SSMS Tools Pack vs dbForge SQL Complete: A Clash of SSMS Add-ins

Undoubtedly, SSMS is a proven database management and administration tool that does its job well. Yet we all tend to expand our capabilities as much as we can, tailoring this tool to our specific needs. That's why we offer a wide range of SSMS plugins and extensions designed to enhance particular aspects of development and administration.

In this article, we will discuss two productivity-focused add-ins that help us deliver results more efficiently. They fill the gaps in SSMS functionality, making it more flexible and enhancing our SQL coding with numerous useful tricks, such as autocompletion, snippets, and refactoring. These are dbForge SQL Complete and SSMS Tools Pack. First, we will provide a brief overview of both, and then we will scrutinize and compare them feature by feature to help you determine whether SQL Complete is a superior alternative to SSMS Tools Pack or vice versa.

dbForge SQL Complete: A brief overview

Let's start with dbForge SQL Complete that is available as an add-in for both SSMS and Microsoft Visual Studio. Its IntelliSense-like context-based code completion capabilities, SQL formatting, and intelligent refactoring with auto-correction of references can make daily coding up to 4 times faster. It is perfectly suitable for individual use, yet it also helps form and unify SQL standards for corporate teamwork. It offers a powerful T-SQL debugger and has all those little touches (such as tab coloring and document outline) that make your work more convenient. With all its features, SQL Complete has a clean interface that never feels cluttered or overloaded.

Pricing: dbForge SQL Complete is a commercial solution available as a separate SSMS and VS add-in that comes in 4 editions: basic (Express) and advanced (Standard, Professional, and Enterprise). The Express edition is available free of charge, making it an ideal free SQL tool for developers who want enhanced code completion in SSMS without incurring additional costs. It's a rare offering in the commercial-grade SQL add-in ecosystem.

SQL Complete can also be purchased as part of dbForge SQL Tools, a comprehensive suite of SQL tools that cover nearly every aspect of SQL Server development, management, and administration.

For a broader look at other helpful SSMS tools and add-ins offered by Devart, please explore our complete toolkit.

SSMS Tools Pack: A brief overview

The second contender, SSMS Tools Pack, is no slouch either. It is an SSMS plugin designed to increase user productivity with easy-to-use features that dramatically enhance usability. It delivers a handy SQL editor, CRUD procedure generation, snippets, formatting, convenient search with filtering, and SQL execution history. Like SQL Complete, it offers features that are not essential yet still pleasant to have, such as tab coloring and the ability to export to Excel spreadsheets.

Pricing: SSMS Tools Pack is also a commercial product, offering various license packages for Small, Large, and Enterprise teams. A free demo license is available for one computer for 60 days.

SSMS Tools Pack vs dbForge SQL Complete: Feature comparison

Now let's proceed to the comparison. Check the features carefully, as some may prove far more crucial for your specific goals than others. For this comparison, we used SQL Complete v2025.2 and SSMS Tools Pack v6.8.0.0, which are (at the time of writing) the latest and most advanced versions, presenting both SSMS plugins at their peak.

Compatibility

Feature dbForge SQL Complete SSMS Tools Pack
SSMS integration Yes Yes
Visual Studio integration Yes No

Code quality improvement

Feature dbForge SQL Complete SSMS Tools Pack
CRUD generation Yes Yes
Support for multiple CRUD generation templates No Yes
Generation of CREATE/ALTER scripts for server objects Yes No
Option to hide cache loading UI No Yes
Renaming of objects, variables, and aliases Yes No
T-SQL Debugger Yes No
Copying of all custom folders to another server No Yes

Work with document environments and databases

Feature dbForge SQL Complete SSMS Tools Pack
Various options for executing statements Yes Yes
Execution warnings Yes Yes
Execution notifications Yes No
Transaction reminders Yes Yes
Run at status bar element No Yes
Tab coloring Yes Yes
Custom SSMS main window title Yes Yes
Query history Yes Yes
Tab management Yes Yes
Quick connection to the active SQL Editor window No Yes
Document sessions Yes Yes
Recently closed documents Yes No

