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Asked: 2026-05-10T23:23:28+00:00

I am interested in using some kind of a command-line utility for SQL Server

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I am interested in using some kind of a command-line utility for SQL Server similar to Oracle’s SQL*Plus. SQL Server seems to have several options: osql, isql, and sqlcmd. However, I am not quite certain which one to use.

Do they all essentially do the same thing? Are there any situations where it is preferable to use one over the others?

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  1. Use sqlcmd– it’s the most fully featured product.

    • sqlcmd: The newest, fanciest command-line interface to SQL Server.
    • isql : The older, DB-Library (native SQL Server protocol) way of command-line communication with SQL Server.
    • osql : The older, ODBC-based way of command-line communication with SQL Server.

    EDIT: Times have changed since I replied on this a couple of years ago. Nowadays, you can also use the invoke-sqlcmd cmdlet in PowerShell. If you’re used to PowerShell or plan to do any scripting of any sophistication, use this instead.

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