Editions and supported features – SQL Server 2016

Editions and supported features of SQL Server 2016

In this article

Applies to:
SQL Server 2016 (13.x) and later versions

This article provides details of features supported by the SQL Server editions.

For information about other versions, see:

Installation requirements vary based on your application needs. The different editions of SQL Server accommodate the unique performance, runtime, and price requirements of organizations and individuals. The SQL Server components that you install also depend on your specific requirements. The following sections help you understand how to make the best choice among the editions and components available in SQL Server.

The SQL Server Evaluation edition is available for a 180-day trial period.

For the latest release notes and what’s new information, see the following:

Try SQL Server


Download SQL Server 2016 from the Evaluation Center


Spin up a Virtual Machine with SQL Server 2016 already installed

SQL Server editions

The following table describes the editions of SQL Server.

Edition
Definition

Enterprise
The premium offering, SQL Server Enterprise edition delivers comprehensive high-end datacenter capabilities with blazing-fast performance, unlimited virtualization 1, and end-to-end business intelligence, enabling high service levels for mission-critical workloads and end-user access to data insights.

Standard
SQL Server Standard edition delivers basic data management and business intelligence database for departments and small organizations to run their applications and supports common development tools for on-premises and cloud, enabling effective database management with minimal IT resources.

Web
SQL Server Web edition is a low total-cost-of-ownership option for Web hosters (including choosing Web edition on IaaS on Azure) and Web VAPs to provide scalability, affordability, and manageability capabilities for small to large-scale Web properties.

Developer
SQL Server Developer edition lets developers build any kind of application on top of SQL Server. It includes all the functionality of Enterprise edition, but is licensed for use as a development and test system, not as a production server. SQL Server Developer is an ideal choice for people who build and test applications.

Express edition
SQL Server Express edition is the entry-level, free database and is ideal for learning and building desktop and small server data-driven applications. It is the best choice for independent software vendors, developers, and hobbyists building client applications. If you need more advanced database features, SQL Server Express can be seamlessly upgraded to other higher end versions of SQL Server. SQL Server Express LocalDB is a lightweight version of Express edition that has all of its programmability features, runs in user mode and has a fast, zero-configuration installation and a short list of prerequisites.

1 Unlimited virtualization is available on Enterprise edition for customers with Software Assurance. Deployments must comply with the licensing guide. For more information, see our pricing and licensing page.

Use SQL Server with an Internet server

On an Internet server, such as a server that is running Internet Information Services (IIS), you will typically install the SQL Server client tools. Client tools include the client connectivity components used by an application connecting to an instance of SQL Server.

Note

Although you can install an instance of SQL Server on a computer that is running IIS, this is typically done only for small web sites that have a single server computer. Most Web sites have their middle-tier IIS systems on one server or a cluster of servers, and their databases on a separate server or federation of servers.

SQL Server with client/server applications

You can install just the SQL Server client components on a computer that is running client/server applications that connect directly to an instance of SQL Server. A client components installation is also a good option if you administer an instance of SQL Server on a database server, or if you plan to develop SQL Server applications.

The client tools option installs the following SQL Server features: backward compatibility components, SQL Server Data Tools, connectivity components, management tools, software development kit, and SQL Server Books Online components. For more information, see Install SQL Server.

Decide among SQL Server components

Use the Feature Selection page of the SQL Server Installation Wizard to select the components to include in an installation of SQL Server. By default, none of the features in the tree are selected.

Use the information in the following tables to determine the set of features that best fits your needs.

Server components
Description

SQL Server Database Engine
SQL Server Database Engine includes the Database Engine, the core service for storing, processing, and securing data, replication, full-text search, tools for managing relational and XML data, in database analytics integration, and PolyBase integration for access to Hadoop and other heterogeneous data sources, and the Data Quality Services (DQS) server.

Analysis Services
Analysis Services includes the tools for creating and managing online analytical processing (OLAP) and data mining applications.

Reporting Services
Reporting Services includes server and client components for creating, managing, and deploying tabular, matrix, graphical, and free-form reports. Reporting Services is also an extensible platform that you can use to develop report applications.

Integration Services
Integration Services is a set of graphical tools and programmable objects for moving, copying, and transforming data. It also includes the Data Quality Services (DQS) component for Integration Services.

Master Data Services
Master Data Services (MDS) is the SQL Server solution for master data management. MDS can be configured to manage any domain (products, customers, accounts) and includes hierarchies, granular security, transactions, data versioning, and business rules, as well as an Add-in for Excel that can be used to manage data.

R Services (In-Database)
R Services (In-Database) supports distributed, scalable R solutions on multiple platforms and using multiple enterprise data sources, including Linux, Hadoop, and Teradata.

Management tools
Description

SQL Server Management Studio
SQL Server Management Studio is an integrated environment to access, configure, manage, administer, and develop components of SQL Server. Management Studio lets developers and administrators of all skill levels use SQL Server.

