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

From the start, Windows had a history of releasing multiple editions of Windows, like Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate. But in recent times, Windows is actually decreasing the editions and making it so simple for users to choose the Windows edition. This same thing happened with Windows 11. So, whether you are buying a new PC or laptop or looking to upgrade your Windows 10 to Windows 11, then this Windows 11 Pro vs. Home guide will help you a lot to decide which one you should opt for: Windows 11 Pro or Windows 11 Home.

• TABLE OF CONTENTS
  • Windows 11 Home Overview
  • Windows 11 Pro Overview
  • Feature Comparison of Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro
  • Features Common to Both Windows 11 Home and Pro
  • Features You Only Get in Windows 11 Pro
  • Detailed Features Comparison of Windows 11 Pro VS Home
  • Which Windows 11 Is Right for You
• Windows 11 Pro VS Home – FAQs

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Windows 11 Home Overview

Windows 11 Home is primarily aimed at consumers and is best suited for personal or family use. It includes all the core features expected in a modern operating system, such as a redesigned Start menu, new ways to connect to your favorite people, news, games, and content, advanced graphics capabilities for gaming, and access to Android apps via the Microsoft Store and Amazon Appstore. Windows 11 Home supports Windows Hello, device encryption, and is designed to work with Microsoft’s productivity apps and services.

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Windows 11 Pro Overview

On the other hand, Windows 11 Pro includes all the features of Windows 11 Home, with additional capabilities geared towards professionals and business environments. It offers sophisticated tools for business management and security, like BitLocker device encryption, Windows Information Protection, Hyper-V for virtual machines, and the ability to join a domain or Azure Active Directory. With these features, it is ideal for businesses that need robust security, management, and remote access tools.

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Feature Comparison of Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro

For detailed comparison between the key features of Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro, just scrol down. But if you want an overview of features of both of the editions we have created a table that outlines the primary functionalities of each edition.

Feature	Windows 11 Home	Windows 11 Pro
Target Users	Consumers and personal use	Business users and professionals
Device Encryption	Yes	Yes
BitLocker Device Encryption	No	Yes
Windows Information Protection	No	Yes
Mobile Device Management	Limited support	Full support
Group Policy Management	No	Yes
Enterprise State Roaming	No	Yes
Assigned Access	No	Yes
Dynamic Provisioning	No	Yes
Windows Hello	Yes	Yes
Hyper-V	No	Yes (Requires hardware support)
Remote Desktop	Client only	Both client and host
Virtual Desktops	Limited customization	More customization options
Microsoft Store for Business	No	Yes
Domain Join	No	Yes
Azure Active Directory Join	Single sign-on to select apps	Full join capabilities
Update for Business	No	Yes
Windows Sandbox	No	Yes
Kernel Mode Virtualization	Based on device capabilities	Based on device capabilities and additional features

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Features Common to Both Windows 11 Home and Pro

Both editions of Windows 11 come with the headliner features of Windows 11:

• Copilot generative AI for research, rewriting, and image generation.
• Snap Layouts for arranging applications windows quickly and in an organized way.
• File Explorer with tabs.
• Widgets panel with news, weather, finance, and sports info.
• Updated Voice Typing for hands-free text entry.
• Native passkey support for increased security.
• Updated utility apps like Photos and Media Player.
• Updated Windows Backup Tool.
• Powerful screenshot tool with video capture.
• Gaming enhancements like Auto HDR, Direct Storage , and improved Game Mode.
• Bluetooth quick pairing.
• Clip champ video editor.
• Focus sessions to shut out distractions temporarily when you want to get work done.

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Features You Only Get in Windows 11 Pro

Here are the Advantages of getting Windows 11 Pro:

• Bit Locker Encryption: Provides advanced disk encryption to secure data.
• Group Policy Editor: Allows centralized management of system settings for enterprise users.
• Remote Desktop: Enables remote access to your PC from another device.
• Assigned Access: Restricts a user to a single app for kiosk-like setups.
• Enterprise Mode Internet Explorer: Compatibility for legacy web apps using Internet Explorer.
• Windows Update for Business: Gives more control over update timing and deployment.
• Hyper-V Virtualization: Allows running virtual machines on your system.
• Azure Active Directory (AD) Support: Connects to organizational Azure AD accounts for more secure logins.
• Domain Join: Join corporate networks for access to company resources.
• Windows Sandbox: A secure, isolated environment to test apps and websites.
• Active Directory Support: Integrates with traditional on-premise Active Directory networks.

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Detailed Features Comparison of Windows 11 Pro VS Home

Price Comparision

• Windows 11 Home: $139
• Windows 11 Pro: $199

A price difference that reflects all the additional features Windows 11 Pro provides, especially for business and enterprise customers.

