Like its predecessor, Windows 11 is available in a seemingly endless roster of editions. Each edition encompasses a specific set of features, sometimes coupled with licensing options and geographic restrictions.
Despite that apparently confusing assortment, however, most people have no problem sorting through their choices. When you purchase a new PC through traditional retail channels, you’re likely to have a choice of two and only two editions: Home and Pro. (A relatively new option, Windows 11 Pro for Workstations, is available exclusively on powerful workstation-class hardware not normally found alongside PCs sold through typical retail channels.) Likewise, IT pros responsible for deployment of Windows PCs in large organizations typically upgrade PCs running Windows 11 Pro to some flavor of Windows 11 Enterprise; their choices are most often dictated by licensing agreements rather than individual features.
It’s not technically an edition, but a feature called S mode is worth mentioning here. On a PC running Windows 10 or Windows 11 in S mode, configuration settings restrict installation of apps to those that are delivered through the Microsoft Store. Windows PCs running in S mode also set Microsoft Edge as the default browser and use Bing as the default search engine. Neither setting can be changed.
Some new PCs come preinstalled with Windows 11 Home in S mode, and PCs running Windows 10 Home in S mode can be upgraded to Windows 11. However, S mode is not supported on any other edition of Windows 11; if you attempt to upgrade a PC running Windows 10 Pro, Education, or Enterprise in S mode, you must permanently switch it out of S mode first.
To disable S mode in Windows 10, go to Settings > Update & Security > Activation and choose Switch To Windows 10 Home or Switch To Windows 10 Pro. That action leads to a link that takes you to the Microsoft Store and a Switch Out Of S Mode page.
To disable S mode on a PC running Windows 11 Home, the process is slightly more confusing. Open Settings > System > Activation and follow the Switch To Windows 11 Pro link, which takes you to the Microsoft Store. Do not choose the option to upgrade your edition of Windows; instead, choose the Switch Out Of S Mode option and follow the prompts.
Note that this switch, once made, is irreversible.
Windows 11 also includes IoT (Internet of Things) editions that are designed for use in specialized hardware such as automated teller machines and “smart” devices that lack a display. This appendix, however, focuses exclusively on editions of Windows 11 designed for use on desktop PCs, laptops, and PC-like tablet devices such as those in the Microsoft Surface family.
Although the full assortment of Windows editions might appear confusing, their progression is, for the most part, consistent. Each edition contains all of the features of the previous edition, along with a higher price tag and a set of unique features that you can evaluate to decide whether the cost of upgrading is justified.
We start with a brief discussion of hardware configurations. Table A-1 lists technical limits related to CPU and memory support that might affect your purchase or upgrade decision. Note that these requirements apply equally to x64 and Arm64 architectures. (Windows 11 does not support x86 processors.)
Table A-1 Supported hardware configurations in Windows 11
Hardware component |
Supported configurations |
|---|---|
Number of CPUs/cores |
Windows 11 Home: One physical processor Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education: One or two physical processors Windows 11 Pro for Workstations: Up to four physical processors All editions support multicore processors, up to a maximum of 64 cores per physical processor |
Addressable memory (RAM) |
Windows 11 Home: Up to 128 GB Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education: Up to 2 TB Windows 11 Pro for Workstations: Up to 6 TB |
For our discussion of specific editions, we start with those available preinstalled on new PCs and in retail channels. We follow that with editions available for deployment within large enterprises, organizations, and educational institutions.
Consumers and businesses that acquire Windows on a new device or as a retail upgrade typically have their choice of two editions: Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro. On a small number of high-end hardware devices intended for demanding workloads, some OEMs offer Windows 11 Pro for Workstations as an option. A new edition, Windows 11 SE, is designed for preinstallation on low-cost devices for the education market.
All these editions are available preinstalled on new PCs from original equipment manufacturers and are also available as retail products in shrink-wrapped boxes or as downloads from the Microsoft Store and third-party online stores.
Note
In some markets, you might find Single Language, KN, and N variations of the standard retail and OEM editions. A Single Language version doesn’t allow you to install an additional language pack or change the base language unless you update to the full, language-neutral version. N versions are available in the European Union, and KN versions are offered in South Korea; both editions have had several media playback features removed as a result of legal proceedings between Microsoft and regulators in those jurisdictions. For most Windows installations in developed countries and regions, including the United States and Western Europe, the standard Home and Pro editions are the preferred choices.
Windows 11 Home includes all the core features that are described in detail in this book. That includes the complete Windows 11 user experience, with its customizable Start menu and taskbar, as well as the modern Settings app that offers access to system settings formerly included in Control Panel. It also includes the technical architecture of Windows 11: the NTFS file system, TCP/IP networking, power management, and the Windows Search index, as well as compatibility with virtually all software designed for Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Except for some high-end configurations that include multiple processors and massive amounts of system memory, there’s no difference in hardware support between Windows 11 Home and higher editions. Any device that has a compatible Windows driver works on Windows 11 Home, including multiple displays, touchscreens, and pens that support the Windows Ink platform.
