Compare Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise | Determine the best

The Windows 10 operating system exists in several editions (versions). In particular, at the time of this writing - April 2024 - 7 iterations are presented. However, the four most common are Home, Pro, Enterprise, and Education.

With the Home version (which also exists in two versions - “normal” and SL) everything is clear. This is the home edition, which even in the boxed version costs about $ 50 and features the minimum necessary functionality. Education is also a completely understandable version, it is intended for educational institutions and is not officially licensed in Russia.

Much more interesting versions of Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise. Let's figure out which one is better and how they differ.

Common features of Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise

It should be immediately noted that Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise are professional editions of the operating system. That is, they offer enhanced functionality that most home users simply do not need.

Do home users often use disk encryption, which makes the data more secure, but it slows down the work? Or maybe run virtual machines on a system of hardware virtualization Hyper-V? Or control group policy?

In most cases, the functions of Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise are needed for professional users. And the features common to these two editions that are absent in the Home builds are:

1. Joining a domain. This is necessary for the work of the system of group update, application deployment, automatic control;

2. Group Policy Management. Allows the network administrator to centrally disable and enable some settings on domain-joined computers;

3. EMIE (Internet Explorer in enterprise mode). Translates the built-in browser of the operating system into the mode of operation that is most compatible with intra-corporate sites;

4. Access Control. Helps to configure access for certain users, including network users, to certain files, folders, and so on;

5. Remote Desktop Mode. Allows you to remotely connect to a PC running Windows 10 Pro / Enterprise via the native Remote Desktop tool. Important! It is limitedly supported and Home. A computer with Windows 10 Home can act as a client - you can connect from it, but not to it;

6. Hyper-V Client. A virtualization tool for 64-bit processors with support for guest operating systems of the Linux and Windows families up to "ten";

7. Bitlocker. A hard disk encryption tool that makes the data unreadable if you connect this HDD to another computer or reinstall Windows;

8. TPM2.0 support - a hardware-software system that checks the structure of the hard disk boot sector for the introduction of third-party virus applications.

Thus, for home users, TPM2.0 support is most interesting, however, it is realized only if there is an appropriate chip on the motherboard. Software and hardware protection.

The remaining functions are either useless or even harmful.

About Windows 10 Pro

Windows 10 Pro - edition with enhanced functionality that is needed for home and office use.It is suitable for people who need to perform extremely specific tasks on a computer, but at the same time there is no need for centralized management.

That is, for example, it is suitable for using Hyper-V virtualization technology and BitLocker hard drive encryption. For some home use scenarios, this is quite important.

It is also worth considering that Windows 10 Pro uses a standard activation mechanism. That is, the installation specifies the product key, which is on the box or sent to the post office when you purchase an electronic license, after which the operating system communicates with Microsoft servers and automatically activates. That is, the use of KMS-server is not required.

About Windows 10 Enterprise

Windows 10 Enterprise - corporate edition of the operating system, which is focused on use in large firms with its own servers, local networks and other IT-infrastructure.

This is manifested in two aspects. First, out of the box, several special services are built into it, aimed at improving on-net work. Secondly, it is sold by subscription, and not by a lump sum payment for the entire period of use.

The unique services of the Enterprise version are:

1. BranchCache is an acceleration update tool when every computer on a local network acts as a “sid”. It also speeds up the transfer of files if they are stored on more than one “machine”;

2. Device Guard is a software and hardware set of technologies aimed at enhancing computer protection. Controls the integrity of the code, the boot process, working with RAM and so on;

3. Credential Guard - a software suite of technologies aimed at protecting your account. It helps not only to save passwords, but also to prevent access to personal files during hacker or virus attacks;

4. Direct Access is a utility for remote control of the operating system and computer.

Thus, ordinary users will be interested only in the protection systems - Device Guard and Credential Guard. But their absence is completely compensated by some third-party antivirus with active and predictive threat detection (or having a head on its shoulders, so as not to download suspicious JS scripts from the letter with the subject “Pay the bill urgently!”).

It is worth noting that you will not be able to license Windows 10 Enterprise on your own and for home use. To use this version of the operating system, you need to enter into a separate contract with Microsoft. In addition, activation takes place through a KMS server on the local network, on which all the parameters necessary for licensing are located.

Comparing Windows 10 Pro and enterpris0e

And now you can compare these two operating systems to see which one is better for home or office use.

Thus, Enterprise offers more various functions. However, for home use it does not buy - you need to enter into an agreement with Microsoft. However, the functionality of both versions is excessive for most users.

The necessary and sufficient minimum of functions is offered by the Home configuration.It is designed for home use.

Little about LTSB

Many users do not like the "top ten" for the many built-in telemetry tools and a huge number of unnecessary pre-installed programs such as the Microsoft News news service or the Microsoft Xbox gaming cataloger.

The problem is that in Pro and Enterprise, all of this is there. But for people who still want a computer without tracking and unnecessary software, there is a special kind of operating system - LTSB (Long-Term Support Branch).

Versions of LTSB are developed for banks, industries and large companies - in general, for IT infrastructures, which require a maximum level of reliability, and the price of a mistake is too high.

LTSB versions fix all possible bugs, shortcomings, errors. Also, telemetry services are removed from them. And there are no various disturbing and unnecessary pre-installed applications either!

Thus, if you want a "Windows" without tracking and the so-called bloatware, you should put the version of LTSB.

It is also worth noting that LTSB is licensed like Enterprise and offers about the same set of features. And therefore it is impossible to buy it for home use.