL differences for each object pair with word wrap
  • View columns and constraints in alphabetical order
  • View the compared text in a separate window
  • View white spaces, line numbers, and hex
  • Configure script options
  • Deploy individual objects, a selection of objects, or all of them
  • Preview the schema update deployment script for each object
Analysis of comparison results

Export of Comparison Reports

You can generate and export detailed comparison reports to three file formats:

  • HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) - a perfect format for publishing reports on the web; HTML reports conveniently allow presenting script differences as removed-added lines or crossed-out words
  • XLS (Microsoft Excel format) - one of the most popular spreadsheet file formats
  • XML (Extensible Markup Language) - the universal human- and machine-readable file format
Export of comparison reports

Routine Tasks Automation

Completing routine tasks becomes easier with the following automation capabilities of Schema Compare:

  • Save comparison project settings for recurring use
  • Generate PowerShell scripts for task automation
  • Schedule the execution of your scripts using the .bat files and Windows Scheduler
Routine task automation

Integration with SSMS

dbForge Schema Compare can be seamlessly integrated with SQL Server Management Studio, allowing you to set up and run comparison and synchronization directly from the IDE.

SSMS integration

Schema Compare in DevOps

Your CI/CD cycle can be augmented with the dbForge product line for SQL Server, which includes Schema Compare.

Schema Compare in DevOps