Using SQL Server Express in production website

Sam Hobbs

Can SQL Server Express be used in a production ASP.Net Core website? I assume not. Is there a relatively simple way to do it?

I have a website I use only locally and only for myself and for educational purposes, so it is not really production. I have created a simple ASP.Net Core CRUD appliaiton. It works great using a debug build. When I publish it to my website, it cannot find SQL Server.

I know I have at least the following options.

Use a debug build for my website
Install the developer's version of SQL Server
Use a different DB, such as SQLIte

I just want to confirm that there is not an easy way to use SQL Server Express for this before I switch to an alternative such as the preceding.

5 Replies

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Nitin Sontakke4y ago
Hosted locally? Please go ahead and use SQL Express.

No need to take localdb path.

If you are already using it successfully, and if your question is ONLY related with licensing, then yes, you absolutely can use it.
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Sam Hobbs4y ago

See:

Using LocalDB with Full IIS, Part 1: User Profile
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/blogs/sqlexpress/using-localdb-with-full-iis-part-1-user-profile

And Part 2 of that. The answer is that it is not easy.

Sam Hobbs4y ago
I said I use only locally and I mean it is hosted only locally.
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Nitin Sontakke4y ago
You ABSOLUTELY can use SQL Server Express in production environments, if it's limitations (such as 10gb max db size) is acceptable to you.

Where is site hosted? Your ISP should be the one who should be providing the db as a part of your hosting plan.

For example, see this one https://www.grabweb.in/hosting/windows-hosting-india/ (from India)
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Vishal Yelve4y ago
Yes, you can use express edition both for prod and non-prod use. Express edition is free to use for commercial purposes

Please check the below link

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/146208/can-i-use-sql-server-express-edition-for-productio.html

https://logicalread.com/sql-server-express-as-a-production-database/#.YwMRUnZBxnI
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