Windows 10 Pro vs. Home: What's the difference?
While Windows 10 Home is intended for a casual use, Windows10 Pro will primarily be of interest to SMEs and professionals requiring access to specific administration or security features. What are the differences between Windows 10 Home and the Pro edition? Which edition of Windows 10 is right for you? All you need to know is in this article.
Which Windows 10 Edition is free?
Well, it all depends on your current version of Windows. You can either get a free upgrade to Windows 10 Home or Pro:
| From | To |
| Windows 7 Starter Windows 7 Home Basic Windows 7 Home Premium Windows 7 Professional Windows 7 Ultimate Windows 8.1 Windows 8.1 Pro Windows 8.1 Pro Student Windows 8.1 Pro WMC Windows Phone 8.1 | Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro Windows 10 Pro Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro Windows 10 Pro Windows 10 Pro Windows 10 Mobile |
Which features available on both versions?
There are several basic features shared by both Windows 10 Home and Pro:
| Feature | Home Edition | Pro Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Customizable Start Menu | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Defender/Firewall | Yes | Yes |
| Fast start up with Hiberboot and InstantGo | Yes | Yes |
| TPM Support | Yes | Yes |
| Power Saving Mode | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Update | Yes | Yes |
| Cortana | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Hello (biometric) | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual Desktops | Yes | Yes |
| Snap Assist | Yes | Yes |
| Snap Apps | Yes | Yes |
| Continuum (sync PC and tablet) | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Edge Web browser | Yes | Yes |
What about the administration and security features?
The major difference between the Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro lies in the number of administration and security tools available on the pro edition. For example, features such as BitLocker drive encryption, DirectAccess, or the Group Policy Editor are available only in the Windows 10 Pro edition:
| Feature | Home Edition | Pro Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Device encryption | Yes | Yes |
| Joining domains | No | Yes |
| Group Policy | No | Yes |
| BitLocker | No | Yes |
| Internet Explorer Enterprise Mode | No | Yes |
| Kiosk Mode | No | Yes |
| Remote Desktop | No | Yes |
| Client Hyper-V | No | Yes |
| Enterprise-specific app on Windows Store | No | Yes |
| DirectAccess | No | Yes |
What are the other features?
Most of the advanced management tools and apps are only available in the Pro edition:
| Features | Home Edition | Pro Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Sideloading of Windows Store apps | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Device Management | Yes | Yes |
| Azure Active Directory | No | Yes |
| Easily upgrade from Pro to Enterprise Edition | No | Yes |
| Easily upgrade from Home to Education Edition | Yes | No |