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Microsoft MDS vs Riversand MDMCenter comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft MDS
Ranking in Master Data Management (MDM) Software
5th
Average Rating
7.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
23
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Riversand MDMCenter
Ranking in Master Data Management (MDM) Software
11th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Master Data Management (MDM) Software category, the mindshare of Microsoft MDS is 8.1%, down from 11.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Riversand MDMCenter is 3.3%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Master Data Management (MDM) Software Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft MDS8.1%
Riversand MDMCenter3.3%
Other88.6%
Master Data Management (MDM) Software
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer1524357 - PeerSpot reviewer
Solution Architect at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Has supported endpoint management while revealing areas where usability and latency can improve
The couple of times we found issues with technical support from Microsoft for Microsoft MDS, they resolved them. The response time and understanding were adequate, though there was always a language barrier between the teams. The teams we worked with were in Korea, and it was sometimes a language issue.
SS
Senior Solution Architect at Intraedge
A user-friendly data management software with a valuable matching feature
Integration could be better. Riversand is majorly focusing on only the MDM hub part. They don't have their own integration platform. We have to rely on a third-party integration partner. They say this is the format, and it's the client's responsibility to bring the data into their required format. They have to have an integration partner and develop their integration capabilities. It's not so flexible to read any data format or system, for example, SAP. They don't have a connector.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"One of the main features I have found useful is the integration with Azure active directory."
"It has been a long-standing tool in our organization since it was free."
"What I like about Microsoft is that it has a huge database with many users."
"It has been 200% useful in our organization."
"It's Microsoft, so it's not always perfect, however, is a good step to start with."
"More generic related things can be included in the services."
"This product provides a robust, flexible, and secure way for my organization and our customers to manage master data without the need to write code."
"Unlike specialized tools, MDS is adaptable for various industries, making it a versatile choice for master data management."
"I like their matching feature, and the survivorship rules are very strong. I also like their out-of-box reports, data quality dashboards, and more. Those are also very handy and helpful. Internally, I like the kind of configurations that we can create, validations, and enhancements. Those configurations are pretty straightforward and useful. It's a user-friendly tool that is very cool."
"There are a lot of workflow-related capabilities in Riversand, such as packaging-related AI-based algorithms that automatically assign specific packaging for a given product within the workflow."
"Has a good user interface and the ability to update large sets of products quickly."
"I like their matching feature, and the survivorship rules are very strong; I also like their out-of-box reports, data quality dashboards, and more, which are very handy and helpful, and the configurations we can create, validations, and enhancements are pretty straightforward and useful, making it a user-friendly tool that is very cool."
"It's a stable solution. I have no complaints."
"This solution provides a good user interface and the ability to update large sets of products quickly, along with providing good off-the-shelf functionality."
 

Cons

"It would be a better option to have an on-cloud version."
"If Microsoft MDS were part of Azure, it would be significantly more helpful."
"I do not like using Silverlight and Internet Explorer. The new 2019 version gets rid of that, which is one of the reasons why we are looking to switch."
"The only drawback is that it does not have the matching, merging, and all true MDM components. For these, you have to use another competent called Data Quality Services (DQS). You need to plug it in and use it along with MDS for true MDM. Both of these are integrated together, but you have to do them separately, whereas, in Profisee, there are a couple of screens where you can configure the matching process, create matching rules, and other things, and everything is in one product, which is not the case with MDS. In order to implement a true MDM, you need MDS, DQS, and SSIS. You have to use MDS to store your golden records, DQS to configure and standardize all your rules and matching percentages, and SSIS to load the data to DQS and MDS. At the same time, you also need Melissa Data to clean up your addresses to validate and standardize the addresses. That's the main component of true MDM. It would be good if they can create a true matching component inside MDS and merge MDS and DQS."
"In my 30+ years in IT I've never experienced a tool that only allows you to create reactive rules that identify bad data but never prevent it from getting saved. In a large enterprise I would rule this as a show stopper."
"Microsoft MDS is outdated and lacks modern capabilities."
"The stability could be improved."
"Microsoft MDS' language should be simple so everyone can use it easily."
"The ability to create bespoke workflows could be improved."
"Integration could be better. Riversand is majorly focusing on only the MDM hub part."
"Integration could be better. Riversand is majorly focusing on only the MDM hub part. They don't have their own integration platform. We have to rely on a third-party integration partner. They say this is the format, and it's the client's responsibility to bring the data into their required format. They have to have an integration partner and develop their integration capabilities. It's not so flexible to read any data format or system, for example, SAP. They don't have a connector."
"The ability to create bespoke workflows could be improved."
"The solution does not have a good match and search capability."
"The technical support for partners is not so good. It takes a long time to get a response."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"MDS is a part of the SQL Server enterprise license. I am not aware of any additional costs."
"SAP is more expensive than Microsoft."
"Product licensing is very complicated. It would be helpful to have an online calculator to estimate the cost of a license."
"With Microsoft, we buy everything though an agreement, so we purchase volume licensing every year."
"Microsoft MDS is an expensive solution."
"The pricing of this solution is good."
"I would like to see better pricing."
"The solution does require a license and we have enterprise licenses."
"Riversand MDMCenter isn't expensive. I believe their price is in the mid-range."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Media Company
8%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise15
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft MDS?
Microsoft MDS was pretty affordable. We implemented the solution without a problem.
What needs improvement with Microsoft MDS?
I cannot really give specifics about disadvantages. From what we have seen, speaking to customers, Microsoft MDS was sometimes a bit slow. The frustration they had was just around usability and use...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft MDS?
I used only those two products within one year when I was still working with other products. I used to work with Windows Autopilot or Microsoft MDS in the past. For mobile devices, I could use Micr...
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Also Known As

Microsoft Master Data Services, Microsoft MDM, Microsoft SQL Server Master Data Services, MS MDS
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

ETA a.s., Apeejay Surrendra Group, Blue Star Infotech, Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation, The Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, New Belgium Brewing
Topco, PC Connection, Balsam Brands, Nivea, Eucerin, Tine, Schneider Electric, Miller, ExxonMobil, Baxter, ConocoPhillips, Cameron International, Chevron, Husky Energy, Saint-Gobain, Fingerhut
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft MDS vs. Riversand MDMCenter and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
896,692 professionals have used our research since 2012.