I primarily use the solution a developer query, or for triggers, to use and manage all tables and objects for Oracle.
Senior Oracle Apex Developer at Abu Dhabi City Municipality
Easy to install, simple to manage, and offers excellent management
Pros and Cons
- "It is very easy to manage all of the objects."
- "I'd like reporting to be more available. If it was a feature that was already installed, more people would take advantage of it."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
I like the features on offer. If I need to manage my data for analysis, analysis data for tuning, debugging, or whatever, it's easy.
It does offer a free trial.
The installation process is very easy.
It is very easy to manage all of the objects.
What needs improvement?
I'd like to have a free version. Once I move companies, I do not have a license. I only have limited days of a trial. I'd like to be able to show the company what it can do. However, now, I've shifted to a different service since I don't have my Toad license.
There are limitations to its use. If you do not have a license, some features are not allowed.
There is a trial, however, after this trial, I can't use the Toad as not all features are there since you have to pay for them.
I'd like reporting to be more available. If it was a feature that was already installed, more people would take advantage of it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for more than nine years.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability has been good. It doesn't creak down. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have about 50 people using the solution.
How are customer service and support?
I've never had to reach out to technical support. I don't know how helpful or responsive they are when you need help.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I've shifted use to PSQL since I've changed companies.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very simple and straightforward. It's not overly complex.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There are some licensing restrictions. You have to pay for certain features.
It is an expensive product.
What other advice do I have?
We're a partner of Oracle.
I'm not sure which version of the solution we're using. We have used both the home version and the version available on the cloud.
About four months ago, I stopped using Toad as I no longer have a license and therefore cannot access all of the features I need.
I'd recommend the solution to others.
I would rate the solution eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
Data Warehouse Analyst at Qatar Airways
Enables you to query, develop keys, and execute them to store and retrieve data
Pros and Cons
- "The best product for working with Oracle databases for support, checking and loading data."
- "There may be an issue with processing limitations but this cannot be confirmed as a problem with the product or with the newest releases."
What is our primary use case?
We use Toad as a solution for packages and day-to-day tasks, like calling and finding, when we have some support queries or need to check if there is a data issue. We also use it when we want to develop objects. For those kinds of sites only we use Toad. Sometimes we use it to load data from a third-party source.
How has it helped my organization?
It just gives us another tool to use when working with clients to solve issues.
What is most valuable?
The feature that is handy in Toad is that I think it is best for working with Oracle. Currently, I'm using DBeaver, SQL Server, SQL Developer, and Postgres. We are using multiple databases and tools and use Toad for Oracle only. Toad might be good for other situations but I never used it. When we have another kind of database or multiple database types, then we go to DBeaver, which is very handy right now.
What needs improvement?
There is not a lot to be improved in Toad. I am not using the newest version because the older version works almost all the time. It is a limitation already defined because of performance or coding. It does not kill the session but it forces a restart because processes hang. This may have been fixed in later versions.
One thing I would like to see improved is the log files. If they can tell whenever there is a failure like a hang, we are not able to understand the log. When we refer to any log file we do it for more analysis to find the exact cause and pinpoint the debugging. To know exactly why Toad has hanged or failed so we can research it out in the log file would be really helpful. Then we know what the cause is and what we should not be doing.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for more than one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is solid except for the issue I will mention several times here that may have been fixed since I last upgraded. When you process many records (in the range of more than 20 million at a time) the product just hangs without any warning. It would be better to just say: "okay this is the limit." Instead it just goes and hangs sometimes. Even there it is impossible to tell if it is a problem with the product as the cause does not show in the log.
Comparatively to other similar products, it is 99 percent stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I'm fairly sure the use of the product is scalable. To my knowledge, it has a limitation in going over a certain number of records, but maybe that limitation is not really a limitation. It may be something that other people will never run up against. Because I am using an older version this might not be an issue with later versions, so the claim itself may not be valid.
How are customer service and technical support?
I did not ever use technical support. If I need to, I do search for the errors in the blogs and forums on the net. I do refer them, but I never contacted the Toad support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have used and still use many solutions as consultants. Some products solve different problems.
How was the initial setup?
Installing Toad is very straightforward. Not much to do because just following the instructions works. We need to just set a few parameters and that's all.
Normally, we don't have to have a deployment, it is just something we use as a client tool and we have had it installed for some time. When we do a deployment, it doesn't take too much time. For one of the first clients we deployed for, we used it to create a database and move it to production and it took a little time because we had no experience. Depending on the size of the database, it might take you a maximum of thirty minutes to one hour.
