The free version of SQL Server 2005 is the “Express” edition. Its a cut down
version of SQL Server 2005 and is ideal as an upgrade from Access, for desktop
use or small multi-user databases. Its not designed for large scale production
use, and comes with a number of limitations. The most notable limitations are:
| SQL Server 2005 Express Edition Limitations | |
|---|---|
| CPU | 1 CPU |
| RAM | Maximum 1 GB |
| Database Size | Maximum 4 GB |
| Operating Systems | Windows Server 2003 SP1 / 2000 SP4 / XP SP2 / Vista (Requires SQL Server 2005 SP2) |
While Express edition will install on a machine with multiple CPUs and
more than 1GB of RAM it will not use the additional hardware. To increase
the performance of express through additional CPUs and RAM you need to
upgrade to Workstation, Standard or Enterprise edition.
Additional features of SQL Server 2005 that are limited or not available in
the Express edition:
| SQL Server 2005 Express Edition | |
|---|---|
| Full Text Search | Only in Express Advanced Services |
| Reporting Services | Only in Express Advanced Services |
| Management Studio |
Only in |
| SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) | No |
| Partitioned Tables | No |
| Indexed Views | No |
| Database Mirroring | No |
| Profiler | No |
| Database Tuning Advisor | No |
| SQL Agent Job Scheduling | No |
| Notification Services | No |
| Web Services (HTTP Endpoints) | No |
| Service Broker | May be a Client only |
| Transational Replication | May be a Subscriber only |
| Merge Replication | May be a Subscriber only |
More information on
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition can be found in the
product page.
For a full list of
SQL Server 2005 Express Features.
See how Express compares to other versions of SQL Server 2005.
See how the Express and Express Advanced Services compare.