Previously, the Visual Studio Express line (SQL Server 2005 Express Edition excluded) were only free for one year, after which... well, who knew what would happen? Would Microsoft charge? Would they give another free year of service? I've had more than a few people express a shade of concern over the one-year period, worrying that they were essentially locking themselves into to dropping the big bucks on Visual Studio down the line.
That concern is now moot, thanks to Microsoft's announcement that the Visual Studio Express line is now free-for-life. From the official Express Line FAQ:
| How much will these products cost? |
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Effective April 19th, 2006, all Visual Studio 2005 Express Editions are free permanently. This pricing covers all Visual Studio 2005 Express Editions including Visual Basic, Visual C#, Visual C++, Visual J#, and Visual Web Developer as well as all localized versions of Visual Studio Express.
SQL Server 2005 Express Edition has always been and will continue to be a free download. |