| Feature | Developer Edition | Express Edition | Enterprise (Production) | |---------|------------------|----------------|--------------------------| | | Free | Free | $7,000+ per core | | Max Database Size | 524 PB (theoretical) | 10 GB | Unlimited | | Max Memory | OS Maximum | 1.4 GB | OS Maximum | | Max CPU Cores | OS Maximum | 4 cores | OS Maximum | | Enterprise Features | ✅ All | ❌ None | ✅ All | | Allowed for Production | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
The most critical aspect of the Developer Edition is its licensing. While it is from the Microsoft SQL Server Downloads page, it comes with strict usage rights: sql server developer edition