License Verification for SQL Server Express Commercial Use on AWS EC2

Question

License Verification for SQL Server Express Commercial Use on AWS EC2

Seiji Yoshida (吉田誠司) 0

We are planning to install SQL Server Express Edition on an AWS EC2 instance running Windows Server and use it for commercial purposes. We would like to confirm whether this usage complies with the licensing terms.

Environment details:

Cloud platform: AWS EC2
OS: Windows Server
Database: SQL Server Express Edition (planned version: 2022)
Access method: Through application (Web/API), no direct login or RDP access

Questions:

Is it permitted to use SQL Server Express for commercial purposes under its license terms?
Are there any additional licenses or conditions required for this usage?

Thank you for your assistance.

3 answers

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Answer 1

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SQL Server Express Edition can be used for commercial purposes under its licensing terms. However, it is important to note that SQL Server Express has certain limitations, such as database size restrictions and lack of support for some advanced features that are available in other editions of SQL Server.

As for additional licenses or conditions, SQL Server Express is designed to be free to use, but you should ensure that your usage complies with the specific licensing terms provided by Microsoft. It's advisable to review the official licensing documentation or consult with Microsoft directly for any specific conditions that may apply to your use case, especially since you are deploying it in a cloud environment like AWS EC2.

References:

Seiji Yoshida (吉田誠司) 0 Reputation points

2025-11-27T05:07:08.27+00:00
I would like to confirm if there are any licensing restrictions when installing and using SQL Server 2022 Express Edition on an AWS EC2 instance running Windows Server for commercial purposes. From the EULA, it appears that Express Edition can be installed on any device and used commercially without additional cost, but I want to ensure that deploying it in a cloud environment such as AWS EC2 is fully compliant with Microsoft licensing terms.

Could you please confirm if:

Installing SQL Server 2022 Express on AWS EC2 (Windows Server) is allowed under the license terms?

There are no additional licensing requirements or limitations for this scenario?

Thank you for your clarification.
Seiji Yoshida (吉田誠司) 0 Reputation points

2025-11-27T05:18:36.4366667+00:00
I would like to confirm if there are any licensing restrictions when installing and using SQL Server 2022 Express Edition on an AWS EC2 instance running Windows Server for commercial purposes. From the EULA, it appears that Express Edition can be installed on any device and used commercially without additional cost, but I want to ensure that deploying it in a cloud environment such as AWS EC2 is fully compliant with Microsoft licensing terms.

Could you please confirm if:

Installing SQL Server 2022 Express on AWS EC2 (Windows Server) is allowed under the license terms?

There are no additional licensing requirements or limitations for this scenario?

Thank you for your clarification.
Erland Sommarskog 128.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-11-27T20:35:25.29+00:00

As I said yesterday, Express is fully licensed for production, and that includes AWS. I have never heard any special rules for AWS and other cloud services.

That said, this is a technical forum, and you cannot get authoritative answers about legal matters here. You would need to contact your local Microsoft office or contact a Microsoft licensing expert. They are available on (1-800-426-9400), Monday through Friday, 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM PST.

Answer 2

Erland Sommarskog 128.6K MVP Volunteer Moderator

Yes, SQL Server Express is licensed for production.

Answer 3

Shruti Dhruv 405 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi Seiji Yoshida (吉田誠司),

You can go through this documentation for details.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/sql-server/editions-and-components-of-sql-server-2025?view=sql-server-ver17&preserve-view=true

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=29693

Hope this helps!

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License Verification for SQL Server Express Commercial Use on AWS EC2

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