Link:SQL SERVER – Difference Between SQL Server Compact Edition (CE) and SQL Server Express
Edition
I often received question regarding what are difference between SQL Server Compact Edition (CE) and SQL Server Express Edition. In one line – SQL Server CE is for mobile application and embaded systems where as SQL Server Express Edition is limited feature light version of SQL Server Standard.
| SQL Server Compact Edition | SQL Server Express Edition |
| ClickOnce Deployment | ClickOnce Deployment |
| Installed centrally with an MSI | Installed centrally with an MSI |
| XML storage | XML storage |
| Transact-SQL | Transact-SQL |
| Subscriber for merge replication | Subscriber for merge replication |
| Simple transactions | Simple transactions |
| Database size support – 4GB | Database size support – 4GB |
| Number of concurrent connections – 256 | Number of concurrent connections – Unlimited |
| Privately installed, embedded, with the application | |
| Non-admin installation option | |
| Runs on Windows Mobile platform | |
| Runs in-process with application | |
| Data file storage on a network share | |
| Support for different file extensions | |
| Code free, document safe, file format | |
| Remote Data Access (RDA) | |
| ADO.NET Sync Framework | |
| Subscriber for merge replication | |
| Simple transactions | |
| Runs as a service | |
| Procedural T-SQL | |
| Distributed transactions | |
| Native XML, XQuery/QPath | |
| Stored procedures, views, triggers | |
| Role-based security |