Microsoft SQL Server Express: Version Comparison Matrix and Free Downloads
Microsoft SQL Server is an enterprise quality database management system that's usually hosted by a server and can scale across multiple servers and locations.
For local PC, small databases, and less critical situations, Microsoft offers a limited version of SQL Server called SQL Server Express. SQL Server Express can be downloaded for free and installed on your local PC. This is helpful for:
- Deploying desktop Windows solutions that use SQL Server databases to users who don't own SQL Server
- Deploying lightweight web applications that use SQL Server databases
- Developers wanting to create and test applications with a SQL Server database on their own, rather than a database hosted on a server
There are many editions of the full version of SQL Server with Enterprise, Standard and Web being the most common. Here are some of the major differences of the 2017 version compared to the 2016 and 2017 Express editions:
| Enterprise | Standard | Web | 2019 Express | 2017 Express | 2016 Express | |
| Maximum Database Size | 524 PB | 524 PB | 524 PB | 10 GB | 10 GB | 10 GB |
| Compute Capacity | OS Max | 4 sockets or 24 cores | 4 sockets or 16 cores | 1 socket or 4 cores | 1 socket or 4 cores | 1 socket or 4 cores |
| Maximum Memory | OS Max | 128 GB | 64 GB | 1.4 GB | 1.4 GB | 1.4 GB |
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The most critical issue is the maximum database size. The other differences are related to performance and maintenance.
For more details, visit Microsoft's Supported Features of SQL Server 2019.
Note: SQL Server Express cannot be installed on a compressed drive. It only supports standard, non-compressed drives.
Many versions of Microsoft SQL Server Express and service packs were released over the years. Here's a summary by Major Version:
| Major Version | Service Packs |
| 2019 | None |
| 2017 | None |
| 2016 | SP1 and SP2 |
| 2014 | SP1 and SP2 |
| 2012 | SP1, SP2, and SP3 |
| 2008 | R2 RTM, R2 SP1, and R2 SP2 |
| 2005 | SP1, SP2, SP3 and SP4 |
Note: SQL Server 2017 and later versions will no longer receive Service Packs, only Cumulative Updates and Critical Updates. For more details, visit Microsoft's SQL Server Service Packs are discontinued starting from SQL Server 2017.
Microsoft will no longer release security updates for SQL Server 2008/2008 R2. For more information, visit SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 R2 End Support.
Since organizations usually upgrade SQL Server less often than operating systems, an older version may be used for quite some time, especially if the application doesn't use the features added to the new versions.
- If starting from scratch, choose the newest version that supports all the operating systems you're targeting.
- If you are developing and need to eventually deploy to an actual version of SQL Server, you should use a SQL Server Express version that matches that version or an older version to avoid introducing features that don't exist on your SQL Server.
Here are the Microsoft SQL Express versions, when they were released, and the Operating Systems they explicitly support. The older versions generally work on newer operating systems but is not officially stated on Microsoft's web pages. The 2005 versions have a warning message when they are installed on Windows 8.x or later.
Links are also provided for downloading your own free copy of SQL Server Express and the related SQL Server Management Studio when it's not included in the main download.
