A common friction point in modern software deployment is the distinction between a Bootstrapper (Web Installer) and an Offline Installer.
Q: Is the Developer Edition offline installer really free? A: Yes. It is completely free, no time bomb, no expiration. The only restriction is you cannot host production data.
Q: Can I use this ISO on a server with no internet (air-gapped)? A: Yes. That is the primary use case. However, you may need to manually install .NET Framework 4.8 or Cumulative Updates (CU) if they are not included in the base ISO.
Q: How is this different from the "Express" edition offline installer? A: Express is also free but has hardware limits (1GB RAM, 10GB database size). Developer has no limits but cannot be used in production. download sql server 2022 developer edition offline installer
Q: Can I convert the Evaluation ISO to Developer?
A: Yes. Download the Evaluation ISO (180-day trial) and then run the Edition Upgrade wizard within the setup. You can convert it to Developer without re-installing. However, it is cleaner to download the Developer ISO directly.
Q: I downloaded the ISO, but installation still asks for internet – why? A: You likely selected "Install R Services (In-Database)" or "Machine Learning Services." Those require extra Python/R packages that are not on the ISO. Deselect those features for a true offline install.
Once you have the offline media:
You now have a 1.6GB file. How do you know it wasn't corrupted during download? Corrupted ISOs lead to cryptic "Hash mismatch" or "Media source failed" errors during installation.
Microsoft provides SHA256 checksums on the download page (look for a link that says "Show file hashes").
For SQL Server 2022 Developer Edition (English, x64): A common friction point in modern software deployment
How to verify on Windows:
How to verify on Linux/Mac:
sha256sum SQLServer2022-Dev-x64-ENU.iso
If you have access to a Visual Studio Subscription (paid or through an organization): Once you have the offline media: You now have a 1