The difference between SQL Server 2005 Express and Developer Edition?

VS 2005 Professional comes with SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition, I'm wondering if I install the Developer Edition, does that mean I don't need to install the Express Edition?

What is the difference between SQL Server 2005 Express Edition and SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition?


Thanks

Developer edition is basiclly Enterprise which can be installed on XP Pro SP2 (has a few limits like memory and CPU.  and of course limited on the license to development / test environments).

Express is a cut down version of SQL Server. Like MSDB was for 2000.

If you install Developer you don't need Express,  on my machine at work I have 2000, Express and 2005 but thats because VS 2005 installed express for me.  Should really turn off the service, but i keep forgetting.

Even tho Developer edition isn't listed on the site, keep in mine it is closer to Enterprise than any of the others.


http://www.microsoft.com/sql/prodinfo/features/compare-features.mspx


Hope this helps......

I'm not sure about the Express edition, but from what I understand, the Developer Edition is a full featured edition with minimal CAL's. It's meant for use in a development environment, and not a production environment, so it restricts the number of connections.

AFAIK (Don't quote me) the Express has a connection limit of 25 and is designed for low-end apps / websites.

The others have answered it really. "Express" is the free lightweight version. "Developer" is the full Enterprise version with all the bells and whistles for developers to work against but limited in terms of CALs.

Ordinarily if you can get hold of it Developer Edition is the version to install, with one exception: Team Foundation Server doesn't support it and you need the Standard, Professional or Enterprise edition for that.

Everyone has pretty much covered everything.  I would add that if you plan on deploying to an Express install, develop against Express.  If you plan to deploy against SQL Standard or SQL Enterprise, develop against SQL Developer Edition (unless you can afford the exact version you will be deploying against or have a spare copy).

Do you know the connection limits of Express and Developer?

All replies were right, and i add these from microsoft website.

SQL Server 2005 Express Edition is free to download, has no time limits, and is freely redistributable (with registration). With a database size limit of 4 gigabytes (GB) and support for 1 CPU and up to 1 GB of RAM, SQL Server 2005 Express Edition is suitable for application embedding or lightweight application development.

You can download the Express Edition and register for distribution rights, for more information please goto below :
http://www.microsoft.com/sql/downloads/trial-software.mspx

To my understanding, the MS SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition has all the same features as the very expensive and fully featured SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition, but is to be used by developers to test their software. Are there any limitations to the Developer Edition? What keeps a user from the not using the Developer Edition instead of the Enterprise Edition besides the fact that it might be morally wrong? Does Microsoft have limitations in place or ways of telling if it the Developer Edition is being used for commercial purposes?

The license prevents commercial use.

Do you want to shoot yourself in the foot by asking for limitations?

What do you mean do I wan to shoot myself in the foot for limitations? I want to know what the limitations are, and what prevents it from being used commerically besides the fact that Microsoft states that its legally wrong to use commerically. Are their any software limits in place to test such a thing?

I have a billing system I want to test out that will have many users login, and will have a bigger database than what the express edition allows. I want to test it out on the Developer edition before I by the enterprise, and want to make sure its up to speed, so I need to know the limitations.

Thank you,
Kyle  

kylelc23 wrote:

Wh I want to test it out on the Developer edition before I by the enterprise, and want to make sure its up to speed, so I need to know the limitations.

Because I want to evaluate it for more than 180 days. Lets set aside what I want to do with it, and just ask what are the limitations in general for the developer edition?

I think that the problem has sense just against what your customer wants to pay!!

You can develop inside VS but it is better you activate the right SQL2005 edition: right for your customer needs!!

It is unusefull to develop under Dev edition using tools requiring AS or IS or worse BI if your customer won't pay for an enterprise edition

So you can activate the minimal Sql server your customer will use and you test your work under that edition

Hi,
Has anyone tried an in-place upgrade from SQL Server 2005 Developer to Standard Edition?

It apears to be a valid upgrade path according to this:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143393.aspx

Is it just a case of changing the registered licensing info? (I presume all the functionality for Standard exists in the Developer Edition) Or is it a reinstall job?

I want to use a dev license for development on the server, then once its finished, just leave it in place on the box and upgrade the licensing to standard edition. (The client doesn't yet have a Standard License, but does have a Dev License - and wants me to start right away!)

If its going to boil down to having to do a full re-installation then I should get a Standard license from the start, if its just a minor license key change, then I can use a Dev license straight away!

Not sure why others are telling you to steer away from express. Express is a great product, free with limitations being what were pointed out: memory 4gb, 1cpu. There are no connection limits.

Express is SQL Server 2005. Its designed to be a building block for solutions, as the solution demand grows large enough to warrant, a company can purchase the full Enterprise license.

I work with a firm that has a product that runs on Access FE (forms/reports) and SQL 2000/2005 BE (sp's, views, tables), and am still in the learning process on the SQL side.  I don't dare ask if they will let me install their license on my machine, but considering to ask if I can install their Developer 2005 version.  They are a "Microsoft Partner". 

I think Express is out of the question, as it doesn't contain the bells and whistles that are in Standard+ editions.  As I understand it, the Developer's version is just like Enterprise with the limitation of only 1 CAL.  Does that mean only 1 concurrent user or only 1 user -- can it have multiple user IDs in the user list, and allows only 1 user to be connected to the server at a time?  The BE databases I wish to learn from and troubleshoot-while-learning will have 1 to many users defined.  Perhaps 1-CPU is another limitation? Which is no biggy, as I am not looking for "production server" speed.

In short, I'm looking for the edition that will be as close of match to the Enterprise Edition, but for use by me alone.  Still having the ability to generate objects as in Enterprise, and execute same on the Enterprise edition. 

If the Developer Edition meets my requirements, the price is so good I'll buy it myself if my firm won't let me install it - they should, as I would only be using it for their product.

Thanks for reading, and any additional comments/information will be very welcomed.

fdcusa wrote:



In short, I'm looking for the edition that will be as close of match to the Enterprise Edition, but for use by me alone.  Still having the ability to generate objects as in Enterprise, and execute same on the Enterprise edition.