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 Five Star Index, with an average rating of 5.0 out of 5.
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Dave R.
I spend too much time working at night and don't like unnecessarily bright screens (Bright light! Bright light! says Gizmo from Gremlins). I set as many apps as possible to dark mode and was very pleased to find SQL Shades for SSMS. Love it. ❤️
Response from SQL ShadesOct 13, 2026
Thank you for the kind words, Dave! Glad to hear you love it 😎
Pete P.
SQL Shades is the best thing I have found to use with SSMS. It gives SSMS a dark-mode and lets you change the text colors to suit your tastes. It is so much easier on the eyes than the regular SSMS interface. I highly recommend SQL Shades!
Response from SQL ShadesSep 11, 2026
Thank you for the kind words, Pete! 😊
Ryon
I love SQL Shades! I like the built in themes which are also customizable if I want to tweak them a bit.
Response from SQL ShadesSep 4, 2026
So glad you love it, Ryon! 😁
edX L.
5 🌟 for the SQL Shades. My SSMS is now aesthetically pleasing. Now my tech stack is just dark oncluding VS Code. So refreshing to work in a "dark world" as somebody who spends hours on doing scripting. Kudos to the team.
Response from SQL ShadesJun 2, 2026
Glad I could darken your world! Thanks for the stellar review 😎
Dan C.
A dream come true... I've used SSMS for years, but we finally have a tool that makes it bearable to look at!
Response from SQL ShadesMay 19, 2026
Glad I could turn your dream into reality, Dan! Thanks for the stellar review 😁
Andres C.
SQL Shades to the rescue! I am a huge fan of dark themes and the one that is built into SQL Server Management Studio is lacking, to say the least. SQL Shades solved that issue and then some. I can not only select a thorough dark them out of the box, but I can customize it to my needs if so desired and pick from other out of the box themes as well.
Response from SQL ShadesMar 4, 2026
Happy to be of service, Andres! Thanks for the stellar review 😁
Jonathan R.
My main work life is spent in SSMS. I've been using SQL Shades for about half a year now, and it has been a game changer. So much easier to work in dark mode! Be aware that at this point, SQL Shades doesn't handle the following: - Integration services catalog - Packages - Reports. - Some Redgate extensions (SQL Search, SQL History, SQL Source Control). In addition, Redgate's SQL Test extension doesn't play happily with SQL Shades - the on-screen text is colored such that it simply disappears to the point that when I need to use that tool, I have to turn off SQL Shades. But I'm not in those areas enough that it bothers me. The main query panes are where I spend most of my time, and they couldn't be better!
Response from SQL ShadesFeb 21, 2026
Thanks for the review, Jonathan! Check out the docs for how to blacklist individual controls, if you find one that doesn't color correctly: https://www.sqlshades.com/docs/#blacklisting -- Feel free to write me if you need any assistance ✌️
Tiago P.
Works perfectly in SSMS, my everyday tool. SQL Shades saved my eyes.
Response from SQL ShadesFeb 19, 2026
Happy to be of service, Tiago! Thanks for the perfect review 😎