Security Comparision

Divergence between Windows 11 Home and Pro is what security is all about. It is the advanced security that a business needs that Windows 11 Pro provides. Some examples are:

• Bit Locker: Windows 11 Pro has Bit Locker that encrypts a device in case it gets lost and protects your data from being accessed. Windows 11 Home does not have this feature.

• Windows Information Protection (WIP): The WIP framework assists in protecting a company from data leaks by governing the sharing of sensitive information between individuals within an organization. Again, this feature is only available on Windows 11 Pro.
• Group Policy Management: Managing group policies for multiple users can be centrally managed by Windows 11 Pro, a feature very convenient in corporate setups.

Windows 11 Pro is for those users who would need a better option for better data security.

Virtualization

Virtualization is another area that Windows 11 Pro is excellent with. Windows 11 Pro has two very strong features:

Note: Windows 11 Home does not come with either of these tools, which is not so nice especially for the power user or the development field.

• Windows Sandbox: It allows the user to run a temporary version of Windows completely isolated from the operating system on which it runs, thus being ideal in testing unsafe software.

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• Hyper-V: Users can run several virtual machines (VMs) on their computers. This is more beneficial to the developer and IT professional who is testing several operating systems or configurations on his machines.

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Business Features

Windows 11 Pro is equipped with several tools or utilities that give it a good size for use in business and other corporate setups:

1. Enterprise Mode Internet Explorer lets you run old web apps.
2. Assigned Access can restrict users to certain apps sometimes very useful in shared kiosks.
3. Microsoft Remote Desktop allows a user to access a device from anywhere, a great tool for telecommuters and companies alike.

Beans and all that stuff; Windows 11 Home does not provide users with such access so severely limits your business cash conversion.

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Hardware Compatibility

CPU and RAM support: The minimum system requirements are the same for both Windows 11 Home and Pro, thus they will run well on the same PCs. However, Windows 11 Home has a completely different upper limit to Windows 11 Pro. For example, Windows 11 Home may support only one socket and thus one CPU, whereas Pro may have two. Along with that Windows 11 support 128GB of RAM while Windows 11 PRO editioon supports 2TB of RAM.

Windows 11 Home will only support a maximum of 64 CPU cores, whereas Windows 11 Pro incorporates up to 128 CPU cores. This may not really hinder most people, as even the heaviest desktop processors have, at most, around 32 cores.

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Additional Features Exclusive to Windows 11 Pro

1. Windows Update for Business: through this mechanism, administrators are able to delay updates in the enterprise environment.
2. Enterprise Data Protection: This feature increases the protection of confidential company data against sharing it without permission to unauthorized applications or users.
3. Windows Defender Application Guard: This is a new security feature through which computer systems are protected from risky websites.

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Which Windows 11 Is Right for You

Windows 11 Home is just the thing for casual users, gamers, and students who want a simple and streamlined system to run everyday tasks and make full use of features like Snap Layouts and Direct Storage for an ultra-fast game load, plus Auto HDR to make things look better. It’s perfect for gaming, browsing, or working on the basics. The Windows 11 Pro, on the other hand, targets professionals and businesses in terms of security features such as Bit Locker Encryption, Remote Desktop, and the capability to connect to Active Directory. More suitable for the kind of user needing improved management tools, more secure data handling, and remote access considerations, making it suited for either a business or IT environment.

Conclusion

Ultimately, choosing between Windows 11 Home vs Pro will depend on what you actually require. Windows 11 Pro is great for businesses and power users needing serious security and virtualization support, along with the ability to manage multiple devices. Windows 11 Home is the best value for money for casual users who don’t need advanced business features.

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Windows 11 Pro VS Home – FAQs

What is the difference between Windows 11 Home and Pro?

The Pro version of Windows 11 comes with all the features of the Home version, as well as some extras. These largely include security additions like Windows Information Protection, Bit Locker device encryption, and Windows Update for Business.

Which is better, Windows Home or Pro?

Windows Home and Windows Pro are the 2 best-known versions of the Windows operating system. The biggest differences are in the usage situation and the functions. Windows Home is a good choice for home use and Windows Pro is mainly suitable for business and heavy use.

Is Windows 11 Pro still free?

Can I upgrade for free? Upgrades to Windows 11 from Windows 10 will be free. Due to the size of the download, however, ISP fees may apply for downloads that occur over metered connections.

Does Windows 11 Pro run faster?

In Windows 10, several background apps, like OneDrive and Skype, run by default. That is not the case with Windows 11, which prioritizes foreground apps and has fewer default background processes consuming resources. As a result, if your PC has less RAM and CPU power, Windows 11 will enable better performance.

Why Windows 11 Pro instead of Home?

Windows 11 Pro includes all the features of the Home edition, plus things that IT pros need to manage a fleet of computers. It adds customizable strong encryption, virtualization software, enterprise-level security, and remote PC