SQL Server Express Versions

SQL Server Express edition is a free version of SQL Server that can be used in production environments.  There are different versions of SQL Server Express that  we can download and use.

There are many versions of SQL Server  and each version has some added  new features. example  SQLite a lightweight embedded and ACID-compliant database that implements most of the SQL standards, but lacks remote access capabilities SQL 2014 Microsoft added In-Memory OLTP, which was further enhanced in version 2016. In SQL 2016 came Machine Learning as a feature with the possibility to use R scripts inside T-SQL code.  SQL Server 2017 added Linux edition.

SQL Server 2017 Express

SQL Server 2017 Express, is the core express database server that includes the database engine features and SQL Server Replication features, but it’s limited to work as a subscriber for Merge, Peer to Peer and Transactional replication.

This version is ideal when you need to accept remote connections. This, is a free versions of SQL Server Express . On the next image you will see a screen capture of the Feature Selection step on the SQL Server Express installer.

SQL Server 2017 Express with Advanced Services

This version gives users more features than the  Express core edition. It includes the SQL Server database engine, SQL Server Replication (limited to work as a subscriber for Merge, Peer to Peer and Transactional replication) and full text search. Something that is worth mentioning is the inclusion of data analysis tools with Machine Learning Services (In-Database), allowing you to use both Python and R language. Also, you have the PolyBase Query Service for External Data, and for reporting, you have Reporting Services available as a downloadable add on.

To download and use SQL Server 2017 Express with Advanced Services, you must join the Visual Studios Dev Essentials program  by following link: https://www.visualstudio.com/es/dev-essentials/. 

This version, is for advanced developers who are working on applications that use Business Intelligence or Machine Learning Algorithms. or developing an application that uses PolyBase to connect to a Hadoop data source or Azure blob storage.

SQL Server 2017 Express LocalDB

This version allows you to embed SQL Server Express into applications with LocalDB. It is a lightweight version of the SQL Server Express edition which is a replacement of the deprecated SQL Server Compact. This version is the best  when you need to use a database in your application and you don’t want to get involved with the administration of the database.

 SQL Server 2017 Express LocalDB contrary to SQLite, is a client-server database engine that allows you to create an application where multiple users or processes on the computer where LocalDB is running needs to access the database. Furthermore, with LocalDB you have the possibility to use functions, triggers and stored procedures which are not available on SQLite.

But LocalDB also has the following limitations:

• It can’t act as a subscriber in a merge replication scenario.
• It does not support FILESTREAM.
• Only allows local queues for Service Broker.

This version is  best choice if you are a developer that wants to code your application and you don’t want or don’t have time to spend on database configuration and administration.