sql server developer edition

If you want to cut the cost of IT in terms of licensing so one thing is highly recommended which is you can consider purchasing sql server 2012 developer edition license for your test environment.
Actually SQL server 2012 developer version is full feature version by Microsoft for development and testing purpose only, this release is not for production. And eventually you are cutting cost in terms of licensing otherwise you have to buy all licenses for development and test environment but please note this- databases can't be deployed on production, - let’s say you have developed application based on SQL server and you want to test it so you can consider buying development version. Whereas Express edition is basic model of free version people has been using it but you can consider developer edition for such kind of need.
 SQL Server Developer version will help you learning sql server or ideal for sql server training – having  full feature without paying any cost and build full fledge database driven business application test it once you are confident with the result then you can invest in licensing.
What developer version includes or sql server developer edition limitations are - let me elaborate,  it includes sql server management studio, sql profiler etc, whereas SQL Express edition does not include such tools, Microsoft has released Express version because people thinks that it’s a replacement of MSDE.
Whereas SQL express edition is coming with limited functionality for example high availability is not found in express edition anyways. 
There is a difference between express edition and sql server developer edition ,  it only can be used with production environment whereas Developer edition cannot be used in inside production.

For example feature wise, SQL Server 2012 developer edition has same feature as SQL server 2012 enterprise server has.

You can buy SQL Server developer edition from Microsoft site easily, it also supported with sharepoint this means if you have SharePoint farm with sharepoint 2013 and sql server 2012 so can do this by adding a sql server developer edition into your development environment and make a farm for testing purpose.

Sql Server Developer version has analysis services, integration services, and other feature as you find them in sql server 2012 full version or the enterprise version.

If you think you can deploy it on production and take full advantages because it’s more like you are working with toy.

Only thing which is important to understand you cannot deploy databases in your production farms using sql server developer edition.

Web SQL Server

If you are working with internet facing website and trying to find out which is best available database you should  use for your site, basically Microsoft has also launched another version of SQL Server for small and medium size business for those people who has limited budget and want to do much more on internet, so Microsoft SQL Server Web edition may be the best venue for them.
Take a look at full featured offered by Microsoft with Web SQL Server  or you could say Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Web Edition:

• ·         Web SQL Server Edition support 4 cpu’s with web workload only.
• ·         Web SQL Server Edition utilize OS memory.
• ·         Database size supports 524 PB.
• ·         32 bit /64 bits hardware support
• ·         High availability is partial

• ·         Log shipping is a mechanism that automatically sends transaction backup from a primary database on a primary server instance to another database on separate server – this functionality is supported in Web SQL Server R2.

• ·         Fail-over clustering is not supported in SSR2W.

• ·         Automatic page repair during a database mirroring is not supported.
• ·         Change tracking feature is available in SQL WEB edition as it’s available in sql standard, workgroup and enterprise edition.

• ·         C2 audit option for tracking failed and access attempt to object is available
• ·         Hypervisor support, Database migration tool, policy based management, sql server management studio tools are available in web edition as they are available in enterprise, standard and workgroup version.

• ·         Reporting service manager and reporting designer is available in this edition.
• ·         Basic data profiling, export report to pdf, word format and images features are available.
• ·         Pro-grammatically you can do anything you want – so please read Microsoft Manual and SDK for that. 

SQL Server 2008 Web Edition:

Sql server 2008 web edition is designed for small business because of cost and actually this is far cheaper than standard edition where you have to pay more amount and feature is far better than express edition- so people and small business finding ways to reduce cost of database driven website can use sql server for web and design website that would be database drive.
There is no size limit of database where you would have this limit in express edition.

Please let us know you if there is any other feature which is missing.

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