To keep Toad up and running we don't need any maintenance. I'm not developing the Toad product, I'm telling as a user of the Toad product how to use it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Toad is a product which comes in several versions. When we know your base architecture and the needs of your company, we either buy the license or use the trial version. It depends on the company's situation.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated many products and continue to evaluate them. Toad is a popular one and well-known by Oracle users.
What other advice do I have?
Toad is fast and very convenient. You just need to choose what you want to create, configure all the items and objects, then just generate the scripts, test and you can use the same script and create the objects in production. It is an easy tool to use.
Toad is a tool to efficiently connect to and use the Oracle database. It gives you the power so you can query, develop the keys and you can execute them to store and retrieve the data. However, when you use a larger database, you may not end up with the only single database type. For example, you might have another system where you had big data or something so in that case, you are better off to choose some free database management system — a generic database system like Postgres or MySQL.
Oracle is comparatively not cost-effective. It is the best, but having the best comes with a cost. So when you use Oracle as your database you know you are using a good product. If your system is more complicated, Toad may not be able to connect to all the databases available. We use DBeaver in that case which is fourth-generation and the fifth-generation database tool and allows you to connect to all kind of databases like MySQL, SQLserver, Postgres, or other tools. For our purposes, Toad is a single tool which helps you connect to Oracle. In our experience, sometimes a business is more interested in such kind of tool that they know by name and can trust. Toad is best obviously, they use it, but sometimes it is confused with a lot of different tools whose purpose is not the same.
Most of the users who are using Toad have got a contract with Toad. For those who do not, it can be a hefty cost to move to Toad. Once they know that there is extra involved, then they will not have as much interest if what they are doing is not within its scope. You can use for Oracle only and has some higher-end limitations, but if someone is already extensively using Toad's database then they might face these kinds of costs.
All that said, I would rate Toad a ten out of ten compared to other products with use for Oracle. We know what it is we can use it for and it is always the best product for the purpose. Until now, ur servers have always worked.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Toad for Oracle
October 2024
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Manager of Migration of Oracle Forms Applications at CIEMAT at Aubay Spain
Fast, good data management, and helps in the development of code
Pros and Cons
- "The tool evaluates non-optimized queries and generates the queries in a way that is more optimal - in addition to giving us some good practices for code development."
- "Query optimization is still very resource-intensive."
What is our primary use case?
I use the solution mainly for database queries and updates since it allows you to see the result of those queries in a multi-record block where you can browse the different records.
I also use it to develop code within the database itself, such as procedures, functions, packages, etc, thanks to the rapid development tips it has.
Another function that I use is the comparison of structures and code between the different environments. We currently have three environments, and I can see the differences in each environment.
How has it helped my organization?
The development of applications that use an Oracle Database and PL/SQL for their data management are developed much faster.
The different aids that the tool has for the development of code in the database speed up the development. While it not only helps in the development of code, it also helps in the maintenance of the applications by being able to analyze the data and the queries of the applications that do not work correctly. In this regard, the fact that you can see the different results in a multi-registry and that you can navigate in it helps a lot. Toad saves you time.
What is most valuable?
One of the features that I like the most is the result of queries in multi-record blocks that you navigate through. This data can also be exported to other formats. The export to Excel format is especially useful to provide them to the end user so that they can create more specific reports.
Another feature that I really appreciate is the ability to analyze non-optimized queries. The tool evaluates non-optimized queries and generates the queries in a way that is more optimal - in addition to giving us some good practices for code development.
What needs improvement?
Although the tool has come a long way since I started using it, there are still some things that need to be improved.
For example, query optimization is still very resource-intensive, and sometimes it is slow to get the results. On some occasions, I have had to leave it analyzing for more than 12 hours.
Another thing that could be improved is the reporting. In particular, it seems to me that it is difficult to be able to make a report using the tool. Currently, I have to make the queries in Toad and transfer them to other tools (for example, SQL*Plus, Oracle Reports, et cetera).
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for about 20 years. I've been using Toad since 2003.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before using Toad, I started using its source, SQL Navigator. I changed due to the fact that Toad is more complete.
At one time, when there were no Toad licenses on the development team, we used the Oracle SQL Developer tool. During that time, it was more difficult for us to carry out development.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Aug 21, 2024
Flag as inappropriateBilling Consultant at Hoberg & Vestrheim
The fashion browser and the Schema browser are valuable features, it is a complete solution
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Toad for Oracle is the fashion browser and the Schema browser. It is very complete."
- "Toad for Oracle could improve code completion, it is very slow."