Every edition of Windows receives security and feature updates through Windows Update, although the Home edition lacks some configuration options available in more advanced editions. Likewise, the security infrastructure of Windows 11 Home supports the use of a Trusted Platform Module and Secure Boot and, with the proper hardware, allows the use of Windows Hello biometric authentication. Some advanced security features, such as BitLocker Drive Encryption, require Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions.
And, of course, every edition of Windows 11 includes the same assortment of apps, including Microsoft Edge.
Windows 11 Pro includes the same core features as Windows 11 Home, with the addition of features that are primarily of interest to business users and corporate network administrators. All the features in the following list are also available in Enterprise and Education editions:
Client Hyper-V Platform With proper hardware support, enables users to create a virtual machine (VM), install Windows or another operating system on the VM, and use it as if it was a separate physical device.
Windows Sandbox Creates an instant virtual machine that uses minimal system resources and erases all traces of its activity when closed.
Language packs Changes the Windows 11 interface to add language packs and switch between languages for displaying menus, dialog boxes, and other elements.
Windows Update for Business Allows central management of security updates and new features delivered through Windows Update, with the option to configure limited delays for quality updates and longer delays (up to one year) for feature updates.
Mobile device management Supports the use of mobile device management tools, which allows administrators to configure security options, provision apps, and perform other management tasks from the cloud.
Encrypting File System Enables strong encryption of individual files and folders on an NTFS-formatted volume.
BitLocker Drive Encryption Allows an entire drive to be encrypted, protecting its contents from unauthorized access if the computer is lost or stolen.
BitLocker To Go Encrypts data on removable media such as USB flash drives and external drives. (Devices running Windows 11 Home can read from and write to storage devices encrypted using this feature but cannot manage BitLocker To Go encryption.)
Domain join/Group Policy management Allows the device to join a Windows domain and be managed by using Active Directory and Group Policy.
Azure Active Directory support Allows a Windows 11 device to join Azure Active Directory (AAD), with a single sign-in to cloud-hosted apps. In a Hybrid Azure Active Directory environment, devices enrolled in an on-premises domain can be joined to AAD.
Windows Autopilot Allows end users to connect to AAD and set up a new device using an organization’s standard configuration, with Windows apps and settings applied automatically.
Windows Information Protection Provides advanced control over data files, including encryption and remote wipe.
IE Mode for Microsoft Edge Using network configuration files, administrators can define compatibility settings for sites accessed using Internet Explorer, including those on corporate intranets, enabling the continued use of older web apps that aren’t compatible with Microsoft Edge.
Remote Desktop (server) Allows remote access to the full Windows experience on the current PC; the connection is made over the network using Remote Desktop Protocol from a client program running on any Windows PC, Mac, or supported mobile device. (Devices running Windows 11 Home can connect to a PC that allows incoming Remote Desktop sessions but can’t share their own resources in this fashion.)
Windows 11 Pro for Workstations is intended for use on “server-grade hardware” that is much more powerful than the average desktop PC. Devices intended for use with this edition typically have multiple CPUs and massive amounts of memory. By design, these workstations perform compute-intensive tasks such as computer-aided design, data analysis, and video rendering, which need hardware resources far beyond what even a high-end desktop PC can deliver.
The feature set for this edition is similar to that of Windows 11 Pro. Where it differs is in its hardware support, as described in Table A-1 at the beginning of this section.
Windows 11 Pro for Workstations includes support for devices with persistent memory (also known as non-volatile memory modules, or NVDIMM-N), the fastest data storage possible on workstations. It supports SMB Direct file transfers, over network adapters that use Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) for faster throughput and very low latency. As an alternative to the traditional NTFS file system, it supports the newer ReFS (Resilient File System), which is optimized for large data volumes spread over multiple physical disks.
Windows 11 Enterprise is available as an upgrade for PCs that already have an underlying license for Windows 11 Pro. Windows 11 Education provides equivalent features for large networks in academic environments (K–12 and university) and allows upgrades from Windows 11 Home or Pro editions. Historically, Enterprise updates required an organization to purchase licenses through a Volume License agreement. Those agreements are still available for larger organizations, but in recent years Microsoft has introduced new subscription options that make Enterprise upgrades available for small businesses and individuals as well.
The following list enumerates features that are available only in Windows 11 Enterprise editions. On corporate networks, you have the option to enable some additional features by upgrading to the Enterprise edition as part of a volume license agreement with Software Assurance:
Azure Virtual Desktop Supports cloud-based deployments of Windows applications and desktops. (This feature was formerly known as Windows Virtual Desktop.)
