Although they are all the same version of Windows, Microsoft‘s operating system offers its users different editions, each one designed for a specific group of users. The Home and Professional editions appeared with Windows XP. With the arrival of Vista and 7, Windows had more than 5 different editions in each version. And, with the arrival of 8.1 and 10, the different editions returned to their origins. Specifically in Windows 10 we have the ” Home ” edition, to walk around the house, and the ” Pro “, more complete and designed for professional tasks. But which one best suits our needs?
Many users choose directly to go to the most complete version. This happened with Windows 7, when we all installed ” Ultimate “, and it still happens today with Windows 10, since most of us always look for the Pro edition. However, between editions not only do the functions change, but also there is a significant difference in price. Specifically, the Home edition costs 145 euros , while the Pro has a cost of 259 . And, if we analyze it calmly, there are not so many differences between them.
| Windows 10 | home | Pro | Enterprise | Education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of license | OEM Retail |
OEM Retail Volume |
Volume | Volume |
| Edition N? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Maximum RAM | 128 GB in 64 bits | 2 TB 64-bit | 2 TB 64-bit | 2 TB 64-bit |
| Telemetry | Basic | Basic | Safe | Safe |
| Cortana | Yes | Yes | Yes, except LTSB | Yes |
| Hardware encryption | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Edge | Yes | Yes | Yes, except LTSB | Yes |
| Multiple languages | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual desks | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Hello | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Spotlight | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Remote Desktop | Customer only | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Remote apps | Customer only | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Subsystem for Linux | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hyper-V | Not | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| BitLocker | Not | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Deferred updates | Not | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Possibility of joining a domain | Not | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Business data protection | Not | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Update for Business | Not | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AppLocker | Not | Not | Yes | Yes |
| Credential guard | Not | Not | Yes | Yes |
| Windows to Go | Not | Not | Yes | Yes |
| LTSB Edition | Not | Not | Yes | Not |
| Possibility to upgrade to Pro | Yes | Not | Not | Yes |
| Ability to upgrade to Enterprise | Not | Yes | Not | Not |
| Ability to upgrade to Education | Yes | Not | Not | Not |
Differences between Home and Pro
The first reason why we should move from one operating system to another is if we plan to mount a computer with more than 128 GB of RAM . This is the first limitation that we are going to find in the Home edition of Windows 10. It is rare that we are going to mount a PC with this memory, therefore, it is most likely that we can forget about this limitation.
Where the most important differences are already found are in professional tools. For example, Windows 10 Home does not have Remote Desktop by default (it only brings a client) to be able to connect to our computer remotely. It is not much of a problem either because we can install other programs, such as Chrome Remote Desktop or TeamViewer for this purpose. But, if we like RDP, we will miss it.
Nor will we be able to have Hyper-V , Microsoft’s virtualization platform for your operating system. This limitation is more serious, since without it we will not be able to use Windows Sandbox. Nor will we be able to install programs that depend on it, such as Docker. But we can virtualize other operating systems with other programs, such as VMware or VirtualBox.
Another tool that we can miss is Bitlocker . This is the native Windows 10 disk encryption software that allows us to protect our data on all types of devices. Likewise, if we want to make use of data encryption, we would have to resort to other tools, such as VeraCrypt, which work from the Home editions of the operating system.
And the rest of the differences are found in business functions. For example, the Pro allows you to make delayed updates and join domains, has a corporate data protection system and has Windows Update for Business, while the Home has none of that.
When to upgrade to a higher edition of Windows?
The Windows edition should not be a factor to consider when buying a new computer. Except for high-end equipment, designed for professional use, the most common thing is to find that our computer comes with a “Home” edition of Windows 10. This edition will work without giving us a single problem on our PC, just like any other, with the difference is that the functions we have mentioned before will not be available.
Therefore, unless we need Hyper-V, Remote Desktop or BitLocker, the Home edition of the operating system will work without problems , and we can save a significant amount of money.
In addition, we remember that we can convert Windows 10 Home to Pro at any time, without formatting or reinstalling Windows. We simply have to buy a license for the Pro edition, activate it and automatically all the options that, until now, we did not have will be enabled. Of course, going from Pro to Home is not possible (and it would not make sense to do so).