What is our primary use case?
The solution is deployed on public cloud and on premises. One on each developer's computer.
We use Toad for Oracle mainly to create procedures in the database, and to make an API. We have three people in our IT department using the solution in our company.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Toad for Oracle is the session browser and the Schema browser. It is very complete. There is also good tools for database management.
What needs improvement?
Toad for Oracle could improve code completion, it is very slow. When you type and code completion is on, you'll have to wait for up to 10 seconds while Toad looks in the database to list suggestions for table and field names.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Toad for Oracle for 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is scalable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Toad for Oracle crashes a couple of times per month.
How are customer service and support?
I would rate technical support a 5 out of 5.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We use both Toad for Oracle and DataGrip. Toad for Oracle's code completion is very slow when compared to DataGrip.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of this solution is very easy. Basically, it is an install and forget solution.
What about the implementation team?
We deployed in-house, it takes only five or ten minutes to deploy.
What was our ROI?
Very good, we are a consultancy and it does not take many hours to pay for the annual fee.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Our company pays licensing fees. It is not a cheap solution.
What other advice do I have?
The solution is easy. I would rate it an 8 out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Self Employed, Software Developer, Energy Expert at My Power Station Technology (Pty) Ltd
Good support, easy to use with a visually appealing design, and it is straightforward to set up
Pros and Cons
- "I find Toad easy to use and I love the Workspace feature, which allows me to set up projects so that I can open SQL files applicable to what I am working on at any particular time."
- "There should also be a better "cancel query" option as sometimes one cancels a query, but then it still might run for a long time, and then one has to crash Toad in order to cancel the query."
What is our primary use case?
The primary use case is Oracle software development. I use Packages, Stored Procedures, Triggers, DDL, and DML. I also use it for viewing schemas, viewing sessions, table spaces, etc.
I work in Oracle versions from 12c to 19c and a single version of Toad allows me to do this. I also work in Oracle htp.p (HTML, CSS, JavaScript from inside the database) and also Oracle Apex, and I can do this with Toad too.
I work on multiple VMs and multiple clients and I can load a 64-bit Toad in one environment and a 32-bit Toad in another environment.
How has it helped my organization?
Toad is the one tool that I use almost every single day of my life. Besides Operating Systems. email applications, office tools, mind mapping, and the like.
Toad is my choice programming environment for writing Oracle applications which live in the backend.
I find Toad easy to use and I love the Workspace feature, which allows me to set up projects so that I can open SQL files applicable to what I am working on at any particular time. I've also used the debugger and optimizing tools from time to time.
I like that Toad saves me time in my work and recently I've started using the Reporting feature. It is also easy to add comments to tables and columns.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the ability to look at the database visually, almost graphically.
Some other features that I like are:
- The ability to add ROWID to queries to allow quick updates without having to write SQL.
- Visually appealing design.
- Ability to view users and tasks and with DBA permission to be able to terminate sessions if required.
I also like that Toad has a one-year and a three-year maintenance license plan and upgrading for three years at a time allows one to save considerably on the license. Normally, I use the three-year option and I did this year, but last year I had a financial challenge and so only used the one-year upgrade option.
What needs improvement?
Sometimes if there's a crash, there are unsaved files that need to be recovered. Although this list is shown when you restart, I find this difficult to use.
There should also be a better "cancel query" option as sometimes one cancels a query, but then it still might run for a long time, and then one has to crash Toad in order to cancel the query.
After all these years of downloading the product, I still find the product download form a bit challenging and one needs to know to click on the Download Now checkbox so that one can download without choosing manuals, etc. I think that this form should be redesigned.
As with so many other tools and suppliers, I believe that long term users should get better maintenance pricing.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Toad for Oracle for the last 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is very stable and fails (crashes) very seldomly. The main problem is when one wants to cancel a long-running query.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
One can work with any sized database with this tool.
How are customer service and technical support?
I only really contact my supplier when i need to upgrade. Support is good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I started using Oracle in 1993. I can't remember what tools I used before I started using Toad.
I have colleagues who use other tools and I've looked at them. They load slowly, crash regularly, and don't have as nice a user interface as Toad. I find myself wasting time when I use other tools.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. Although during the last upgrade, I chose the Maintenance upgrade option instead of the full release, and the maintenance upgrade option didn't work for me.
What about the implementation team?
In-house install, by me.
What was our ROI?
I don't have a quantitative measurement for this but I do know that Toad saves me time. Compared with other modern products, it allows me to do many functions in a single tool.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
My advice is to try to use the three-year maintenance agreement if possible.