Microsoft Defender Credential Guard Supports multifactor authentication using smart cards and biometric information to prevent “Pass the Hash” exploits.
Microsoft Defender Exploit Guard Allows network administrators to create security policies that reduce the attack surface of a Windows PC, reducing the likelihood that network-based attacks will succeed.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (previously known as Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection) Available only with Windows 11 Enterprise E5 and Microsoft 365 E5 subscriptions, provides detection of online threats and attacks.
DirectAccess Provides secure connections (without a virtual private network, or VPN) between a client PC running Windows 11 and a remote server running Windows Server 2008 R2 or newer.
Universal Print Helps network administrators manage printer security through a cloud-based portal, allowing users to quickly find and use the nearest printer without having to install drivers.
Microsoft has expanded the availability of Windows 11 Enterprise upgrades through a subscription offering called Windows Enterprise E3, available only through Microsoft partners who are part of the Cloud Service Providers program. The feature set for these editions is identical to Enterprise edition sold through volume license agreements and upgrades Windows 11 Pro. The most important distinction is that these subscription editions are licensed on a per-user basis and are tied to an Azure Active Directory account. Each user can install the upgrade on up to five PCs.
Windows Enterprise E5 is an upgrade to Windows Enterprise E3 that adds support for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, an enterprise-based, cross-platform security solution.
In 2020, Microsoft rebranded most of its Office 365 subscriptions as Microsoft 365. Three of the Microsoft 365 offerings include Windows 11 Enterprise E3 as part of a package that also includes Office apps and services, and a variety of management, analytics, security, and compliance tools collectively branded Enterprise Mobility + Security. (The F3 edition includes web apps only and is intended for use by so-called frontline workers—Microsoft’s term for employees who work directly with customers or the general public.) The Windows 11 portion of these subscription packages contains the same feature set as other Enterprise edition offerings.
Shortly after the release of Windows 10, Microsoft announced its intention to release a version of Windows Enterprise edition designed for use on specialized equipment in mission-critical environments, where stability is a prime consideration and regular feature updates are unwelcome. Deploying this edition allows administrators to limit deployment of new Windows features, installing reliability and security updates only.
These releases are delivered as part of the Long Term Servicing Channel (LTSC), which was previously known by the equally awkward moniker Long Term Servicing Branch (LTSB). The two most recent releases in this channel are Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019, which was released in November 2018, and Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021, released in November 2021.
Each LTSB/LTSC release contains the same features as other editions from the same release cycle, with two noteworthy exceptions:
LTSB/LTSC releases do not receive feature updates through Windows Update.
These releases do not contain many in-box applications that are included with other editions, including Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Store, Cortana (limited search capabilities remain available), Mail, Calendar, Weather, Microsoft News, Photos, Camera, and Alarms & Clock.
In July 2021, Microsoft announced that its next release of Windows to the Long Term Servicing Channel would be based on Windows 11 but did not specify a date for its release. Given the two- to three-year intervals between previous LTSC releases, it’s reasonable to expect that this version will not be ready until the end of 2023 or later.
At schools and other institutions of learning, administrators can enable advanced features by upgrading to Windows 11 Pro Education and Windows 11 Education. These specialized editions provide education-specific default settings but are otherwise essentially equivalent to the Pro and Enterprise editions.
Administrators in education environments can provision new devices with the Set Up School PCs app or Windows Configuration Designer. They can also deliver “digital assessments” with the Take A Test app; see https://bit.ly/win11-take-a-test. These features work with all desktop Windows editions except Windows 10 and Windows 11 Home.
Institutions that have deployed Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise in managed environments can configure the product to have similar feature settings to Windows 11 Pro Education and Windows 11 Education using Group Policy settings.
For specific details about these Windows 10 editions and configuration options, see https://bit.ly/win10-education.
Windows 11 Education is effectively a variant of Windows 11 Enterprise that provides education-specific default settings. These default settings disable some features that are common to retail editions, including tips and tricks, as well as Microsoft Store suggestions. It is available only through Volume Licensing channels.
This edition is effectively a variant of Windows 11 Pro that provides education-specific default settings similar to those in Windows 11 Education. It is available on new devices purchased with discounted K–12 academic licenses through OEM partners. (These discounted licenses are sometimes referred to as National Academic or Shape the Future.) This edition is also available through Volume Licensing channels.
This edition, which is new to Windows 11, is available preinstalled on new hardware for the education market. Its primary purpose is to provide a secure environment for use by students. As a result, it requires management through Microsoft Intune for Education and supports what Microsoft calls “a curated app experience” consisting only of “essential education apps.” For more information, see https://bit.ly/windows-se.