Fixes SSMS dark mode
Fixes the issues I had with SSMS and now I can work better!
By Elix G.
Response from SQL Shades· Mar 7, 2024
Happy to help, Elix!
Tuesday, November 3, 2026 · Customer reviews of US businesses
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Excellent
109 reviews
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Shades is the dark mode add-in for SQL Server Management Studio.Just install the SQL Shades extension and it'll darken everything automatically, including what SSMS' hidden dark mode misses.
SQL Shades (sqlshades.com) has 109 customer reviews on The Fair Hearing, with an average rating of 5.0 out of 5.
109 approved reviews, newest moderated first
Fixes the issues I had with SSMS and now I can work better!
By Elix G.
Response from SQL Shades· Mar 7, 2024
Happy to help, Elix!
Very useful tool, given that SSMS lacks a dark mode. Still has some minor issues in the dialogs, but the main window of SSMS and the text editor are perfect.
By Zsolt
Response from SQL Shades· Mar 4, 2024
I appreciate the review, Zsolt!
FINALLY- All these years using a "Hack" to get some sort of dark mode are finally behind us!... Thank you so much for the work you put to get the plugin working. I've already shared with others how great it is.
By German
Response from SQL Shades· Feb 26, 2024
Happy to help, German. Thanks for sharing!
Finally, after 10+ years of waiting for Microsoft to implement a dark theme in SSMS I can stop using registry hacks of half implemented themes that don't really work. SQL Shades just works. I've been looking at replacements for SSMS as it's the only app I use that doesn't have a dark mode. Thinking about replacing all the muscle memory investment in SSMS has been daunting to say the least. SQL Shades makes SSMS look better than it ever has and makes it a lot easier to use. Thank you!
By Don
Response from SQL Shades· Feb 26, 2024
You're welcome, Don!
Great add on, very kind developer. Give your eyes a rest!
By Chris
Response from SQL Shades· Feb 23, 2024
Thank you very much, Chris!
I've been moving towards dark mode for all applications I use. I was surprised to see that SQL Management Studio had no such option (since it's based on Visual Studio which has a dark theme). That's where SQL Shades saved the day!
By Jeroen B.
Response from SQL Shades· Feb 22, 2024
Huzzah!
Works perfectly, without bugs or issues.
By Michael S.
Response from SQL Shades· Feb 22, 2024
Glad it's working for you, Michael!
I've been waiting for a real dark mode in SSMS for a while and I found your app while googling, so I installed it immediately and voilà!
By CesarF
Response from SQL Shades· Jan 22, 2024
Thanks for the review, Cesar! I'm glad you're pleased with the software :-)