You can download the latest version of SSMS 18 directly from Microsoft's official documentation:
Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 18 is a free, integrated environment for managing any SQL infrastructure. The latest stable release in this series is , which was released on 21 June 2022. Download Instructions microsoft sql server management studio 18 download
The official download link for (the final release of the 18.x branch) is: You can download the latest version of SSMS
| Feature | SSMS 18 | SSMS 19/20 | Azure Data Studio | |---------|---------|------------|-------------------| | | ✅ Full | ❌ Limited (2008 not supported) | ❌ No | | Modern SQL Server 2022 support | ✅ Basic | ✅ Full | ✅ Full | | Query execution plan analysis | ✅ Excellent | ✅ Excellent | ❌ Basic | | Cross-platform (Linux/macOS) | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | | Lightweight and fast | ❌ Moderate | ❌ Heavy | ✅ Yes | | Object Explorer / GUI management | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (limited) | However, if you are starting a brand new
It utilizes the Visual Studio 2017 isolated shell, improving accessibility and security.
However, if you are starting a brand new project on SQL Server 2022 or Azure SQL Database, consider SSMS 20 or Azure Data Studio for better performance and modern features.