Does SQL Server need a server?

Is SQL Server a server?

Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database management system (RDBMS) that supports a wide variety of transaction processing, business intelligence and analytics applications in corporate IT environments.

Do I need a server for my database?

If you have only one application that runs in one instance for the user, embedded solution (whether sqlite or some object storage) is usually OK. However if you have multiple instances that need to manipulate the database concurrently, you need to have a server to synchronize it.

What is the difference between server and SQL Server?

The primary difference between SQL Server and Windows Server is what they're made for: SQL Servers store raw data, while Windows Servers allow you to store documents like images, projects, spreadsheets, or Word documents.

Can you use SQL Server Management Studio without server?

It is possible to install SQL Server Management Studio on local machine without having other SQL Server components. Below we will demonstrate different ways to install SSMS step by step on a local machine and how to connect to the remote instance using SSMS.