Easy to get. Free to use.
* Available free for both development and deployment.
* Quickly build and deploy your database solution.
* Backup and restore with ease.
* Available with a graphical management tool, reporting capabilities, full-text search, and spatial support.
* Ideal for building Web sites and apps, small scale LOB solutions or for redistribution with ISV applications.
SQL Server Express is easy to get and free to use Powerful
* 10 GB database storage.
* The same advanced database engine as other versions of SQL Server.
* Compatible with all editions of SQL Server® 2008: Scales with your growing business needs.
* Compatible with the scalable, self-managed and multi-tenant cloud SQL Azure Database service.
SQL Server Express is Powerful Integrated
* Download the SQL Server Driver for PHP or check out the Community Preview version 2.0 which supports PHP Data Objects (PDO).
* Designed to work with Visual Studio and ASP.NET.
* Download the free PowerPivot for Excel and create amazing analysis and reports in Excel 2010.
* Synchronize with other SQL Server Databases using the Microsoft® Sync Framework.