Download and install
Management Studio from Download SQL Server Management Studio

SQL Server Configuration Manager
SQL Server Configuration Manager provides basic configuration management for SQL Server services, server protocols, client protocols, and client aliases.

SQL Server Profiler
SQL Server Profiler provides a graphical user interface to monitor an instance of the Database Engine or Analysis Services.

Database Engine Tuning Advisor
Database Engine Tuning Advisor helps create optimal sets of indexes, indexed views, and partitions.

Data Quality Client
Provides a highly simple and intuitive graphical user interface to connect to the DQS server, and perform data cleansing operations. It also allows you to centrally monitor various activities performed during the data cleansing operation.

SQL Server Data Tools
SQL Server Data Tools provides an IDE for building solutions for the Business Intelligence components: Analysis Services, Reporting Services, and Integration Services.

(Formerly called Business Intelligence Development Studio).

SQL Server Data Tools also includes “Database Projects”, which provides an integrated environment for database developers to carry out all their database design work for any SQL Server platform (both on and off premise) within Visual Studio. Database developers can use the enhanced Server Explorer in Visual Studio to easily create or edit database objects and data, or execute queries.

Connectivity Components
Installs components for communication between clients and servers, and network libraries for DB-Library, ODBC, and OLE DB.

Documentation
Description

SQL Server Books Online
Core documentation for SQL Server.

Developer and Evaluation Editions
For features supported by Developer and Evaluation editions, see features listed for the SQL Server Enterprise Edition in the tables below.

The Developer edition continues to support only 1 client for SQL Server Distributed Replay.

Scale limits

Feature
Enterprise
Standard
Web
Express
with
Advanced
Services
Express

Maximum compute capacity used by a single instance – SQL Server Database Engine1
Operating system maximum
Limited to lesser of 4 sockets or 24 cores
Limited to lesser of 4 sockets or 16 cores
Limited to lesser of 1 socket or 4 cores
Limited to lesser of 1 socket or 4 cores

Maximum compute capacity used by a single instance – Analysis Services or Reporting Services
Operating system maximum
Limited to lesser of 4 sockets or 24 cores
Limited to lesser of 4 sockets or 16 cores
Limited to lesser of 1 socket or 4 cores
Limited to lesser of 1 socket or 4 cores

Maximum memory for buffer pool per instance of SQL Server Database Engine
Operating System Maximum
128 GB
64 GB
1410 MB
1410 MB

Maximum capacity for buffer pool extension per instance of SQL Server Database Engine
32 * (max server memory configuration)
4 * (max server memory configuration)
N/A
N/A
N/A

Maximum memory for Columnstore segment cache per instance of SQL Server Database Engine
Unlimited memory
32 GB 2
16 GB 2
352 MB 2
352 MB 2

Maximum memory-optimized data size per database in SQL Server Database Engine
Unlimited memory
32 GB 2
16 GB 2
352 MB 2
352 MB 2

Maximum memory utilized per instance of Analysis Services
Operating System Maximum
Tabular: 16 GB

MOLAP: 64 GB
N/A
N/A
N/A

Maximum memory utilized per instance of Reporting Services
Operating System Maximum
64 GB
64 GB
4 GB
N/A

Maximum relational database size
524 PB
524 PB
524 PB
10 GB
10 GB

1 Enterprise Edition with Server + Client Access License (CAL) based licensing (not available for new agreements) is limited to a maximum of 20 cores per SQL Server instance. There are no limits under the Core-based Server Licensing model. For more information, see Compute Capacity Limits by Edition of SQL Server.

2 Applies to SQL Server 2016 (13.x) SP1 as part of creating a common programmability surface area (CPSA) across editions.

RDBMS high availability

Feature
Enterprise
Standard
Web
Express
with
Advanced
Services
Express

Server core support 1
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Log shipping
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No

Database mirroring
Yes

Yes4
Yes 5
Yes 5
Yes 5

Backup compression
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

Database snapshot
Yes

Yes 3
Yes 3
Yes 3
Yes 3

Always On failover cluster instances
16 nodes
2 nodes
No
No
No

Always On availability groups
Yes

Up to 8 secondary replicas, including 2 synchronous secondary replicas
No
No
No
No

Basic availability groups 2
No

2 nodes
No
No
No

Online page and file restore
Yes
No
No
No
No

Online indexing
Yes
No
No
No
No

Online schema change
Yes
No
No
No
No

Fast recovery
Yes
No
No
No
No

Mirrored backups
Yes
No
No
No
No

Hot add memory and CPU
Yes
No
No
No
No

Database recovery advisor
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Encrypted backup
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

Hybrid backup to Azure (backup to URL)
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

