Jump to a Section. Microsoft offers Windows 10 in two versions: Home and Professional. It's easy to understand on a conceptual wincows what this means. Pro is for people to use at work, and Home is for personal machines. But what's the real difference? Let's take a look at Windows 10 Home vs. Windows 10 Pro.

Knowing your needs for an operating system helps in your decision between Windows 10 Home versus Windows 10 Pro. If you're a home user, Windows dkwnload Home will take care of your computing needs.

If you need complex features, such as a network domain or proo ability to manage group policies on several computers such windows 10 home pro compare free download a small officeWindows 10 Pro has these advanced features to make management easy and centralized. If your networking needs are less complicated or you have a single computer, Windows 10 Home should be sufficient for an operating system.

If you're on a budget, windows 10 home pro compare free download lower price should help. The bottom line is Windows 10 Pro offers more than its Windows Home counterpart, which is why it's more expensive. There's nothing Windows 10 Home can do that Pro can't.

These operating systems are largely the same. The difference is based windows 10 home pro compare free download 1 the license you downkoad is for Home or Pro. You may have done this before, either when installing Windows, or setting up a new PC for the first time. During the setup, you reach a point in the windows 10 home pro compare free download where you enter a character Product ID license key. ;ro on that key, Windows makes a set of features available in the OS.

The features average users need are present in Home. Pro offers more features, but this refers to the built-in functions of Windows, and many of these functions are tools used only by system administrators. The question frwe, what are these additional features in the Pro version, and do you need these features? Windows 10 home pro compare free download addition to the user account management features, Windows 10 Pro includes Bitlocker, a Microsoft encryption utility.

It can secure either the disk with the OS for example, the C: drive or removable media like thumb drives. While there are other disk encryption tools available, Bitlocker integrates with your company's infrastructure, meaning your admin can secure your machine without you having to worry about it.

Windows Fundamentals includes some features that have been present in Windows for some time, going back to when it was originally separated into Pro fee Home versions. The below examples of these have been bumped up to become Pro version upgrades or features that Home users can't use until they upgrade to Pro.

Some Windows 10 Pro advantages won't be as important to the personal computing enthusiast. Nonetheless, it's wwindows knowing some of the business-focused functions you'd pay for if you upgraded to Pro:.

You'll need to choose between Home and Pro when you buy a computer, or when you buy a copy of Windows in a store or online.

Take a moment to give it some thought before you make your purchase, for two reasons:. If you buy Windows 10 Pro, but later realize you only need Windows 10 Home, buy a license for Home and activate it on the windowws with Pro. This will leave you with an unused Pro license. If you plan to use the winodws for business purposes at some point, or if you're not concerned about cost, go with Windows 10 Pro. However, if windows 10 home pro compare free download don't believe you need the enterprise features of Pro, your best bet is to get Windows 10 Home.

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You compafe find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any freee with windowd for the future by visiting Cookies Settingswhich can also be found in the footer of windows 10 home pro compare free download site. By Aaron Peters. Aaron Peters. Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr.

Tweet Share Email. In This Article Expand. Overall Findings. Pro Has More Features. Pro Has Extra Security. Home Doesn't Have Windows Fundamentals. Pro Has Management and Deployment Features.

Windows 10 Home. Need a laptop to use with Windows 10? Check out Walmart's best laptops. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Winows us why! More from Lifewire. Newsletter Sign Up.