Published: 2026-02-12

Azure Data Studio Is Being Retired — What Are Your Options?

Microsoft announced on February 6, 2025 that Azure Data Studio will be retired on February 28, 2026. If you're one of the many developers and DBAs who relied on ADS for cross-platform SQL development, here's everything you need to know about what's happening and where to go next.

What's Happening?

Azure Data Studio, Microsoft's cross-platform database tool built on VS Code, is reaching end of life. After February 28, 2026:

• No more security updates or bug fixes
• No new features or extensions
• Third-party extension support may cease
• Microsoft support will no longer be available

The retirement affects all platforms: Windows, macOS, and Linux.

What You Lose

Azure Data Studio brought several unique features to cross-platform SQL development that are not directly replaced by Microsoft's recommended alternatives:

• Built-in charting — query result visualization was one of ADS's most loved features
• Polyglot Notebooks — interactive notebooks with SQL, Python, and C# (also being deprecated)
• Dashboard widgets — customizable server and database dashboards
• Integrated extensions — purpose-built extensions for SQL Server administration
• Cross-platform schema compare — available through ADS extensions

Microsoft's Official Recommendations

Microsoft points users to two official alternatives:

1. VS Code + MSSQL Extension

The VS Code MSSQL extension provides basic SQL Server connectivity within VS Code. It covers query execution, IntelliSense, and results viewing. However, it lacks execution plan visualization, schema compare, data compare, charting, and the integrated database management experience ADS provided.

2. SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)

SSMS remains the most feature-complete option for SQL Server administration on Windows. It offers execution plans, schema compare, and deep SQL Server integration. The limitation: it only runs on Windows, leaving Mac and Linux users without an option.

Third-Party Alternatives

Several third-party SQL IDEs offer cross-platform alternatives with varying feature sets:

How to Migrate

Regardless of which tool you choose, the migration process is similar:

1. Export your connections — note your server addresses, authentication types, and default databases
2. Save your SQL scripts — copy your .sql files to a known location; they work in any SQL editor
3. Install your new tool — set up connections using the same credentials
4. Test your workflows — run your common queries and verify results match

For a detailed step-by-step migration guide to Jam SQL Studio, see our Migration from Azure Data Studio documentation.

The Deadline Is Approaching

February 28, 2026 is less than three weeks away. Whether you choose the VS Code MSSQL extension, SSMS, DBeaver, or Jam SQL Studio, the time to migrate is now. Waiting until after the retirement date risks working with unpatched software.