Per-user licensing allows me to use Toad in multiple places as long as I don't work on two at the same time
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have evaluated SQL Developer.
I've looked at this since starting to use Toad, especially last year during challenging financial times.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Enterprise Software Applications Manager at Sarwa Capital
Stable product with efficient UI features
Pros and Cons
- "The product's most valuable features are UI and monitoring."
- "There could be a tool for automated SQL query functioning."
What is our primary use case?
We use the product to run SQL scripts in the Kubernetes environment.
What is most valuable?
The product's most valuable features are UI and monitoring.
What needs improvement?
There could be a tool for automated SQL query functioning.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Toad for Oracle for more than five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability works fine for one session. It is challenging to scale for multiple sessions.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup process is easy.
What other advice do I have?
It is a good product. I recommend it to others and rate it an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
E-service at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
Reach list of features make administering Oracle easier
Pros and Cons
- "Toad has a lot of features that are very useful, fast, and well developed."
- "I would like to see an improvement in the performance because opening the browser and the editor should be faster."
What is our primary use case?
I use this solution for administering my Oracle database.
How has it helped my organization?
Toad has a lot of features that are very useful, fast, and well developed. It is a very easy and helpful tool for me and my work. It is the main program that I use, every day.
What is most valuable?
I like a lot of the features in this solution including the Session Browser, Tablespace, SGA browser, good editor, it is to dificult to enumerate all features.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see an improvement in the performance because opening the browser and the editor should be faster.
The limit of 100,000 lines when parsing trace files is not always enough, and I would like to see the limit increased.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The current version of Toad is stable. However, the previous version was not stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This solution is scalable.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have only contacted technical support one time and it was by email. I would rate them somewhere between average and good. It was a few years ago, so they may have improved since then.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used other tools, but Toad is the best of them.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of this solution is easy. Deployment takes approximately one hour.
What about the implementation team?
I deployed the solution myself, and one person is suitable for both deployment and maintenance.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
In my opinion, this solution is a little expensive, but I understand that good programs cost more money. I find it acceptable, although my bosses may think differently. There are no costs in addition to the standard licensing fees.
What other advice do I have?
This is a program that I like very much and I recommend for others.
I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
OCI/AWS Consultant at a government with 11-50 employees
Seamless database management with efficient session handling and query optimization
Pros and Cons
- "One of the most valuable features of Toad for Oracle is its ability to manage sessions by killing those that are hung or blocking other sessions."
- "It would be beneficial if Toad for Oracle could incorporate OEM features, as having monitoring capabilities in the same interface would simplify workload and management tasks."
What is our primary use case?
We use Toad for Oracle for various database management tasks, including CRUD operations such as create, replace, update, and delete, and for DDL and DML tasks. We rely on Toad for managing the data structure and monitoring connected users.
How has it helped my organization?
Toad for Oracle simplifies the process of managing database sessions, which is particularly useful for database administrators. It allows us to handle sessions that are blocking other processes efficiently by surfing through the session browser and ending problematic sessions.
What is most valuable?
One of the most valuable features of Toad for Oracle is its ability to manage sessions by killing those that are hung or blocking other sessions. This functionality is critical for efficient database management, allowing administrators to release resources.
Additionally, its auto SQL tuning feature provides alternatives to optimize and speed up complex queries, thereby enhancing DB and application performance.
What needs improvement?
It would be beneficial if Toad for Oracle could incorporate OEM features, as having monitoring capabilities in the same interface would simplify workload and management tasks.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Toad for Oracle for the last ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Toad for Oracle is quite stable and has not presented any major issues in the past ten years. It has been a reliable tool for database management.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Toad is a tool for connecting to the database and does not directly support scalability. It acts as a third-party connection to the databases and does not impact scalability directly.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
An alternative to Toad for Oracle could be using SQL Developer, although it doesn't provide as many functionalities as Toad.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. Quest provides the software download and a license key. Once the license key is input, the service becomes active.
What was our ROI?
Toad for Oracle provides significant return on investment by improving query performance and reducing DBA workload.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The licensing cost for Toad for Oracle is relatively high, with their license and DPA suite totaling around five thousand dollars.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
SQL Developer is another solution. It doesn't offer the extensive features of Toad for Oracle.
What other advice do I have?
Toad for Oracle is a great choice to make database administration stress-free. It aids in revealing errors in SQL queries and guides developers to optimize them. It also provides rollback features for accidental bulk updates and helps in auto-optimizing query performance, which is crucial for reducing response times.
I'd rate the solution ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Nov 3, 2024
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