Microsoft SQL Server 2016 Download Free: A Comprehensive Guide

Microsoft provides a range of sample databases for SQL Server 2016, including WideWorldImporters and AdventureWorks. For developers who have registered at the Visual Studio My Benefits portal, there is an opportunity to download SQL Server 2016 Developer edition free for non-production uses. This edition has all the features of Enterprise Edition and does not come with a limited usage period like Evaluation Edition.

To get started, you can download SQL Server 2016 Evaluation Edition from Microsoft TechNet Evaluation Center or SQL Server 2016 Developer Edition from Visual Studio Dev Essentials. Before downloading and installing SQL Server 2016 on your computer, make sure to check the operating system requirements listed at the end of this page.

Once you have downloaded the SQL Server setup binaries, you can follow the step-by-step SQL Server 2016 installation guide. However, keep in mind that the Evaluation Edition has a limited period of use - just 180 days. This is one disadvantage compared to Developer Edition, which is free for development purposes and comes with all features introduced by Enterprise Edition.

In addition to the Evaluation Edition, you can also choose to install SQL Server 2016 Developer Edition, which is distributed via Evaluation Center and is the final release of SQL Server 2016 (also known as RTM release). Data professionals can evaluate the free public available SQL Server 2016 download from Microsoft TechNet Evaluation Center.

In summary, downloading SQL Server 2016 for free is a great opportunity for developers to get started with this powerful database management system. With the Developer Edition, you'll have access to all the features of Enterprise Edition without any limitations. Whether you're looking to evaluate or develop, there's an edition of SQL Server 2016 that suits your needs.

Microsoft sql server 2016 download free