Jam SQL Studio Azure Data Studio SQL Database Projects vs
Jam SQL Studio Database Blueprint
SQL Database Projects are Microsoft's source-control-friendly, SDK-style (Microsoft.Build.Sql) project format that builds to a .dacpac. Jam SQL Studio's Database Blueprint is a Git-tracked folder of .sql files kept in two-way sync with your databases — schema and table data alike. Here's an honest comparison.
Database Blueprint is in beta • Free for personal use • Mac, Windows, Linux
How SQL Database Projects Work
SQL Database Projects are a declarative, build-and-publish project format for SQL Server and Azure SQL. (Microsoft Learn)
SDK-Style, Microsoft.Build.Sql
The modern format is SDK-style, based on Microsoft.Build.Sql. Microsoft advises it for new work: it is generally available in the VS Code SQL Database Projects extension and, since 22.10.2, in the SSMS 22 "Database DevOps" workload, and in preview in Visual Studio 2022; Visual Studio 2026 supports only the original project format (per Microsoft Learn, September 2026). Default globbing includes every .sql file in the project folder.
Schema in Source Control + CI/CD
Your database definition lives in the project as SQL files, so you keep it in source control and automate deployments through CI/CD environments like GitHub Actions and Azure DevOps pipelines.
Builds to a .dacpac
Building a SQL project produces a .dacpac artifact, which is then published to a target. You can build from the command line with dotnet build (.NET 8 or later) on Windows, macOS, or Linux, and publish with SqlPackage — deployment is declarative and state-based, not hand-written migrations.
Microsoft.Build.Sql format. Microsoft's replacement table points them to the SQL Database Projects extension for VS Code and to Visual Studio; SSMS 22 adds a Database DevOps workload and Schema Compare for SQL projects, both in preview — so if you ran them inside Azure Data Studio, you'll need a new host. Bringing your saved connections over? Jam SQL Studio imports them from ADS's settings.json in one click. See how import works →SQL Database Projects vs Database Blueprint
Two different philosophies: a build-and-publish dacpac project vs a Git-tracked, two-way-synced folder of .sql files.
| Capability | Jam SQL Studio — Database Blueprint | SQL Database Projects |
|---|---|---|
| Schema as .sql files in source control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Engines | SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL/MariaDB, Oracle, SQLite | SQL Server and the Azure SQL family (incl. Synapse, SQL database in Fabric) |
| Builds to a deployable artifact (.dacpac) | ✗ | ✓ dacpac |
| CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions / Azure DevOps) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Built-in Git panel (commit / push / pull) | ✓ In the tab | Via the host (VS Code, Visual Studio, SSMS) |
| One-click materialize live DB to files | ✓ Refresh from DB | Import / schema compare into project |
| Drift preview against live DB | ✓ Preview changes | Schema Compare |
| Three-way merge (local / baseline / live) | ✓ | ✗ Git diff only |
| Apply changes back with review | ✓ Reuses Schema Compare | ✓ Publish from dacpac |
| Version & sync table row data, not just schema | ✓ Captured row sidecars + row-level sync | Post-deployment scripts (hand-written) |
| Price | Free up to 200 source-database objects on the Personal tier (non-commercial use); unlimited on Pro | ✓ Free tooling |
| Runs on Mac / Windows / Linux | ✓ | ✓ dotnet build |
Which Should You Use?
They overlap on "schema in source control," but solve different problems.
Pick SQL Database Projects when…
You're SQL Server / Azure SQL only, want a declarative .dacpac build artifact, and need state-based deployments wired into GitHub Actions or Azure DevOps pipelines.
Pick Database Blueprint when…
You want one tool to version schema and table data across SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, and SQLite, with a built-in Git panel, drift preview, three-way merge, and review-before-apply — without leaving your SQL client. Database Blueprint is in beta.
Full reference: Database Blueprint documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
SQL Database Projects vs Jam SQL Studio Database Blueprint.
What are Azure Data Studio SQL Database Projects?
A source-control-friendly project format for SQL Server and the Azure SQL family. The modern SDK-style format is based on Microsoft.Build.Sql, stores your database definition as SQL files, builds to a .dacpac, and supports CI/CD via GitHub Actions and Azure DevOps. You can build from the command line with dotnet build on Windows, macOS or Linux. As of October 2026, SDK-style projects are generally available in the SQL Database Projects extension for VS Code and, since 22.10.2, in the SSMS 22 Database DevOps workload, and in preview in Visual Studio 2022.
Azure Data Studio is retired — does that kill SQL Database Projects?
No. Azure Data Studio was retired on February 28, 2026, but SQL Database Projects live on as the SDK-style Microsoft.Build.Sql format. Microsoft's retirement guidance says they are fully supported in the SQL Database Projects extension for VS Code (version 1.7.0 shipped on August 19, 2026) and in Visual Studio, and SSMS 22 opens them in its Database DevOps workload, generally available since 22.10.2 (September 2026). You just need a different host than Azure Data Studio.
How does Database Blueprint compare?
SQL Database Projects are an MSBuild/dacpac project with declarative build-and-publish deployment for SQL Server and Azure SQL. Database Blueprint is a folder of .sql files kept in two-way sync with one or more linked databases across five engines, with a built-in Git panel, drift preview, three-way merge, and an Apply folder to DB hand-off via Schema Compare. It does not produce a dacpac or run CI/CD, and it is in beta. On Jam SQL Studio's free Personal tier it covers source databases up to 200 objects; Pro removes the cap.
Does Database Blueprint version table data too?
Yes — not just schema. SQL Database Projects seed reference data via hand-written post-deployment scripts; Database Blueprint captures a table's rows into a tracked Data/ folder during Refresh from DB (a .data.sql upsert script plus a .data.json sidecar with the primary key and column types) that commits to Git alongside the schema. Sync data folder → DB then diffs those rows against the live table and pushes row-level inserts, updates, and deletes, with an Open in Data Compare hand-off. Schema and data are synced by separate actions so neither overwrites the other.
Does Database Blueprint support engines beyond SQL Server?
Yes. Where SQL Database Projects target SQL Server and Azure SQL, Database Blueprint supports SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL/MariaDB, Oracle, and SQLite. Local edits to Tables/*.sql round-trip back across SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and Oracle; SQLite supports add / drop column only. See the Azure Data Studio alternative guide for the broader migration.
A Cross-Engine Schema-in-Git Workflow
Download Jam SQL Studio free and version-control schema across SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, and SQLite.
Comparing Database Source Control?
See how schema version control works in other SQL tools.
Learn more: Database Blueprint docs · Schema Compare · ADS retirement status