Windows 11 Pro vs Home

Windows 11 Pro vs Home Comparison: What’s the Difference?

Windows 11 has various flavors, including Windows 11 Home, Windows 11 Pro, and Windows 11 Enterprise. The most popular versions of Windows 11 are the Pro and Home editions. Windows 11 Home and Pro editions are pre-installed on the majority of systems. Some believe there is no difference between Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro. So, to answer your general questions, we’ll compare Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro. In the post, you may also learn about the significant differences.

We are all aware that Windows 11 is not free and that we must pay for it. The Home edition is included with the majority of PCs. It was designed for general use, whereas the Pro version is designed for professional users primarily concerned with business and professionalism. There are numerous distinctions between the two. We all know that business accounts are subjected to frequent security threats; with this in mind, Windows Pro comes with a higher level of security than the Home edition. The Pro version supports Windows Information Protection, Group Policy, and other features that the Home version does not.

Windows 11 Pro vs Windows 11 Home

1. Setup difference

Before starting up a Windows PC, we have to complete a setup, and that’s the first thing we do after opening up a new PC or Windows. The Windows 11 Pro comes with a much more convenient way of setup, while the Home edition has some restrictions. In the home edition, you need an internet connection and a Microsoft account to start your PC officially. While in the Pro edition, you can turn it on using any of your local accounts. That is much more convenient when compared with the Home edition. Another distinction that business customers may notice is that Windows 11 Home PCs cannot be linked to Active Directory. For managing business devices, such as configuring access to specific resources, deploying apps, and so on, Active Directory solutions are required. This contains features like Group Policy in Windows 11. All of these are professional tools.

2. Security

Security is one of the most demanded factors in Windows. Because business users frequently deal with very sensitive data, Windows 11 Pro has additional security protections. For starters, BitLocker encryption is supported. This feature encrypts data on your hard disc so that others cannot access it. Your files are safeguarded from users other than you, even if your machine is stolen. It further comes with Windows Information Protection (WIP) support. One can also control and manage the data remotely using the WIP feature. On the other hand, the Windows 11 Home comes with basic security features and support of a Windows Defender antivirus system.

4. Hardware requirement

As we know, all the version of Windows requires specific hardware to run officially. However, there are some unofficial methods to install and run Windows. Because Windows 11 Home and Pro have the same minimum system requirements, they should operate on most PCs. However, compared to Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11 Home has distinct top restrictions. Windows 11 Home similarly has a memory limit of “just” 128GB. Of course, that should suffice for most everyday users; even the most modern gaming PCs don’t require this much RAM. However, Windows 11 Pro increases this to 2TB, which is most important if you want to create many virtual machines with plenty of RAM.

5. User Interface and Virtualization

The user interface is consistent across all Windows versions. However, there are a few subtle differences to notice. The support for virtualization technologies in Windows 11 is the next big distinction between the Home and Pro editions of Windows 11. Hyper-V and Windows Sandbox are not supported in Windows 11 Home. Plus, while it can be used as a Remote Desktop client, it can’t be used as a host, so you can’t use Microsoft Remote Desktop to access a Windows 11 Home PC remotely.

Hyper-V is one of the most prominent and beneficial features of the Windows 11 Pro edition. Hype-V is a built-in virtualization utility that allows users to try out different operating systems and earlier versions of Windows without affecting the primary system. Windows 11 Home users shouldn’t be concerned because third-party software exists that allows them to do so.

6. Enterprise management features

Enterprise administration functions are now included. The feature is available in both Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro. However, there are significant differences between the two. The majority of device management features aren’t available in Windows 11 Home. Windows 11 Pro, on the other hand, includes Group Policy, which allows IT administrators to set up settings for groups of devices at once. There’s also Windows Update for Business, which allows businesses to customize how updates are delivered to their consumers to avoid problems.

The Microsoft Store for Business was available in Windows 10, but Windows 11 will take a different approach. Microsoft is actually deprecating the Microsoft Store for Business in favor of a new management experience. However, this new experience should only be available on Windows 11 Pro devices. There are a set of features that are exclusive to Windows 11 Pro; they are Mobile device management, group policy, enterprise state roaming, assigned access, dynamic provisioning, Windows update for business, Kiosk mode, and Azure AD.

Windows 11

Find out differences via the comparison table

FEATURES WINDOWS 11 PRO WINDOWS 11 HOME
Local account setup Yes No
Hyper-V Yes No
BitLocker device encryption Yes No
Assigned Access Yes No
Microsoft Remote Desktop Yes Client
Internet protection Yes Yes
Device encryption Yes Yes
Firewall and network protection Yes Yes
Windows Hello Yes Yes
Parental controls/protection Yes Yes
Secure Boot Yes Yes
Windows Defender Antivirus Yes Yes
Join Active Directory/Azure AD Yes No
Windows Sandbox Yes No
Mobile device management (MDM) Yes No
Group Policy Editor (Gpedit.msc) Yes No
Enterprise State Roaming with Azure Yes No
Windows Information Protection Yes No
Kiosk mode Yes No
Windows Update for Business Yes No
Dynamic Provisioning Yes No
Maximum RAM 2TB 128GB
Number of CPUs (Max) 2 1
Number of CPU cores (Max) 128 64

Conclusion

These are the main differences between the Home and Pro editions of Windows 11. As previously said, the majority of them center around business-oriented aspects. Some are used to protect sensitive information, while others are used to set up and manage devices for users remotely swiftly. You’ll probably be right with Windows 11 Home for the ordinary individual walking into a store.

About Zaid

Zaid is a tech writer at DealNTech, passionate about exploring and researching new gadgets and helping readers easily understand their features. He specializes in testing PC issues and staying up-to-date on the latest PC news. Email: [email protected].

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