| SQL Server Express Version | 2019 | 2017 | 2016 SP2 | 2016 SP1 | 2016 | 2014 SP2 | 2014 SP1 | 2014 | 2012 SP3 | 2012 SP2 | 2012 SP1 | 2012 | 2008 R2 SP2 | 2008 R2 SP1 | 2008 R2 RTM | 2008 | 2005 SP4 | 2005 SP3 | 2005 SP2 | 2005 SP1 | 2005 |
| Download Link | Download | Download | Download | Download | N/A | Download | Download | Download | Download | Download | Download | Download | Download | Download | Download | Download | Download | Download | Download | No Longer Available | Download |
| Published Date | 2019-Nov-4 | 2017-Oct-2 | 2018-Apr-9 | 2016-Nov-11 | 2016-May-31 | 2016-Jul-11 | 2015-May-14 | 2014-Jun-25 | 2015-Nov-21 | 2014-Oct-23 | 2012-Nov-9 | 2012-May-14 | 2013-Jul-26 | 2011-Jul-12 | 2010-Apr-16 | 2009-Feb-8 | 2010-Dec-17 | 2008-Dec-15 | 2007-Feb-18 | 2006-Nov-9 | 2005-Nov-7 |
| Includes SQL Server Management Studio | |
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See Download | Download | Download | No Longer Available | Download | Download | Download | Download |
| Hardware and Software Requirements | Details | Details | Details | Details | Details | Details | Details | Details | Details | Details | Details | Details | Details | Details | Details | Details | Details | Details | Details | Details | Details |
| Windows Desktop O/S | 2019 | 2017 | 2016 SP2 | 2016 SP1 | 2016 | 2014 SP2 | 2014 SP1 | 2014 | 2012 SP3 | 2012 SP2 | 2012 SP1 | 2012 | 2008 R2 SP2 | 2008 R2 SP1 | 2008 R2 RTM | 2008 | 2005 SP4 | 2005 SP3 | 2005 SP2 | 2005 SP1 | 2005 |
| Windows 10 | |
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| Windows 8.1 | |
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| Windows 8 | |
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| Windows 7 SP1 | |
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| Windows 7 | |
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| Windows Vista SP2 | |
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| Windows Vista SP1 | |
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| Windows Vista | |
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| Windows XP SP3 | |
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| Windows XP SP2 | |
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| Windows 2000 SP4 | |
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| Windows Server | 2019 | 2017 | 2016 SP2 | 2016 SP1 | 2016 | 2014 SP2 | 2014 SP1 | 2014 | 2012 SP3 | 2012 SP2 | 2012 SP1 | 2012 | 2008 R2 SP2 | 2008 R2 SP1 | 2008 R2 RTM | 2008 | 2005 SP4 | 2005 SP3 | 2005 SP2 | 2005 SP1 | 2005 |
| Windows Server 2019 | |
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| Windows Server 2016 | |
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| Windows Server 2012 R2 | |
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| Windows Server 2012 | |
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| Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 | |
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| Windows Server 2008 R2 | |
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| Windows Server 2008 SP2 | |
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| Windows Server 2008 | |
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| Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2 | |
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| Windows Server 2003 SP2 | |
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| Windows Server 2003 SP1 | |
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| Windows Server 2003 | |
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* not explicitly supported, but functional
Note: SQL Server 2019 (15.x) supports upgrade from the following versions of SQL Server:
- SQL Server 2012 (11.x) SP4 or later
- SQL Server 2014 (12.x) SP3 or later
- SQL Server 2016 (13.x) SP2 or later
- SQL Server 2017 (14.x)
For more information, visit Upgrades from Earlier Versions to SQL Server 2019 (15.x).
Once you start creating databases in SQL Server Express, don't forget that you still need to backup your databases. Sure, SQL Server databases are self monitoring and you don't need to run periodic compacts like you do to keep Microsoft Access databases healthy, but backups remain important for archival and disaster recovery reasons. SQL Server can't stop someone from entering bad data or accidentally deleting all your records. Transaction logs can help recover data, but if there are lots of transactions, that may be difficult to accomplish.
Here's our whitepaper to Automate the Backup of Your Microsoft SQL Server Express Databases.
We have a wide range of other papers and related SQL Server resources on the left border.
Topics include SQL Express on the Windows desktop, upsizing Access databases to SQL Server, SQL Server on the Azure Cloud, and other tips and techniques.
If you need help with SQL Server application development using Microsoft Visual Studio and related technologies, please contact us.
- Microsoft SQL Server Express Page
- SQL Server Technical Documentation
- SQL Server Migration Assistant (SSMA) for Access, Version 8.14 (32 and 64-bit versions)
- SQL Server Comparison of Editions including Enterprise vs. Express
- SQL Server Express Forum
- Free eBooks from Microsoft Press for SQL Server and other Microsoft Products
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