Which version of Windows 11 should I choose? An in-depth comparison between Win11 Home Edition and Professional Edition

Windows 11 edition guide: Understand the differences between different SKUs Different Windows 11 editions (also called SKUs) meet the needs of various users. From the Home Edition for general users to the Enterprise Edition for enterprise-level solutions, each edition has specific functions and features. Understanding these differences is crucial to choosing the version that best suits your needs. This guide will briefly introduce the main SKUs of Windows 11, including: Home Edition Professional Edition Enterprise Edition Windows 11 SEWindows 11 LTSC Read this guide to gain an in-depth understanding of the unique features and advantages of each version. It is carefully organized by php editor Yuzai to help you Make informed decisions.

For most ordinary users, the home version is sufficient for daily use. The professional version provides more additional features for professionals or small teams. If you only use it yourself, there is no problem in choosing the home version!

The home version can be upgraded to the professional version, but you have to pay extra.

Windows 11 Home Edition vs. Pro Edition: Feature Comparison

The following is the main feature comparison between Windows 11 Home Edition and Enterprise Edition:

Windows 11 Home Edition vs. Pro Edition

Like previous Windows versions, Windows 11 also provides Home Edition and Pro Edition to meet the needs of different user groups.

• Windows 11 Home Edition: Designed for daily use, it covers all the basic features required by ordinary users.
• Windows 11 Professional Edition: Targeted at business and enterprise users, it adds enterprise-level features to the Home Edition.

Next, we will compare the features of these two versions in detail to help you make the choice that suits you.

Installation Differences

Choose Windows 11 usage scenarios

When Windows 11 was first launched, the installation process of Home Edition and Professional Edition were different: Home Edition only supported setting up using a "Microsoft Account"; while the Professional Edition You can use "local account". But then, Microsoft adjusted this strategy:

• When selecting "Personal Use", Windows 11 Professional Edition also requires a Microsoft account.
• When selecting "Work or School Account", Windows 11 Pro can choose to use a local account.
• Also, there are some methods you can take to bypass the Microsoft account requirement for Windows 11 Home and Pro.

Recommended reading: Local account vs. Microsoft account, which one is better for you?

Windows 11 Home Edition does not support joining Active Directory.

Security Comparison

Because business or enterprise users often need to handle sensitive information, Windows 11 Pro offers enhanced security features:

Because business or enterprise users often need to handle sensitive information, Windows 11 Pro offers enhanced Security Features:

• BitLocker Encryption: The professional version of BitLocker feature allows users to encrypt the entire hard drive to protect data security even if the computer is lost or stolen. While the Home version also offers BitLocker-based device encryption, the Professional version supports more customization options, such as encrypting or decrypting specific drives.
• Windows Information Protection (WIP): This is a data leakage prevention feature that can help enterprises prevent internal data leakage. With WIP, businesses can control the flow of data both internally and externally. WIP is integrated directly into Windows, making it more convenient than third-party solutions. It also differentiates between personal and business data so that if a device is lost or stolen, company data can be remotely wiped without affecting personal data.
• Microsoft Defender Application Guard: In addition to Microsoft Defender Virus and Threat Protection, the Professional Edition also provides Application Guard, which can run untrusted applications in an isolated Hyper-V environment to protect the system from potential The impact of threats.

Microsoft will begin phasing out WIP in mid-2022, recommending users to move to the Microsoft Purview solution, which provides similar functionality and protections. If your business relies on WIP, we recommend considering migrating to Microsoft Purview.

Virtualization and Remote Desktop Features

Windows 11 Hyper-V

In terms of virtualization and remote desktop, Windows 11 Pro provides more comprehensive features than the Home Edition:

• Hyper-V: The professional version has built-in Hyper-V virtualization tools that can create and manage virtual machines. This means you can try different operating systems, such as Linux or older versions of Windows, without affecting your main operating system; while Hyper-V is not supported on Home Edition, virtualization can be achieved through third-party software such as VMware Workstation Player.
• Windows Sandbox: The Professional Edition supports the Windows Sandbox feature, which is an isolated environment for safely running untrusted applications to ensure that they do not affect the system; the Home Edition does not provide this feature.
• Remote desktop: The professional version can be used as a remote desktop host to remotely control the computer; while the home version users can only connect to other remote desktops as clients and cannot set themselves as remote desktop hosts, but can use third-party tools such as TeamViewer to Implement remote access.

CPU and Memory Support

Windows 11 Task Manager

Windows 11 Home and Pro have the same minimum hardware requirements, but Pro has looser CPU and memory support caps:

• CPU Support: The Home Edition only supports one CPU socket and up to 64 CPU cores; in comparison, the Pro Edition supports two CPU sockets and up to 128 CPU cores.
• Memory support: The Home Edition supports up to 128GB of memory, which is more than enough for most users; while the Professional Edition supports up to 2TB of memory, which is especially suitable for users who need to run multiple high-memory virtual machines.

