| Feature | Express | Developer | Standard | Enterprise | |----------|----------|-----------|----------|------------| | | Free | Free (non‑prod) | Paid | Paid | | Max DB size | 10 GB | Unlimited | 524 PB | Unlimited | | Max RAM | 1.4 GB | OS max | 128 GB | OS max | | Max CPU cores | 4 (or 1 socket) | OS max | 24 (limited) | OS max | | SQL Agent | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | | Always On AGs | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Basic (2 replicas) | ✅ Full | | Production use allowed | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
You cannot use it in a production environment. It is strictly for development and testing purposes. Comparison at a Glance Express Edition Developer Edition Standard/Enterprise Cost Paid (Per Core or CAL) Production Use No Max DB Size Max RAM System Limit System Limit SQL Agent When Do You Have to Start Paying? is microsoft sql server free
: This is the free version for production use in small-scale applications. | Feature | Express | Developer | Standard
Once your Express database hits that limit, it will stop growing unless you upgrade. : This is the free version for production