Windows 11 Home vs. Windows 11 Pro: How to decide which edition to upgrade your PC to

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It's hard to believe, but Windows 11 is astir 5 years old, and it brought important changes erstwhile it launched. Many of its halfway functions are akin to Windows 10, arsenic Microsoft focused connected different aspects, specified arsenic revamping the ocular design, enhancing strategy performance, and introducing caller features, including enactment for Android apps. 

Later updates expanded Windows 11 with absorbing additions, specified arsenic the AI-powered Copilot.

Also: 9 things I ever bash aft mounting up Windows 11 - and wherefore you should too

Like erstwhile versions, Microsoft besides offers Windows 11 Pro, a much feature-rich variation aimed chiefly astatine powerfulness users. It provides entree to precocious tools not disposable successful the Home version, positive deeper power implicit strategy settings and enhanced information options. 

On paper, having much power implicit your PC sounds great, but is it truly worthy the money? In this comparison, I volition interruption down the cardinal differences betwixt Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro, helping you determine which variation is simply a amended acceptable for your needs and workflow.

Specifications

You should take Windows 11 Home if...

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

1. You are the mean idiosyncratic and similar simplicity

If your PC is chiefly utilized for mundane tasks similar web browsing, streaming, oregon airy productivity, Windows 11 Home delivers the afloat Windows acquisition without adding other complexity. The operating strategy includes each the features that substance to the emblematic user: the easy-to-navigate interface, Snap Layouts for multitasking, built-in security, and gaming enhancers similar AutoHDR. 

In regular use, Home functions astir precisely similar Windows 11 Pro. The second doesn't supply immoderate velocity boost oregon show advantage.

Also: Best antivirus bundle 2026

Home is acceptable to usage close away. It doesn't overwhelm non-technical users with precocious strategy controls. Software patches are automatically applied, keeping your strategy up to day without requiring manual management. And you tin consciousness harmless knowing that your PC is protected. Windows Defender provides beardown extortion against malware and different online threats.

2. You're connected a budget

Windows 11 Home is besides the smarter prime if you privation to support things affordable. First off, the operating strategy is technically escaped if you're upgrading from an eligible Windows 10 computer. You tin usage Microsoft's Windows 11 Installation Assistant to instal Windows 11 connected your PC, oregon make a USB installation instrumentality to acceptable it up connected different computer. 

It's besides preinstalled connected each caller Windows PC, giving you a implicit operating strategy close retired of the box. As noted earlier, Home includes each the features astir users volition want.

Also: New laptop? How to hitch your aged Windows PC cleanable earlier getting escaped of it

By comparison, Windows 11 Pro is much expensive, costing astir $200 for a afloat licence oregon $100 to upgrade from Windows 11 Home. I should notation that if you physique your ain PC from scratch and you privation Windows 11 Home, you'll request to wage for a license, which costs $139.

It is imaginable to find discounted Windows 11 Pro merchandise keys online for little than $30 connected definite third-party websites. However, I don't urge purchasing them, arsenic they travel from grey-market sources and whitethorn beryllium illegitimate. You'll find reports of radical online purchasing a Pro merchandise key from these platforms lone to observe that the codification has already been used, losing them clip and money.

You should take Windows 11 Pro if...

Kyle KucharskiZDNET

1. You privation greater power implicit your system

Windows 11 Pro is built for users who privation to fine-tune their strategy to the Nth degree, negociate information much precisely, and defer updates. The main instrumentality for making these changes is the Group Policy Editor, which lets users customize and enforce strategy behaviors that aren't accessible successful Windows 11 Home. 

For example, you could restrict definite features, determine which inheritance services are running, arsenic good arsenic set information policies. I wouldn't urge doing this, but it is imaginable to permanently disable Microsoft Defender done this method.

Also: What the nation's strongest AI regulations alteration successful 2026, according to ineligible experts

Other notable, exclusive features of Windows 11 Pro see BitLocker encryption to support your data, Full Remote Desktop hosting, and enactment for Azure Active Directory, allowing you to link to your school, businesses, oregon different firm entities.

2. You trust connected virtualization tools

One of the reasons I chose Windows 11 Pro for my desktop is its enactment for virtualization tools. If you don't cognize what these are, these features let users to make and negociate virtual machines, oregon VMs for short. These are isolated integer environments wherever you tin trial software, experimentation with antithetic operating systems, oregon tally different transcript of Windows 11 without it affecting your main system.

My favourite is Hyper-V, Microsoft's built-in virtualization platform. I've utilized it successful the past to tally applications successful a closed-off situation that I didn't privation affecting my PC. Another utile diagnostic is Windows Sandbox. This lets you unfastened untrusted files successful a impermanent harmless location. 

Once Sandbox is closed, everything wrong is wiped clean. For anyone readying to trial apps oregon systems, Windows 11 Pro is good worthy the upgrade.