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Microsoft MDS vs SOTI MobiControl comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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
Average Rating
7.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
23
Ranking in other categories
Master Data Management (MDM) Software (3rd)
SOTI MobiControl
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.9
Number of Reviews
51
Ranking in other categories
Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) (6th)
 

Mindshare comparison

Microsoft MDS and SOTI MobiControl aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. Microsoft MDS is designed for Master Data Management (MDM) Software and holds a mindshare of 13.0%, down 13.8% compared to last year.
SOTI MobiControl, on the other hand, focuses on Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM), holds 5.7% mindshare, down 7.2% since last year.
Master Data Management (MDM) Software Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft MDS13.0%
SAP Master Data Governance21.6%
TIBCO EBX12.6%
Other52.8%
Master Data Management (MDM) Software
Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
SOTI MobiControl5.7%
Microsoft Intune31.8%
Workspace ONE UEM11.6%
Other50.9%
Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM)
 

Featured Reviews

Satyam Saxena - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhanced data management and cost effective with flexible integration capabilities
If Microsoft MDS were part of Azure, it would be significantly more helpful. Additionally, integrating fuzzy duplication within MDS itself, rather than relying on SSIS, would streamline operations. The current requirement to store data in Azure tables after processing it in MDS, due to its lack of direct Azure integration, is a drawback.
Amit-Sarkar - PeerSpot reviewer
A budget-friendly solution that can be used to manage all types of devices, including Windows, iOS, Mac, and Android
SOTI MobiControl is deployed on the cloud in our organization. Users can go for this solution if they want a budget MDM solution. You can use SOTI MobiControl to manage all your devices in one platform, like Windows, iOS, Mac, and Android. Overall, I rate SOTI MobiControl an eight out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Technical support is very good."
"The backup and restore functionality are the solution's most valuable aspects."
"It has been a long-standing tool in our organization since it was free."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft MDS is its management."
"The ease of use is valuable."
"It has a very good feature called Excel plug-in. You just have to install the plug-in, and then it directly connects to the MDS instance where you can maintain and manage your data and publish it right through Excel. You don't need to go to the front end to make any changes. It has easy integration with SQL Server, and you can use SSIS to do the ETLs. It is a part of the Microsoft stack. It works with most of the Microsoft stuff."
"What I like about Microsoft, is that it has a huge database with many users."
"One of the main features I have found useful is the integration with Azure active directory."
"The most valuable features are remote control and geo-fencing."
"The company's support is the best. That'd be the number one thing."
"We use the Lockdown Kiosk Mode feature on all of our devices. We use that so that the operators can't change any settings in the background, and so that the applications they run are immediately available to them. It's a good feature."
"It has a user-friendly menu that helps manage special purpose devices for security."
"The ease of access was awesome. The guys helping us out were pretty fluent in the product. I currently have two devices in a dashboard that we're testing, but the solution that they have is awesome. I like that it's a cloud-based based solution, and I think there will be some significant cost savings."
"The remote control we have helps us a lot."
"One of the most valuable features is the ease of moving items from one configuration to another; it's a Windows-like setup. Also, the admin console is very easy to manage and to move through."
"The SOTI MobiControl Assist tool is very good for remote controlling devices for troubleshooting. SOTI MobiControl is very helpful."
 

Cons

"If Microsoft MDS were part of Azure, it would be significantly more helpful."
"Microsoft MDS is outdated and lacks modern capabilities."
"Most of the Microsoft partners, especially digitally, are separate. Personnel are business people, and they do not have technical expertise, so you end up as a company spending a lot of money training your staff and your engineers."
"The program's navigation tools could be improved."
"The Microsoft license cost could be lower."
"There are occasions when the solution maintains SD and we get duplications of MDS."
"In the next version, I would like to see integration with Azure."
"The stability could be improved."
"The quality of the support service is poor. The headquarters are not very responsive. And, the actual quality of the software has its drawbacks."
"For improvement, maintaining pace with updates from operating systems such as Android and Windows would be sufficient."
"The product’s features for managing Windows devices need improvement."
"SOTI MobiControl is very good for Android and Windows, but it should add a little bit on the Apple side because it doesn't have much control on the Apple side."
"Where they need improvement is not as much on the technical side but, rather, on their communication. In general, that has been poor. Account management and communication could be greatly improved..."
"The area that could be improved is the reporting services or application usage. They need to integrate more with local resellers so they can fetch information from ISP providers and allow for a more detailed overview of device usage, such as internet packages."
"In the next release, they should make it easier to migrate."
"There could be a feature for user ID management."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I would like to see better pricing."
"SAP is more expensive than Microsoft."
"Microsoft MDS is an expensive solution."
"The solution does require a license and we have enterprise licenses."
"The pricing of this solution is good."
"With Microsoft, we buy everything though an agreement, so we purchase volume licensing every year."
"MDS is a part of the SQL Server enterprise license. I am not aware of any additional costs."
"Product licensing is very complicated. It would be helpful to have an online calculator to estimate the cost of a license."
"There are solutions that can be more aggressively priced, but they may not provide all that SOTI does. It's a matrix regarding what feature you use. You need to compare the features you use and what you are willing to pay for them... SOTI's pricing is okay. It's in the middle... They can provide more aggressive pricing once you start to have a lot of licenses."
"The product is less expensive than one of its competitors."
"It's a little bit expensive."
"SOTI's pricing seems to be competitive."
"They've been pretty flexible with us, because we've changed the way we do our licensing a few times. We did a yearly, and then we went back and we did a quarterly, and I think we're back to yearly right now. We've been able to work stuff out and pricing has gone down since the onset. We've got a better rate per device and it's reasonable. The licensing cost from SOTI usually doesn't scare anybody, away once it's explained."
"The price of this solution is high when you compare it with Microsoft Intune. This is mainly because Microsoft Intune is included with some packages, such as Microsoft Office 365. It makes it difficult to sell SOTI MobiControl because of the pricing against Microsoft Intune."
"The solution that we were using costs less, but it didn't offer as much as Soti. It's comparable if you look at it over the five-year term."
"It makes sense to have scanners on SOTI MobiControl, but it makes less sense to have printers because there are fewer features for them, while the price is the same for both."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Media Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
15%
Computer Software Company
14%
Retailer
11%
Comms Service Provider
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise15
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise12
Large Enterprise23
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft MDS?
More generic related things can be included in the services.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft MDS?
Microsoft MDS is free. Currently, there is no pricing concern with the tool.
What needs improvement with Microsoft MDS?
Microsoft MDS is outdated and lacks modern capabilities. It is too slow and does not support automated mapping or AI-based functionalities. Although I created Python scripts for some machine learni...
What do you like most about SOTI MobiControl?
The most valuable features of the solution are containerization and app control.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SOTI MobiControl?
I rate the pricing as an eight, which indicates it is on the more expensive side. However, I am not responsible for billing, that is handled by the finance team. I believe the price could be lower,...
What needs improvement with SOTI MobiControl?
SOTI MobiControl is quite advanced already, and there is nothing that needs improvement. The solution is currently the most advanced EMM in the market and sits in the highest tier because other com...
 

Also Known As

Microsoft Master Data Services, Microsoft MDM, Microsoft SQL Server Master Data Services, MS MDS
MobiControl
 

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
Citizen Mexico, Sanctuary Housing, PENINSULA HOTELS, East Orange High School, Andrews Distributing, Amey Plc, American Airlines
Find out what your peers are saying about SAP, TIBCO, Microsoft and others in Master Data Management (MDM) Software. Updated: August 2025.
867,497 professionals have used our research since 2012.