1 For more information on installing SQL Server on Server Core, see Install SQL Server on Server Core.

2 For more information about Basic availability groups, see Basic Availability Groups.

3 Applies to SQL Server 2016 SP1 as part of creating a common programmability surface area (CPSA) across editions.

4 Full Safety only.

5 Witness only.

RDBMS scalability and performance

Feature
Enterprise
Standard
Web
Express
with
Advanced
Services
Express

Columnstore 1
Yes

Yes 2
Yes 2
Yes 2
Yes 2

In-Memory OLTP 1
Yes

Yes 2
Yes 2
Yes 2, 3
Yes 2

Stretch Database
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Persistent Main Memory
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Multi-instance support
50
50
50
50
50

Table and index partitioning
Yes

Yes 2
Yes 2
Yes 2
Yes 2

Data compression
Yes

Yes 2
Yes 2
Yes 2
Yes 2

Resource Governor
Yes
No
No
No
No

Partitioned Table Parallelism
Yes

Yes 2
Yes 2
Yes 2
Yes 2

Multiple Filestream containers
Yes

Yes 2
Yes 2
Yes 2
Yes 2

NUMA Aware Large Page Memory and Buffer Array Allocation
Yes

No 4
No
No
No

Buffer Pool Extension
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

I/O Resource Governance
Yes
No
No
No
No

Read-Ahead
Yes
No
No
No
No

Advanced Scanning
Yes
No
No
No
No

Delayed Durability
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

1 In-Memory OLTP data size and Columnstore segment cache are limited to the amount of memory specified by edition in the Scale Limits section. The max degree of parallelism is limited. The degree of process parallelism (DOP) for an index build is limited to 2 DOP for the Standard Edition and 1 DOP for the Web and Express Editions. This refers to columnstore indexes created over disk-based tables and memory-optimized tables.

2 Applies to SQL Server 2016 (13.x) SP1 as part of creating a Common Programmability Surface Area (CPSA) across editions. Aggregate Pushdown, String Predicate Pushdown, and SIMD Optimizations are SQL Server Enterprise Edition scalability enhancements. For more detail, see Columnstore indexes – what’s new.

3 This feature isn’t included in the LocalDB installation option.

4 Standard Edition and SQL Server + CAL-based licensing can restrict how many processors SQL Server Standard can use, but SQL Server Standard is NUMA aware.

RDBMS security

Feature
Enterprise
Standard
Web
Express
Express
with
Advanced
Services

Row-level security
Yes
Yes

Yes 1
Yes 1
Yes 1

Always Encrypted
Yes

Yes 1
Yes 1
Yes 1
Yes 1

Dynamic data masking
Yes
Yes

Yes 1
Yes 1
Yes 1

Server audit
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Database audit
Yes

Yes 1
Yes 1
Yes 1
Yes 1

Transparent database encryption
Yes
No
No
No
No

Extensible key management
Yes
No
No
No
No

User-defined roles
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Contained databases
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Encryption for backups
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

1 Applies to SQL Server 2016 (13.x) SP1 as part of creating a common programmability surface area (CPSA) across editions.

Replication

Feature
Enterprise
Standard
Web
Express
with
Advanced
Services
Express

Heterogeneous subscribers
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

Merge replication
Yes
Yes

Yes 1
Yes 1
Yes 1

Oracle publishing
Yes
No
No
No
No

Peer to peer transactional replication
Yes
No
No
No
No

Snapshot replication
Yes
Yes

Yes 1
Yes 1
Yes 1

SQL Server change tracking
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Transactional replication
Yes
Yes

Yes 1
Yes 1
Yes 1

Transactional replication to Azure
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

Transactional replication updatable subscription
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

1 Subscriber only.

Management tools

Feature
Enterprise
Standard
Web
Express
with
Advanced
Services
Express

SQL Management Objects (SMO)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

SQL Configuration Manager
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

SQL CMD (Command Prompt tool)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Distributed Replay – Admin Tool
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No

Distribute Replay – Client
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No

Distributed Replay – Controller
Up to 16 clients
1 client
1 client
No
No

SQL Profiler
Yes
Yes

No 1
No 1
No 1

SQL Server Agent
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No

Microsoft System Center Operations Manager Management Pack
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No

Database Tuning Advisor (DTA)
Yes

Yes 2
Yes 2
No
No

1 SQL Server Web, SQL Server Express, SQL Server Express with Tools, and SQL Server Express with Advanced Services can be profiled using SQL Server Standard and SQL Server Enterprise editions.

