Distribution Cost

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this.....

I am new to MS SQL as I have been using Paradox for years. Paradox has its own built in DB, so, the cost is great for small company applications (which is what we do). However, we are now going to rewrite our application in VB (most likely), and we want to ensure that the DB we go with will not cost a fortune to our clients. On top of this we want the application to be PC based as well as online. I know you can connect to MS SQL via PHP. The DB will live on our server, and the clients should all be hosted on our server. Our clients are Churches, and they do not have thousands to put into a program, which is why Paradox was great for this. Now, I am worried that MS SQL will cost for every copy of the program we sale. How does this work if we develop a program to work with MS SQL 2005 and sale it to clients? Is there a cost that we must pay MS for each copy? Does the client need the MS SQL Desktop Engine to run the DB, or do they need something else?

Sorry to sound stupid, but MS SQL is new to me, and I want to ensure that I make the right choice that is not going to bite me later down the road. I have looked at MySQL, PostgreSQL, OpenBase, and a few others. The all seem ok, but still looking. Thanks in advance for any suggestions or comments you have...

Gene

Hi Gene,

Perhaps SQL Server Express edition will meet your business needs. Check out http://www.microsoft.com/sql/editions/express/default.mspx for details. You may also find this topic useful for comparing the features available in each edition: http://www.microsoft.com/sql/prodinfo/features/compare-features.mspx and this site contains useful information about pricing and licensing http://www.microsoft.com/sql/howtobuy/default.mspx.

Regards,

Gail