dbForge SQL Complete Standard Review — Is It Worth the Upgrade?

How to Install and Configure dbForge SQL Complete Standard in 5 MinutesdbForge SQL Complete Standard is an add-in for Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and Visual Studio that speeds up T-SQL coding with intelligent code completion, formatting, snippets, and other productivity tools. This guide walks you through a quick, focused installation and initial configuration so you can start using the extension within about five minutes.

Windows PC with SSMS or Visual Studio installed (compatible versions: SSMS 18.x/19.x or supported Visual Studio editions).
Administrator rights to install software.
Internet connection to download the installer.
Installer file for dbForge SQL Complete Standard (from Devart).

Open your browser and go to Devart’s dbForge page for SQL Complete.
Choose the Standard edition and click Download (you may need to select SSMS or Visual Studio integration if prompted).
Save the installer (usually a .exe) to your Downloads folder.

Locate the downloaded .exe, right-click and choose Run as administrator.
Accept the User Account Control prompt if it appears.
In the installer wizard, read and accept the license agreement, then click Next.
Choose the integration target(s): check SQL Server Management Studio (and Visual Studio if desired). The installer usually detects installed SSMS/VS versions automatically.
Click Install and wait — this typically takes under a minute.

Open SSMS (or restart it if it was open during installation).
If this is the first launch after install, you may see a prompt to enable or configure dbForge SQL Complete — accept to enable it.
If you don’t see prompts, verify integration: in SSMS go to Tools → Extensions and Updates (or Extensions → Manage Extensions in newer SSMS/VS) and confirm dbForge SQL Complete appears and is enabled.

dbForge SQL Complete works well out of the box, but a few small settings improve productivity immediately.

Open the SQL Complete options:
- In SSMS: Tools → Options → dbForge → SQL Complete (or Tools → SQL Complete → Options).
Auto-completion:
- Ensure IntelliSense/Auto-complete is enabled. This gives you context-aware suggestions as you type.
Code formatting:
- Visit the Code Formatting section and choose a preset (Default, Compact, or Expanded). You can apply formatting to current document with the Format command.
Snippets and templates:
- Enable or import any snippet collections you prefer. Use the snippet shortcut (usually CTRL+K, CTRL+X or as configured).
Object Explorer integration:
- Turn on object tooltips and quick object details to see table/column info inline.
Shortcuts:
- Note or customize key bindings under the Shortcuts section (e.g., invoke completion, format document).

Open a new query window and connect to a database.
Type SELECT * FROM and start typing a table name — auto-complete suggestions should appear.
Press the format shortcut (commonly Ctrl+K, Ctrl+F or the configured command) to apply code formatting.
Try a snippet: type a snippet shortcut (like “sel” for a SELECT template) and expand it.

If these work, dbForge SQL Complete Standard is installed and configured.

If suggestions don’t appear, ensure SSMS IntelliSense is not disabled globally (Tools → Options → Text Editor → Transact-SQL → IntelliSense).
Restart SSMS after installation if features aren’t available.
Re-run the installer and choose Repair if integration failed.

Import your company’s preferred code style into Code Formatting to keep SQL consistent.
Learn 3–5 shortcuts (completion, format, snippet expansion, go to definition) — they return the most time savings.
Use the SQL analysis and refactoring tools in higher editions if you later need deeper checks.

This gets dbForge SQL Complete Standard installed and ready for immediate use in roughly five minutes.