Note
Access to this page requires authorization. You can try signing in or changing directories.
Access to this page requires authorization. You can try changing directories.
Applies to: 
SQL Server
Azure SQL Database
Azure SQL Managed Instance
Azure Synapse Analytics
SQL database in Microsoft Fabric
This article describes how to install SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).
| Key information | Action required |
|---|---|
| SSMS 21 is installed with the Visual Studio Installer | The Download SSMS 21 link downloads a stub installer (vs_SSMS.exe) that opens Visual Studio Installer to install SSMS. There's no standalone MSI. |
| How to install SSMS | Download SSMS 21, run vs_SSMS.exe, pick any optional workloads/components, then select Install. |
| Use the Visual Studio Installer to update SSMS 21 | To update SSMS 21, follow the instructions in Update SQL Server Management Studio. |
| Offline or enterprise deployment | To create an offline layout for disconnected or managed installs, see Create an offline installation of SQL Server Management Studio. |
| Database Engine compatibility | SSMS 21 works with SQL Server 2014 (12.x) and later versions. If you need to manage older versions, see the Release history. SSMS 21 also works with Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, Azure Synapse Analytics, and SQL database in Microsoft Fabric. |
For more information, see SQL Server Management Studio 21 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
Find out what's new in this version in the release notes.
Download and install a specific version from the release history page.
Programmatically install SQL Server Management Studio with command-line parameters.
Ready to install? This article walks you through it, step-by-step.
Step 1 - Make sure your computer is ready for SQL Server Management Studio
Before you begin installing SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS):
Check the system requirements. These requirements help you determine whether your computer supports SQL Server Management Studio 21.
Make sure that the user who performs the initial installation has administrator permissions on the machine. For more information, see User permissions and Visual Studio.
Apply the latest Windows updates. These updates ensure that your computer has both the latest security updates and the required system components for SSMS.
Restart. Restarting ensures that any pending installs or updates don't hinder your SSMS install.
Free up space. Remove unneeded files and applications from your system drive by, for example, running the Disk Cleanup application.
You can install SQL Server Management Studio 21 side-by-side with other versions. For more information, see Install SQL Server Management Studio versions side-by-side.
Step 2 - Determine which version of SQL Server Management Studio to install
Decide which version of SSMS to install. The most common options are:
The latest release of SQL Server Management Studio 21 that is hosted on Microsoft servers. To install this version, select the following link, which downloads a stub installer, or bootstrapper, to your Downloads folder.
If you already have SQL Server Management Studio 21 installed, you can install another version alongside it.
You can download a bootstrapper or installer for a specific version from the Release history page and use it to install another version of SSMS.
Step 3 - Initiate the installation
If you downloaded a bootstrapper file, you can use it to install SSMS. You need administrator permissions. The bootstrapper installs the latest version of the Visual Studio Installer. The installer is a separate program that provides everything you need to both install and customize SSMS.
From your Downloads folder, double-click the bootstrapper named
vs_SSMS.exeto start the installation.If you receive a User Account Control notice, choose Yes. The dialog box asks you to acknowledge the Microsoft Privacy Statement and Microsoft Software License Terms. Choose Continue.
The Visual Studio Installer opens. In addition to SQL Server Management Studio, you can also install any product that Visual Studio Installer's Available tab offers.
Step 4 - Choose workloads (optional)
After you install the Visual Studio Installer, you can use it to customize your installation SQL Server Management Studio by selecting different options on the tabs of the installer. Here's how.
Select the workload that you want in the Visual Studio Installer.
Review the workload summaries to decide which workload supports the features you need. For example, choose the Hybrid and Migration workload to assess your upgrade readiness and migrate your data.
After you choose the workloads that you want, select Install. Status screens appear that show the progress of your SSMS installation.
Step 5 - Choose individual components (optional)
If you don't want to use the workloads feature to customize your SSMS installation, or you want to add more components, you can install or add individual components from the Individual components tab. Choose the components that you want, and then follow the prompts.
Step 6 - Install language packs (optional)
By default, the installer program tries to match the language of the operating system when it runs for the first time. To install SSMS in a language of your choosing, choose the Language packs tab from the Visual Studio Installer, and then follow the prompts.
Change the installer language from the command line
Another way that you can change the default language is by running the installer from the command line. For example, you can force the installer to run in English by using the following command:
vs_SSMS.exe --locale en-US
The installer remembers this setting when you run it again. The installer supports these language locales: zh-cn, zh-tw, cs-cz, en-us, es-es, fr-fr, de-de, it-it, ja-jp, ko-kr, pl-pl, pt-br, ru-ru, and tr-tr.
Step 7 - Select the installation ___location (optional)
You can reduce the installation footprint of SSMS on your system drive. For more information, see Select installation locations for SQL Server Management Studio.
You can select a different drive for SQL Server Management Studio or Download cache only when you first install SSMS. If you already installed it and want to change drives, you must uninstall SSMS and then reinstall it.
If SSMS or Visual Studio is already installed on your computer, you can't change the Shared components, tools, and SDKs path. It appears greyed out. This ___location is shared by all installations of SSMS and Visual Studio.
Step 8 - Sign in to your account (optional)
While you don't have to sign in, there are many advantages to doing so, such as synchronizing your settings across devices. See Sign in or switch user accounts in SQL Server Management Studio.
Support or troubleshooting
Sometimes, things can go wrong. If your SSMS installation fails, see Troubleshoot installation and upgrade issues for SQL Server Management Studio for step-by-step guidance.
You can reference the SSMS Developer Community site for other known issues (filter on Tooling under Groups) and to provide feedback to the product team.