SQL Server CE vs SqlClient

Question

What is the difference between SqlServerCe and SqlClient code? Does EF code first require SqlServerCe, or is it capable of SqlClient also? What provider should I choose if I am operating on a local database?

My app.config looks like this:

<entityFramework>
    <defaultConnectionFactory 
            type="System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure.SqlCeConnectionFactory, EntityFramework">
        <parameters>
            <parameter value="System.Data.SqlServerCe.4.0" />
        </parameters>
    </defaultConnectionFactory>
    <providers>
        <provider invariantName="System.Data.SqlClient" 
                  type="System.Data.Entity.SqlServer.SqlProviderServices, EntityFramework.SqlServer" />
        <provider invariantName="System.Data.SqlServerCe.4.0" 
                  type="System.Data.Entity.SqlServerCompact.SqlCeProviderServices, EntityFramework.SqlServerCompact" />
        <provider invariantName="System.Data.SQLite.EF6" 
                  type="System.Data.SQLite.EF6.SQLiteProviderServices, System.Data.SQLite.EF6" />
    </providers>
</entityFramework>
<DbProviderFactories>
    <remove invariant="System.Data.SqlServerCe.4.0" />
    <add name="Microsoft SQL Server Compact Data Provider 4.0" 
         invariant="System.Data.SqlServerCe.4.0" 
         description=".NET Framework Data Provider for Microsoft SQL Server Compact" 
         type="System.Data.SqlServerCe.SqlCeProviderFactory, System.Data.SqlServerCe, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=89845dcd8080cc91" />
    <remove invariant="System.Data.SQLite.EF6" />
    <add name="SQLite Data Provider (Entity Framework 6)" 
         invariant="System.Data.SQLite.EF6" 
         description=".NET Framework Data Provider for SQLite (Entity Framework 6)" 
         type="System.Data.SQLite.EF6.SQLiteProviderFactory, System.Data.SQLite.EF6" />
  <remove invariant="System.Data.SQLite" />
  <add name="SQLite Data Provider" 
       invariant="System.Data.SQLite" 
       description=".NET Framework Data Provider for SQLite" 
       type="System.Data.SQLite.SQLiteFactory, System.Data.SQLite" />
</DbProviderFactories>

I would like to get rid of SqlServerCe or SqlClient since I see no reason for both providers in my configuration.

Edit: what provider should I choose if I would focus on an Azure driven DB? (Does local or remote DB require a different provider)

Answer 1

SqlServerCe is for the single-user, single-machine SQL Server Compact Edition, which is officially no longer supported by Microsoft.

SqlClient is the provider for the full, complete SQL Server as we know it - also the basis for the Azure database offerings.

EF 6 supports both providers for sure.

If you want to remove anything - by all means remove SqlServerCe and keep the real, full SQL Server around! But from a technical perspective, those are two very different database technologies, and there quite possibly might be situations where you need both