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SQL Server Management Studio 21 is a powerful tool for managing SQL Server instances, Azure SQL databases, and Azure SQL managed instances. This document outlines the system requirements needed to install and run SQL Server Management Studio 21 effectively.
Ensure your system meets these requirements to take full advantage of the features and capabilities of SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). For more information about SQL Server Management Studio 21, see Release notes for SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).
Supported SQL offerings
This version of SSMS works with SQL Server 2014 (12.x) and later versions. It provides the most significant support for working with the latest cloud features in Azure SQL Database, Azure Synapse Analytics, and Microsoft Fabric.
Additionally, SQL Server Management Studio 21 can be installed alongside SSMS 20.x, SSMS 19.x, SSMS 18.x, SSMS 17.x, and SSMS 16.x.
For SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), SSMS 17.x and later versions don't support connecting to the legacy SQL Server Integration Services service. To connect to an earlier version of the legacy Integration Services, use the version of SSMS aligned with the version of SQL Server. For example, use SSMS 16.x to connect to the legacy SQL Server 2016 (13.x) Integration Services service. SSMS 17.x and SSMS 16.x can be installed on the same computer. Since the release of SQL Server 2012 (11.x), the SSIS Catalog database, SSISDB, is the recommended way to store, manage, run, and monitor Integration Services packages. See SSIS Catalog for details.
Download SQL Server Management Studio 21
To download the latest version of SQL Server Management Studio 21, see Install SQL Server Management Studio. For instructions on installing and updating SQL Server Management Studio 21, see Update SQL Server Management Studio. Also, see instructions on how to install offline.
SQL Server Management Studio system requirements
SQL Server Management Studio 21 is supported on the following 64-bit operating systems:
- Windows 11 minimum supported OS version or higher: Home, Pro, Pro Education, Pro for Workstations, Enterprise, and Education
- For supported Windows 11 versions, see Windows 11 Enterprise and Education Support
- Windows 10 minimum supported OS version or higher: Home, Professional, Education, and Enterprise.
- For supported Windows 10 versions, see Windows 10 Enterprise and Education Support
- Windows Server 2025: Standard and Datacenter.
- Windows Server 2022: Standard and Datacenter.
- Windows Server 2019: Standard and Datacenter.
- Windows Server 2016: Standard and Datacenter.
The following operating systems aren't supported:
- 32-bit, Arm32, and Arm64 operating systems.
- Windows 11 Home in S mode, Windows Enterprise IoT, Windows 10 IoT Core, Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC edition, Windows 10 S, and Windows 10 Team Edition.
- Server IoT and Minimal Server Interface options for Windows Server.
- Windows containers.
- Running in virtual machine environment without a full Windows operating system.
- Application virtualization solutions such as Microsoft App-V or MSIX for Windows, or third-party app virtualization technologies.
- Multiple simultaneous users using the software on the same machine, including shared virtual desktop infrastructure machines or a pooled Windows Virtual Desktop hostpool.
Hardware
- x64 processor; Quad-core or better recommended.
- Arm64 processors aren't supported.
- Arm32 processors aren't supported.
- Minimum of 4-GB of RAM. Many factors impact resources used; we recommend 16-GB RAM for typical professional solutions.
- Hard disk space: Minimum of 4-GB up to 50-GB of available space, depending on features installed; typical installations require 20-50 GB of free space. We recommend installing Windows and SSMS on a solid-state drive (SSD) to increase performance.
- Video card that supports a minimum display resolution of WXGA (1366 by 768); SSMS works best at a resolution of 1920 by 1080 or higher.
- Minimum resolution assumes zoom, DPI settings, and text scaling are set at 100%. If not set to 100%, minimum resolution should be scaled accordingly. For example, if you set the Windows display Scale and layout setting on your Surface Book, which has a 3000x2000 physical display, to 200%, then SSMS would see a logical screen resolution of 1500x1000, meeting the minimum 1366x768 requirement.
Supported languages
SQL Server Management Studio 21 is available in English, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Czech, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish, and Turkish. You can select the language of SSMS during installation. The Visual Studio Installer is available in the same 14 languages, and matches the language of Windows, if available.
Additional requirements and guidance
- Administrator rights are required to install or update SQL Server Management Studio 21.
- Refer to Create an offline installation of SQL Server Management Studio for guidance on how to install, deploy, update, and configure SQL Server Management Studio in an offline scenario.
- .NET Framework 4.7.2 or above is required to install SQL Server Management Studio 21. SQL Server Management Studio 21 requires .NET Framework 4.8 to run. If .NET Framework 4.8 isn't already installed, it's installed during setup.
- Team Foundation Server 2019 Office Integration requires Office 2016, Office 2013, or Office 2010.
- Smart App Control, which is a Windows feature, isn't recommended to be enabled on machines. Any setting other than "off" might negatively impact SQL Server Management Studio performance.