Microsoft SQL Server 2016 Express on Windows Server 2016 Reviews & Product Details

I've always loved Microsoft SQL Server, and for .NET developers it is an excellent choice of database engine. The Express version is the lightest form but can still be managed through SSMS, however is more license-friendly and this combination - SQL Server 2016 Express on Windows Server 2016 - makes a lot of sense for a data-driven website platform, for example. You can host it outside your organisation and know your .NET apps will run reliably and robustly, your developers and DBAs can work with the data easily, and your licensing costs are reduced. SQL Server 2016 is where Microsoft added a lot of great features like query store and in-memory facilities. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

On the downside, if you're hosting this product outside your environment and rely on a third-party provider there is, of course, a licensing fee for Windows Server 2016 and SQL Server 2016 Express, compared to open-source options like Linux and MySQL.

Additionally, the way SQL Server Express installs itself can lead to some developers or administrators inadvertently creating database servers like hostname\sqlexpress instead of simply hostname. It's important to be careful when setting it up to ensure you do so in the way you really want. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The installation process is very simple. Replication is easy to configure and understand unlike other flavours of SQL. The management tool SSMS is very mature and comes with functionality to help you administrate your clusters. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

There is nothing to dislike about the product. The one thing to consider though is the pricing, which can be quite expensive for small to medium businesses. It's best to obtain using enterprise agreement with MS. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.