If you are working with SQL server as your database, you might have come across many instances when you had to compare data available in two schemas. CompareDBs is a freeware tool for Windows that can easily compares two SQL Server database schemas and produces a visual display of the differences. It also lets you to selectively change the databases so that they match.
Features
- Compare the tables and columns in two databases.
- Compare columns’ data types, default values, maximum lengths, and nullabilities.
- Examine a visual display of the differences, or copy them to the Clipboard.
- Eliminate differences by right-clicking them and choosing a suggestion (requires SQL Server 7.0 or higher).
- Smooth background execution with a progress bar.
There are few limitations as well when using this tool, firstly copying a table copies the identity column and primary key, but ignores any foreign key constraints. Secondly this tool does not compare stored procedures, triggers, or constraints (other than default values).
I can appreciate the fact that this is a freeware program but Red Gate’s SQL Compare is by far the best at this. 🙂