Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

dbForge SQL Complete VS ApexSQL Refactor

Compare dbForge SQL Complete VS ApexSQL Refactor and see what are their differences

dbForge SQL Complete logo dbForge SQL Complete

Try Intellisense functionality and Improved SQL Formatter in SQL Server Management Studio and Visual Studio using SQL Complete!

ApexSQL Refactor logo ApexSQL Refactor

ApexSQL Refactor is a free SQL formatter and database refactoring tool for SQL Server.
  • dbForge SQL Complete Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-25

dbForge SQL Complete is an add-in for SQL Server Management Studio and Visual Studio that speeds up SQL code writing, offers context-based smart suggestions, performs automatic formatting, refactoring and a lot of other things that save your time and effort in the database development process.

  • ApexSQL Refactor Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-21

dbForge SQL Complete features and specs

  • IntelliSense
    Provides advanced code completion features that help increase productivity by suggesting keywords, table names, and other SQL elements as you type.
  • Code Formatting
    Allows for customizable SQL code formatting to maintain consistent code style and readability across teams.
  • Code Snippets
    Offers a library of snippets for commonly used SQL statements, enabling users to quickly insert complex statements without typing them out.
  • SQL Refactoring
    Facilitates easy refactoring of SQL code, which helps in maintaining and improving existing codebases without altering its functionality.
  • Execution Plan
    Visualizes the execution plan of a query, aiding in performance optimization by identifying bottlenecks and inefficient operations.
  • Data Generation
    Includes capabilities for generating realistic test data, which is useful for development and testing purposes.

ApexSQL Refactor features and specs

  • Improved Code Readability
    ApexSQL Refactor formats SQL code, helping to improve readability and maintainability by ensuring consistent styling.
  • Productivity Enhancements
    The tool automates repetitive refactoring tasks, allowing developers to focus on more complex issues and speeding up the development process.
  • Code Analysis
    It includes features for analyzing code to ensure it adheres to best practices, potentially reducing bugs and improving performance.
  • Integration
    Seamlessly integrates with SQL Server Management Studio, which is familiar to many developers, requiring less time to adapt.

Possible disadvantages of ApexSQL Refactor

  • Learning Curve
    Initial setup and learning to use all features can be time-consuming for new users unfamiliar with the tool.
  • Potential Overhead
    Some users might find the addition of another tool into their workflow adds complexity and overhead, depending on the current environment.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running the tool can be resource-intensive, possibly affecting performance, especially on systems with limited resources.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    While useful for basic refactoring, advanced users might find it lacks certain deep refactoring capabilities compared to other specialized tools.

Analysis of ApexSQL Refactor

Overall verdict

  • ApexSQL Refactor is a solid, free SQL code formatting and refactoring tool that integrates directly into SQL Server Management Studio and Visual Studio, making it a valuable productivity add-in for T-SQL developers and DBAs.

Why this product is good

  • It's completely free, offering excellent value for teams and individuals working with SQL Server
  • Integrates seamlessly with SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and Visual Studio
  • Provides extensive code formatting options with over 160 customizable formatting rules
  • Includes useful refactoring capabilities like safe object renaming, splitting tables, and encapsulating code as stored procedures
  • Helps enforce consistent coding standards across development teams
  • Offers features like adding surrogate keys, replacing one-to-many relationships, and object dependency tracking

Recommended for

  • SQL Server developers who want to standardize and clean up T-SQL code
  • Database administrators managing schema changes and refactoring tasks
  • Development teams needing consistent SQL formatting and coding conventions
  • Users of SSMS or Visual Studio looking for a free formatting add-in
  • Organizations wanting to improve code readability and maintainability without extra cost

dbForge SQL Complete videos

SQL Debugger in the new version of dbForge SQL Complete

ApexSQL Refactor videos

An introduction to ApexSQL Refactor

More videos:

  • Review - ApexSQL Refactor - Using the "Convert to code" feature

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to dbForge SQL Complete and ApexSQL Refactor)
Databases
82 82%
18% 18
Database Management
82 82%
18% 18
SQL
77 77%
23% 23
SQL Tools
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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What are some alternatives?

When comparing dbForge SQL Complete and ApexSQL Refactor, you can also consider the following products

DBeaver - DBeaver - Universal Database Manager and SQL Client.

SQL Prompt - SQL Prompt Pro strips away the repetition of coding by making writing, formatting, and refactoring...

ApexSQL Diff - SQL compare - Compare SQL schemas from databases, backups, scripts and source control

DataGrip - Tool for SQL and databases

dbForge Studio for MySQL - dbForge Studio for MySQL is the universal MySQL and MariaDB client for database management, administration and development. With the help of this intelligent MySQL client the work with data and code has become easier and more convenient.

Sql Assist - Write faster and better SQL for your application.