Download SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS): Your Comprehensive Guide

SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) stands as the bedrock for managing any SQL infrastructure, ranging from on-premises SQL Servers to cloud-based Azure SQL Databases, Azure SQL Managed Instances, Azure Synapse Analytics, SQL analytics endpoint in Microsoft Fabric, and Warehouse in Microsoft Fabric. This powerful integrated environment provides a suite of tools to effortlessly configure, monitor, and administer your SQL Server instances and databases. Whether you need to deploy, monitor, or upgrade data-tier components powering your applications, or construct intricate queries and scripts, SSMS is your go-to solution.

SSMS empowers you to query, design, and manage databases and data warehouses irrespective of their location – be it your local machine or the cloud. It’s the essential tool for database administrators and developers working within the Microsoft SQL ecosystem.

For those seeking a cross-platform alternative to SSMS, especially for managing SQL and other Azure databases across different operating systems, Azure Data Studio offers a robust solution.

To discover the latest enhancements and detailed information about this release, refer to the Release notes for SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 20.2.

For specifics and download details regarding SQL Server Management Studio 21 Preview 1, consult Install SQL Server Management Studio 21 Preview.

Get Started: Download SQL Server Management Studio

Download SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 20.2

SSMS 20.2 represents the most recent Generally Available (GA) version. If you are running a preview version of SSMS 20, it is crucial to uninstall it before proceeding with the installation of SSMS 20.2. Importantly, installing SSMS 20.2 will not upgrade or replace any existing SSMS 19.x or earlier versions you may have installed.

Key details of the latest release:

Release Number: 20.2
Build Number: 20.2.30.0
Release Date: July 9, 2024

By proceeding with the download and use of SQL Server Management Studio, you are agreeing to the associated license terms and privacy statement. Your feedback is valuable! To share comments, suggestions, or report any issues, the SSMS team encourages you to utilize the SSMS Developer Community site.

It’s worth reiterating that SSMS 20.x installations are designed to coexist with, rather than replace, SSMS 19.x and earlier versions. This means you can have multiple versions of SSMS installed side-by-side. However, if you have a preview version of SSMS 20 already installed, it must be uninstalled prior to installing the GA release of SSMS 20. You can easily check for a preview version by navigating to Help > About within SSMS.

In environments with side-by-side SSMS installations, always ensure you are launching the correct version for your intended tasks. The latest version is clearly identified as Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio v20.2.

Important Note:

For users of SQL Server Management Studio versions 18.7 through 19.3, Azure Data Studio is automatically installed alongside SSMS. This integration allows SSMS users to leverage the innovative features and capabilities of Azure Data Studio, a cross-platform and open-source tool suitable for cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments.

To delve deeper into Azure Data Studio, explore What is Azure Data Studio or consult the FAQ.

Language Options Available

SSMS 20.2 offers broad language support, catering to a global user base.

SQL Server Management Studio 20.2 Languages:

If you are accessing this page from a localized version and wish to view the most current content, simply select Read in English at the top of the page. To download SSMS in different languages, refer to the available languages section.

Note:

The SQL Server PowerShell module is distributed separately through the PowerShell Gallery. For installation instructions, see Install the SQL Server PowerShell module.

What’s New in SSMS 20.2?

Stay up-to-date with the latest features and improvements by consulting the Release notes for SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). This section provides a comprehensive overview of what’s new in the current release.

Accessing Previous SSMS Versions

This article focuses on the latest SSMS version. If you require older versions of SSMS, please visit Previous SSMS releases.

Important Security Update:

As of December 2021, SSMS versions prior to 18.6 no longer support authentication to Database Engines via Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication (MFA). To maintain MFA compatibility, it is essential to use SSMS 18.6 or later.

Similarly, connectivity to Azure Analysis Services using Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication mandates SSMS 18.5.1 or later.

Unattended Installation of SSMS

For automated deployments, SSMS supports unattended installation via PowerShell.