Business Management Functions

Compared with the Home Edition, Windows 11 Professional Edition provides more features and management tools designed for businesses:

• Group Policy Editor
• Windows Update for Business
• Mobile Device Management (MDM)
• Enterprise Status Roaming
• Assigned Access
• Dynamic Configuration
• Windows Server Update Service (WSUS)
• Booth Module
• Active Directory/Azure AD

With the launch of Windows 11, originally in Windows Microsoft Store for Business used in 10 has been replaced by new Microsoft Store and Microsoft Intune policies to provide a more modern management experience.

Windows 11 Professional Workstation Edition

Windows 11 Professional Workstation Edition is designed for professional users who pursue ultimate performance. It provides more advanced functions and hardware support based on the Professional Edition.

• Hardware support: The professional workstation version supports up to four CPU slots and 6TB of memory, far exceeding the professional version.
• Resilient File System (ReFS): This file system provides more advanced data loss prevention measures and is suitable for scenarios that require extremely high data integrity.
• Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA): Allows direct access to memory from another computer without going through the CPU, thus speeding up file access and productivity.

The professional workstation version is usually only pre-installed on high-end desktop workstations, and this version will not be pre-installed on ordinary laptops. Unless you have a powerful hardware configuration and require extreme performance, you won't use this version at all.

Price Difference

First of all, the most intuitive difference is reflected in the price. The price of Windows 11 Professional is significantly higher than the Home version. This is mainly because the professional version is more comprehensive in functionality and meets the needs of more advanced users. As for the home version, as a version for ordinary users, the price is relatively affordable and it already covers most of the basic functions needed for home and daily office work.

Differences in hardware support

In terms of hardware support, Windows 11 Professional Edition shows its more powerful capabilities. Especially in terms of memory support, the professional version can support up to 2TB of memory, which is undoubtedly a huge advantage for users who need to process large amounts of data or run large software. In comparison, the home version can only support 128G of memory, which is actually enough for general home use or lightweight office use.

Functional differences

Functional differences may be the part that users are most concerned about. Windows 11 Home Edition is more simplified in functionality and mainly meets daily home use and lightweight office needs. It includes useful software such as Edge browser and voice assistant, and also supports Xbox game streaming, allowing users to play Xbox games directly on the system. These functions are both practical and easy to use for ordinary users.

However, for professional users, these basic functions may seem a bit thin. Windows 11 Professional Edition has made a lot of functional expansions, including remote desktop, enterprise mode IE, group policy management, Hyper-V client (virtualization) and other advanced functions. These functions are suitable for enterprise users and professional developers. is very necessary. For example, the remote desktop function allows users to remotely control and manage other computers, greatly improving work efficiency; while the Hyper-V client allows users to run multiple operating systems simultaneously on a single physical server, which is ideal for development and testing environments. , which is a very practical function.

But it’s worth noting that if you don’t need these advanced features, choosing the professional version may affect the running speed of your system, because these additional features and services will occupy more system resources.

For different user groups

Finally, from the perspective of user groups, Windows 11 Home Edition is mainly aimed at ordinary home users and lightweight office users. These users do not have many requirements for computer technology. They only need a stable, easy-to-use and comprehensive operating system to meet their daily needs.

The Windows 11 Professional Edition is more targeted at computer technology enthusiasts and enterprise technicians. These users usually require more powerful functions and higher hardware support to meet their complex work needs. The additional features and services provided by the professional version, such as remote desktop and enterprise mode IE, can greatly improve their work efficiency.

How to choose?

So, how to choose? This mainly depends on your usage needs and technical level.

When choosing between Windows 11 Home and Pro, the key is whether you need additional enterprise-grade features. The Professional Edition provides more comprehensive security measures, virtualization tools and enterprise management options, all designed to meet the needs of enterprise users.

• Ordinary users and home users: If you only use your computer for daily office work, surfing the Internet, entertainment games, etc., then Windows 11 Home Edition can fully meet your needs. It's easy to use and more affordable.
• Professional users and enterprise users: If you need complex functions such as remote desktop, virtualization technology, advanced security policies, or your work requires processing large amounts of data and high-intensity computing tasks, then Windows 11 Professional is undoubtedly better choose.

For most ordinary users, the home version is sufficient for daily use. If you are not a business user and do not need advanced device management features, then the home version is the ideal choice.

Windows 11 Professional Edition and Home Edition each have their own applicable scenarios and user groups. The key to which version to choose is to clearly understand your needs and budget to make the most informed decision. I hope this article can help you be more clear and confident when choosing a version of Windows 11. I hope you all like it, and please continue to pay attention to this site.

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