Free SQL Server Developer Edition Is Mostly for Demos

• SQL Server Developer edition is free for development and test use.
• Because the product requires other non-free technologies like Windows, use of Developer edition outside of Visual Studio/MSDN Platforms subscriptions offers limited value.
• Organizations should ensure they are aware of where and how Developer edition is being used to avoid licensing penalties due to misuse.

Most organizations license SQL Server for development and test purposes using Per-User Visual Studio (VS) and Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Platforms subscriptions, as these subscriptions include all the development and test tools and other software needed for development, test, prototyping, and demonstration purposes. SQL Server Developer edition is a feature-identical but rules-constrained release of the commercial product, intended solely for dev/test purposes. These products are included in VS/MSDN Platforms subscriptions and available for free download outside of VS/MSDN Platforms. Use of these free downloads is not without risk, and organizations should ensure users are educated about which uses are permissible to avoid compliance issues. Although earlier versions of SQL Server always shipped Developer editions that were feature identical to Enterprise edition, SQL Server 2025 continues this practice but adds a new version of Developer edition derived from Standard edition as well.