What’s the difference between Windows 11 Home and Pro?


What’s the difference between Windows 11 Home and Pro? | Windows 11 blue logo

If you are planning to upgrade to Windows 11 but are not sure which edition to pick, knowing the difference between Windows 11 Home and Pro will help you choose the right one.

Although Microsoft has created seven editions of Windows 11, Home and Pro editions are the common choice among PC users. But when it comes to choosing between Home and Pro, people are often confused. And that's where we come in.

In this post, we will talk about the differences between Windows 11 Home and Pro, and when you reach the end of the article, you will know which edition is better suited for you. Let's get started!

What’s the difference between Windows 11 Home and Pro?

In terms of experience, performance, and appearance, Windows 11 Home and Pro are the same. However, there are some differences between them when it comes to features.

Windows 11 Home is designed for people who just want a basic operating system, with no frills. It has all the necessary features that you need to get your work done. For an average user, it is the perfect choice.

On the other hand, Windows 11 Pro is aimed at power users and businesses who need more from their computers. It includes all the features of Windows 11 Home, plus additional security and management functions.

Now, let's look at the extra functionalities of Windows 11 Pro. These exclusive features are the difference between Windows 11 Home and Pro:

  • BitLocker device encryption: If your device is lost or stolen, BitLocker puts everything on lockdown, so no one else can access your systems or data.
  • Windows Information Protection (WIP): Helps protect enterprise apps and data against accidental data leaks on enterprise-owned devices and personal devices that employees bring to work.
  • Group Policy Editor: A user-friendly tool that allows users to seamlessly reconfigure critical settings and certain aspects of the UI, without the need to make Registry changes.
  • Hyper-V: Microsoft's in-house virtualization solution which lets you create virtual machines and run them on virtual hardware.
  • Remote Desktop Connection: Allows you to remotely access your Windows 11 Pro machine from your phone, tablet, Mac or Windows PC.
  • Group Policy: Let IT admins configure certain policies for groups of devices in one go.
  • Windows Update for Business: Let companies (or individuals) control how updates are rolled out to their users to avoid unexpected issues.

These are some of the exclusive features offered in Windows 11 Pro. As you can see, a lot of these features are security oriented, meant for businesses and companies that need to keep information safe and manage employee devices.

Read more: How to check CPU temp in Windows 11

Windows 11 Home vs Pro for gaming

We have listed most of the differences between Windows 11 Home and Pro in the above section, and as you can see, none of them is important for gaming. Both editions have support for Xbox Game Bar and Game Mode and the performance is also identical.

That said, although Windows 11 Pro doesn't directly impact gaming, it can dictate your PC configuration, which can have an impact on how well your PC runs games.

Windows 11 Pro supports up to 2 CPUs with 128 cores and up to 2 TB of RAM. On the other hand, the Home version supports up to 1 CPU with 64 cores and has up to 128 GB of RAM. In other words, Pro offers you a larger ceiling for hardware expansion.

But realistically, even a hardcore gamer wouldn't need more than one CPU or over 32 GB of RAM, so a Home edition system would be enough to satisfy even the most demanding gamers.

Read more: How to fix Windows 11 not sleeping

Windows 11 Home vs Pro: Price

The price of a product is one of the factors that can influence your choice.

In case you want to get Windows 11 Pro, you should know that it's going to cost you $200, while the Home edition is priced at $139. If you have Windows 11 Home and you want to upgrade to Pro, that will cost you $99.99.

There is no reason to splurge on Windows 11 Pro if the exclusive features are of no use to you. So, if you are still in doubt as to whether buy Windows 11 Pro after considering the features and the price tag, we suggest you go for Windows 11 Home. It will suffice.

Well, you will be lacking some features but guess what? There is third-party software that offers features like virtualization and remote desktop connection on Windows 11 Home. VMware and Chrome Remote Desktop, for instance.

Over to you, mate!

For more articles like this, take a look at our Windows 11 page.