SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) is the tool of choice when it comes to managing SQL Server and stored data. Microsoft already rolled out SQL Server 2025 Release Candidate 0 (RC0) last month, and now, the company has revealed its plans for SSMS.
Following the release of SSMS 21 in May 2025, Microsoft has released numerous updates to cater to developer feedback. The firm is working on SSMS 21.5 next, which will contain lots of bug fixes and, updates to the connection dialog, the database properties view, and the results grid. Customers should also expect major gains in performance, improved reliability, and more functionalities in the connection dialog box.
That"s not all though. Microsoft is already hard at work building the next major version of SSMS, which will be rolled out as SSMS 22. A preview should be landing soon, with the following improvements that are deemed significant enough to warrant a major upgrade:
- Additional support for SQL Server 2025 syntax
- Zoom the results grid
- Additional visual themes
- Initial support for unified settings
A release date for Preview 1 has not been announced yet, but customers should expect it to land soon, with multiple previews following it at a regular cadence. Those interested in finding out more about what"s planned next should check out the product roadmap for SSMS, which contains items like integration with SQL Server experiences in Microsoft Fabric, more AI features like enhancements in coding assistance, and compatibility with Arm64 devices.
We"ll likely find out more concrete details from Microsoft in the coming weeks and months about how the company is splitting the feature set between SSMS 21.5 and SSMS 22 preview.