3.2 Determine Which Version of SQL Server to Use

  • If you do not already own SQL Server, you can use SQL Server Express. You can download SQL Server 2017 Express for free at: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sql-server/sql-server-editions-express. After downloading the software, proceed with “Install SQL Server Express.”

    IMPORTANT:We do not recommend that you install the Engine on the same server running SQL Server. If you will be using SQL Server Express, you can run it on the same server host, but you will most likely experience better performance if they are running on a separate server.

  • If you already own a version of SQL Server, proceed with Section 3.4, Install a New Instance of SQL Server.