Wondering about the Windows Home vs Pro difference? This guide compares Windows 11 Home vs Pro and Windows 10 Home vs Pro to help you choose the right edition for your needs.
Windows 10 and 11 Home vs Pro differences
Features in all editions except Home
Joining a domain and Group Policy management
In other words, you cannot join Windows Home computer to Windows server domain controller. The server with the domain controller connected to many PCs is a frequent setup in organisations where there is a need to control many computers, settings and data simultaneously. Windows Home computers still can access shared data without a Domain Controller, such as One Drive, emails in Outlook, Gmail, data on DropBox, Google Drive, file servers etc.
Remote Desktop host
Windows Home vs Pro remote desktop is a key difference. Windows Pro can act as a Remote Desktop host, allowing you to connect to your PC from another computer. Windows Home can only connect to other computers but cannot be remotely accessed itself.
BitLocker and Encrypting File System
It is a possibility of encrypting disk or volume or the entire computer.
Windows sandbox
It is an isolated, temporary desktop environment where you can run untrusted software without impacting your PC. Any software installed in Windows Sandbox stays only in the sandbox and cannot affect your host. Once Windows Sandbox is closed, all the software with all its files and state are permanently deleted.
Hyper-V
It is a Windows Server Virtualization - the possibility to create and run virtual machines running Windows versions and Linux.
Assigned Access 8.1
Point-of-sale and kiosk modes. Those are locked-down modes where users are limited to use selected applications only.
Conditional Access
The feature of Windows is to act (called decisions such as a grant or block access ) on the specified user action, called signals, such as opening a specific document.
Device Guard
It is a combination of hardware and software features that lock a device down to only run trusted applications.
Other features not available in Windows Home
Microsoft Azure Active Directory, Private catalogue, Windows Analytics and Windows Information Protection.
Windows Enterprise specific features
Telemetry - DiagTrack service
You can easily switch telemetry off only in Enterprise edition. All other Windows versions have telemetry on by default. However, an IT specialist can disable it manually. Windows telemetry feature periodically sends usage and performance data. Microsoft claims that telemetry helps improve user experience and fix issues. Example of what was sent to Microsoft: Hardware attributes such as CPU, installed memory, storage, uptime, sleep details, number of crashes or hangs, list of installed apps and drivers.
Other Enterprise specific features
Remote Direct Memory Access, AppLocker, BranchCache, Credential Guard, Microsoft App-V, Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP), UE-V, Start screen control with Group Policy, User experience control and lockdown.
Windows 11 Home vs Pro comparison
| Feature | Home | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| BitLocker device encryption | N | Y |
| Remote Desktop host | N | Y |
| Domain join | N | Y |
| Group Policy editor | N | Y |
| Hyper-V virtualization | N | Y |
| Windows Sandbox | N | Y |
| Assigned Access (kiosk mode) | N | Y |
| Max RAM supported | 128 GB | 2 TB |
| Local account setup | Workaround | Y |
| Azure AD join | N | Y |
Both Windows 11 editions require TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. Windows 11 Home forces Microsoft account sign-in during setup, while Pro allows local account creation.