Microsoft SQL Server 2025 Express 2025.17.0.1000

SQL Server 2025 Express is the free edition of SQL Server 2025 (17.x), suitable for development and small production workloads. It now includes the components that previously required the Express with Advanced Services package and raises limits compared to earlier releases.

This package installs the Database Engine only. You can pass package parameters to control instance name, authentication mode, TCP/IP enablement/port, sysadmin accounts, and more.

Defaults

• Instance name: SQLEXPRESS
• Authentication: Windows-only
• TCP/IP: disabled (you can enable with --params)

Example

choco install sql-server-express -y \
  --params "'/InstanceName:SQLEXPRESS /SecurityMode:SQL /SaPassword:YourStrong!Passw0rd /TcpEnabled:true /TcpPort:1433 /SqlSysAdminAccounts:\"DOMAIN\\DBA-Team\" /EnableBrowser:true /OpenFirewall:true /Cleanup:true'"

Tip: You can pre-stage media and point the installer at it using /MediaPath:C:\\Media\\SQL2025\\ (folder with setup.exe), or a path to SQLEXPR_x64_ENU.exe.