2 Tuning enabled only on Standard edition features

RDBMS manageability

Feature
Enterprise
Standard
Web
Express
with
Advanced
Services
Express

User instances
No
No
No
Yes
Yes

LocalDB
No
No
No
Yes
No

Dedicated admin connection
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes 3
Yes 3

PowerShell scripting support
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

SysPrep support 1
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Support for data-tier application component operations – extract, deploy, upgrade, delete
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Policy automation (check on schedule and change)
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No

Performance data collector
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No

Able to enroll as a managed instance in multi-instance management
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No

Standard performance reports
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No

Plan guides and plan freezing for plan guides
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No

Direct query of indexed views (using NOEXPAND hint)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Automatic indexed views maintenance
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No

Distributed partitioned views
Yes
No
No
No
No

Parallel indexed operations
Yes
No
No
No
No

Automatic use of indexed view by query optimizer
Yes
No
No
No
No

Parallel consistency check
Yes
No
No
No
No

SQL Server Utility Control Point
Yes
No
No
No
No

Buffer pool extension
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

1 For more information, see Considerations for Installing SQL Server Using SysPrep.

2 Applies to SQL Server 2016 (13.x) SP1 as part of creating a common programmability surface area (CPSA) across editions.

3 With trace flag.

Feature
Enterprise
Standard
Web
Express
with
Advanced
Services
Express

Microsoft Visual Studio integration
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Intellisense (Transact-SQL and MDX)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No

MDX edit, debug, and design tools
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

Programmability

Feature
Enterprise
Standard
Web
Express
with
Advanced
Services
Express

Basic R integration
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No

Advanced R integration
Yes
No
No
No
No

R Server (Standalone)
Yes
No
No
No
No

PolyBase compute node
Yes

Yes 1
Yes 1, 2
Yes 1, 2
Yes 1, 2

PolyBase head node
Yes
No
No
No
No

JSON
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Query Store
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Temporal
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Common Language Runtime (CLR) Integration
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Native XML support
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

XML indexing
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

MERGE and UPSERT capabilities
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

FILESTREAM support
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

FileTable
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Date and Time datatypes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Internationalization support
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Full-text and semantic search
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No

Specification of language in query
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No

Service Broker (messaging)
Yes
Yes

No 3
No 3
No 3

Transact-SQL endpoints
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No

1 Scale out with multiple compute nodes requires a head node.

2 Applies to SQL Server 2016 (13.x) SP1 as part of creating a common programmability surface area (CPSA) across editions.

3 Client only.

Integration Services

For info about the Integration Services (SSIS) features supported by the editions of SQL Server, see Integration Services Features Supported by the Editions of SQL Server.

Master Data Services

For information about the Master Data Services and Data Quality Services features supported by the editions of SQL Server, see Master Data Services and Data Quality Services Features Supported by the Editions of SQL Server.

Data warehouse

Feature
Enterprise
Standard
Web
Express
with
Advanced
Services
Express

Create cubes without a database
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

Autogenerate staging and data warehouse schema
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

Change data capture
Yes

Yes 1
No
No
No

Star join query optimizations
Yes
No
No
No
No

Scalable read-only Analysis Services configuration
Yes
No
No
No
No

Parallel query processing on partitioned tables and indexes
Yes
No
No
No
No

Global batch aggregation
Yes
No
No
No
No

1 Applies to SQL Server 2016 (13.x) SP1 as part of creating a common programmability surface area (CPSA) across editions.

Analysis Services

For information about the Analysis Services features supported by the editions of SQL Server, see Analysis Services Features Supported by the Editions of SQL Server.

BI semantic model (multidimensional)

For information about the Analysis Services features supported by the editions of SQL Server, see Analysis Services Features Supported by the Editions of SQL Server.

BI semantic model (tabular)

For information about the Analysis Services features supported by the editions of SQL Server, see Analysis Services Features Supported by the Editions of SQL Server.

Power Pivot for SharePoint

For information about the Power Pivot for SharePoint features supported by the editions of SQL Server, see Analysis Services Features Supported by the Editions of SQL Server.

Data mining

For information about the data mining features supported by the editions of SQL Server, see Analysis Services Features Supported by the Editions of SQL Server.

Reporting Services

For information about the Reporting Services features supported by the editions of SQL Server, see Reporting Services Features Supported by the Editions of SQL Server.

Business intelligence clients

For information about the Business Intelligence Client features supported by the editions of SQL Server, see Analysis Services Features Supported by the Editions of SQL Server or Reporting Services Features Supported by the Editions of SQL Server.

Spatial and location services

Feature
Enterprise
Standard
Web
Express
with
Advanced
Services
Express

Spatial indexes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Planar and geodetic datatypes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Advanced spatial libraries
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Import/export of industry-standard spatial data formats
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Additional database services

Feature
Enterprise
Standard
Web
Express
with
Advanced
Services
Express

SQL Server Migration Assistant
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Database mail
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No

Other components

Feature
Enterprise
Standard
Web
Express
with
Advanced
Services
Express

StreamInsight
StreamInsight Premium Edition
StreamInsight Standard Edition
StreamInsight Standard Edition
No
No

StreamInsight HA
StreamInsight Premium Edition
No
No
No
No


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See also