Windows comes in several editions tailored to different user groups: home users, professionals, and large enterprises. This guide compares Windows Home, Pro, and Enterprise editions based on features, usage, and control.
| Edition |
Best For |
| Home |
Personal and casual users |
| Pro |
Power users and small businesses |
| Enterprise |
Large businesses and IT-managed environments |
| Feature |
Home |
Pro |
Enterprise |
| Join Active Directory Domain |
❌ No |
✅ Yes |
✅ Yes |
Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) |
❌ No |
✅ Yes |
✅ Yes |
| BitLocker Drive Encryption |
❌ No |
✅ Yes |
✅ Yes |
| Hyper-V Virtualization |
❌ No |
✅ Yes |
✅ Yes |
| Remote Desktop Host |
❌ No |
✅ Yes |
✅ Yes |
| Assigned Access (Kiosk Mode) |
❌ No |
✅ Yes |
✅ Yes |
| Windows Update for Business |
❌ No |
✅ Yes |
✅ Yes |
| AppLocker (App Whitelisting) |
❌ No |
❌ No |
✅ Yes |
| Credential Guard & Device Guard |
❌ No |
❌ No |
✅ Yes |
| Windows Sandbox |
❌ No |
✅ Yes |
✅ Yes |
| LTSC Availability |
❌ No |
❌ No |
✅ Yes |
| Support for Microsoft Store Apps |
✅ Yes |
✅ Yes |
✅ Optional |
| Pricing |
💲 Low |
💲💲 Medium |
💲💲💲 High |
| Security Feature |
Home |
Pro |
Enterprise |
| Windows Hello |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
| BitLocker |
❌ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Defender Application Guard |
❌ |
❌ |
✅ |
| Microsoft Defender Antivirus |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Secure Boot / TPM |
✅ (if hardware supports) |
✅ |
✅ |
| Capability |
Home |
Pro |
Enterprise |
| Group Policy |
❌ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Mobile Device Management (MDM) |
❌ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Windows Autopilot |
❌ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Azure Active Directory Join |
❌ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Local User/Group Management |
Basic |
Full |
Full |
| Assigned Access (Kiosk) |
❌ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Feature |
Home |
Pro |
Enterprise |
| Forced Feature Updates |
✅ Yes |
❌ Can be delayed |
❌ Fully managed |
| Servicing Channels |
Semi-Annual |
Semi-Annual |
LTSC / SAC |
| LTSC Support |
❌ |
❌ |
✅ Yes (10+ years) |
| Tool |
Home |
Pro |
Enterprise |
| Windows Sandbox |
❌ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Hyper-V |
❌ |
✅ |
✅ |
| WSL (Linux Subsystem) |
✅ (limited) |
✅ |
✅ |
| Remote Server Admin Tools (RSAT) |
❌ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Edition |
Recommended For |
| Home |
Personal laptops, basic use, gaming |
| Pro |
Small offices, power users, IT support environments |
| Enterprise |
Large corporations, managed IT infrastructure, VDI |
- You cannot upgrade from Home to Enterprise directly — must first upgrade to Pro.
- Enterprise is available via Volume Licensing (not retail).
- Windows Education is nearly identical to Enterprise, for schools/universities.
🧠 Choosing the right edition depends on how much control, security, and management flexibility you need. For system admins and IT teams, Pro or Enterprise is highly recommended.