Operations with the SSMS data grid

Feature dbForge SQL Complete SSMS Tools Pack
Results grid data visualizers Yes No
Copying of data from the SSMS grid to CSV, HTML, and JSON Yes Yes
Copying of headers from the grid (column names + types) Yes No
Export to Excel from the grid No Yes
Grid aggregates Yes Yes
Search for data in the grid Yes Yes
Script generation from the grid Yes Yes

Support for custom folders in Object Explorer

Feature dbForge SQL Complete SSMS Tools Pack
Evaluation order to prioritize folder population No Yes
Option to include the object's schema name when evaluating No Yes

Completion-aided SQL development and code navigation

Feature dbForge SQL Complete SSMS Tools Pack
Context-sensitive suggestions of object names and keywords Yes No
Expansion of SELECT statements Yes Yes
Object information Yes No
Parameter information Yes No
SQL snippets Yes Yes
New query template No Yes
'Go to definition' for database objects Yes Yes
Highlighting of identifier occurrences Yes No
Named regions Yes Yes
Document Outline window Yes No
Selection of the current statement Yes No

Unification of SQL standards

Feature dbForge SQL Complete SSMS Tools Pack
SQL formatting Yes Yes
Multiple predefined formatting profiles Yes No
Disabled formatting for a specific block of code Yes No
SQL formatting from the command line Yes No

Settings

Feature dbForge SQL Complete SSMS Tools Pack
Import and Export Settings Wizard Yes Yes
Quick search for options Yes No

Productivity

Feature dbForge SQL Complete SSMS Tools Pack
Query execution against multiple targets Yes Yes
Loading of metadata from a disk No Yes
Custom folders in Object Explorer No Yes
Execution plan analyzer No Yes
Search for tabs No Yes
Copying of the execution plan to the clipboard or a file No Yes
Execution of custom scripts from Object Explorer No Yes
Search for invalid objects Yes No
T-SQL Analyzer Yes No
Option for prepending T-SQL to any SQL statements No Yes

dbForge SQL Complete vs SSMS Tools Pack: The verdict

As you can see above, dbForge SQL Complete gains the upper hand here, being more feature-rich than SSMS Tools Pack. It offers more ways to increase your productivity, enables a much broader range of operations with data, has notably more advanced formatting, and supports CLI. It is also worth noting that SQL Complete is updated more frequently.

Finally, if you are looking for an SSMS Tools Pack alternative that is also seamlessly compatible with Microsoft Visual Studio, SQL Complete is your best option. And it doesn't take much effort to see all of its capabilities in action. Download a free 14-day trial of its most advanced Enterprise edition and give it a go.

FAQ

Is SSMS Tools Pack free?

No, SSMS Tools Pack is a paid extension for SQL Server Management Studio. However, it offers a 60-day trial license that grants access to all features on a single machine. After the trial, users must purchase a license, available in Small, Large, or Enterprise packages, based on their team size and usage needs.

What is the use of SSMS tools?

SSMS tools, such as SSMS Tools Pack, are designed to extend the core capabilities of SQL Server Management Studio. They simplify routine tasks such as code formatting, execution history tracking, CRUD generation, and snippet management, helping developers write, organize, and manage SQL scripts more efficiently within the SSMS environment.

How does SSMS Tools Pack generate INSERT statements?

SSMS Tools Pack includes a feature that allows you to script selected rows from the Results Grid into INSERT statements. After executing a query, you can right-click on the result set, choose "Generate INSERTs for selected rows," and the tool will create syntactically correct SQL INSERT statements using the underlying data.

What is the alternative to SSMS Tools Pack?

A powerful alternative to SSMS Tools Pack is dbForge SQL Complete by Devart. It offers deep integration with both SSMS and Visual Studio, advanced IntelliSense, real-time code analysis, T-SQL refactoring, and built-in formatting profiles. It’s available in free and commercial editions, making it accessible for individuals and teams alike.