Follow these steps for a silent, background installation of SSMS without GUI prompts:

Launch PowerShell as an administrator.
Execute the following command, adjusting the $media_path and $install_path variables as needed:

$media_path = "<path to SSMS-Setup-ENU.exe>"
$install_path = "<root installation path for SSMS>"
$params = " /Install /Quiet SSMSInstallRoot=$install_path"
Start-Process -FilePath $media_path -ArgumentList $params -Wait

Example:

$media_path = "C:InstallersSSMS-Setup-ENU.exe"
$install_path = "$env:SystemDriveSSMSto"
$params = "/Install /Quiet SSMSInstallRoot=`"$install_path`""
Start-Process -FilePath $media_path -ArgumentList $params -Wait

Alternatively, replace /Quiet with /Passive to display the setup UI during installation.

Upon successful installation, SSMS will be located at %systemdrive%SSMStoCommon7IDESsms.exe (based on the example paths). For troubleshooting, examine the error code and the installation log file in %TEMP%SSMSSetup.

Uninstalling SSMS

SSMS may install shared components if they are not already present on the system. However, these shared components are not automatically removed when you uninstall SSMS.

These shared components include:

Microsoft OLE DB Driver 18 for SQL Server
Microsoft ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server
Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 Redistributable (x86)
Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 Redistributable (x64)
Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2019

These components are intentionally not uninstalled automatically as they may be shared with other applications. Removing them could potentially cause instability in other software.

Azure Data Studio Integration Details

SSMS versions 18.7 through 19.3 include Azure Data Studio in their installation package by default. Note that SSMS 20.0 and later versions do not include Azure Data Studio.
If a compatible or newer version of Azure Data Studio is already installed, the SSMS installer will skip the Azure Data Studio installation.
The Azure Data Studio version bundled with SSMS is detailed in the release notes.
The Azure Data Studio installer operates with the same security privileges as the SSMS installer.
Azure Data Studio is installed with its default settings: a Start Menu folder and addition to the system PATH. It does not create a desktop shortcut or register as the default editor for any file types.
Azure Data Studio localization is managed through Language Pack extensions, available in the extension marketplace.
For SSMS versions 18.7-19.3, you can skip Azure Data Studio installation by launching the SSMS installer with the command-line flag DoNotInstallAzureDataStudio=1.

Compatibility with SQL Server Offerings

This SSMS version is compatible with SQL Server 2014 (12.x) and later, providing optimal support for the latest cloud features in Azure SQL Database, Azure Synapse Analytics, and Microsoft Fabric.
SSMS 20.x can be installed alongside SSMS 19.x, SSMS 18.x, SSMS 17.x, and SSMS 16.x, allowing for flexible toolchain management.
For SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), SSMS 17.x and later do not support connections to the legacy SQL Server Integration Services service. To manage older Integration Services versions, use the SSMS version aligned with your SQL Server version (e.g., SSMS 16.x for SQL Server 2016 (13.x) Integration Services). Remember that SSISDB is the recommended approach for managing SSIS packages since SQL Server 2012 (11.x). See SSIS Catalog for more information.

SSMS System Requirements

The current SSMS release supports the following 64-bit Windows platforms with the latest service packs installed:

Supported Operating Systems:

Windows 11 (x64)
Windows 10 (x64) version 1607 (10.0.14393) and later
Windows Server 2022 (x64)
Windows Server Core 2022 (x64)
Windows Server 2019 (x64)
Windows Server Core 2019 (x64)
Windows Server 2016 (x64) ¹

¹ SSMS requires .NET Framework 4.7.2.

Additional Requirements:

Administrator privileges are necessary for SSMS installation and updates.
Virtual machine environments require a full Windows operating system.
Windows containers are not supported.
SSMS is not supported in application virtualization solutions like Microsoft App-V, MSIX for Windows, or third-party virtualization technologies.

Note:

For Windows Server Core installations, the Server Core App Compatibility Feature on Demand must be installed.

Supported Hardware:

Processor: 1.8 GHz or faster x86 (Intel, AMD) processor (Dual-core or better recommended)
RAM: 2 GB (4 GB recommended, 2.5 GB minimum in a virtual machine)
Hard Disk Space: 3 GB to 10 GB of available space

Note:

SSMS is a 32-bit application for Windows only. For cross-platform database management, consider Azure Data Studio.

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