Windows 11 Pro vs Windows 10 Home: Which Should You Use?

Windows 11 Pro is the better choice for almost everyone in 2026. Windows 10 Home reached the end of free support on 14 October 2025 and now receives security fixes only through Microsoft's paid or sign-in based Extended Security Updates programme. Windows 11 Pro is fully supported and adds BitLocker, Remote Desktop hosting, Hyper-V and Group Policy.

The honest exception is hardware. If your PC cannot run Windows 11, staying on Windows 10 Home with Extended Security Updates is a reasonable short-term plan. The table below shows where the two differ, and the rest of the article helps you decide and make the move.

Is Windows 10 Home still safe to use?

Only if the PC is enrolled in Extended Security Updates. Without enrolment, a Windows 10 Home PC has received no security patches since October 2025, so every vulnerability found since then remains open on it. The PC keeps working, but the risk grows each month, especially for banking, email and work.

Microsoft's consumer programme was first announced to run until 13 October 2026. Reports in mid-2026 say Microsoft has extended it to 12 October 2027, so check the current end date on Microsoft's Windows 10 Extended Security Updates page before you plan around it. Either way, it is a bridge with a fixed end, and it covers security fixes only. There are no new features and no general technical support.

A recent example shows why supported status matters. When the September 2026 security update caused faults, Microsoft shipped a repair within six days, which we covered in our post on the Windows 11 emergency update KB5129195. Windows 10 PCs outside the programme received neither the original patches nor the fix.

What does Windows 11 Pro add over Windows 10 Home?

You gain two things at once: a supported operating system and the Pro feature set. The second part is easy to overlook, because people comparing these two are changing both the version and the edition. The features below are the ones that make a practical difference.

• BitLocker. Full-drive encryption that you control, including external drives. If a laptop is lost or stolen, the data on it stays unreadable.
• Remote Desktop hosting. You can connect to your Pro PC from another device. A Home PC can only connect outwards, which is why remote access to a home office machine fails on Home editions.
• Hyper-V and Windows Sandbox. Run virtual machines, or open a suspicious file in a disposable desktop that is wiped when you close it.
• Group Policy and work sign-in. Control update timing and system behaviour, and join a company domain or Microsoft Entra ID.
• Newer security foundations. Windows 11 requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, which lets protections such as virtualisation-based security be switched on by default on new installs.

If you are weighing up the two Windows 11 editions as well, we compare them in the difference between Windows 11 Home and Pro.

Can your PC run Windows 11 Pro?

Your PC needs a supported 64-bit processor with two or more cores, 4 GB of memory, 64 GB of storage, UEFI firmware with Secure Boot, and TPM 2.0. In practice, most PCs sold from 2018 onwards qualify. Microsoft's free PC Health Check app gives you a yes or no in under a minute.

A common issue we see: the app says the PC is not compatible, but the only thing wrong is that TPM or Secure Boot is switched off in the firmware settings. Both can usually be enabled in the UEFI menu, after which the check passes. The full list is on Microsoft's Windows 11 specifications page.

If the processor itself is unsupported, that cannot be changed with a setting. For those PCs, Extended Security Updates on Windows 10 is the sensible stopgap while you plan a hardware replacement.

Is Windows 11 Pro faster than Windows 10 Home?

On the same modern hardware, everyday speed is broadly similar, and the Pro edition itself adds no performance. Windows 11 schedules work better on recent processors that mix performance and efficiency cores, and games can benefit from DirectStorage and Auto HDR. On older PCs with 4 GB of memory, Windows 10 can feel lighter.

So performance is rarely the deciding factor. Support status and the Pro features are what separate these two.

How do you move from Windows 10 Home to Windows 11 Pro?

There are two routes. You can upgrade in place, which keeps your files and apps, or do a clean install, which gives you a fresh system. Both end with Windows 11 Pro activated by a Pro product key. Back up your files before starting either one.

1. Upgrade Windows 10 Home to Windows 11. On an eligible PC this is free and arrives as Windows 11 Home, because an upgrade keeps the same edition. Our guide on how to update Windows 10 to Windows 11 covers the steps.
2. Switch the edition to Pro. Go to Settings, System, Activation, select Change product key and enter your Windows 11 Pro key. Windows unlocks the Pro features and restarts, with no reinstall. The details are in how to upgrade from Windows 11 Home to Pro.

Prefer a fresh start? Create installation media, install Windows 11 Pro directly and enter the Pro key during or after setup. Our walkthrough on how to download and install Windows 11 Pro takes you through it.

One point to be clear on: your old Windows 10 Home licence does not become a Pro licence. The free upgrade carries the Home edition across, and the move to Pro needs a Pro key. You can get a Windows 11 Pro product key from our store, delivered by email.

Who should stay on Windows 10 Home for now?

Stay only if the PC fails the Windows 11 hardware check and you have enrolled it in Extended Security Updates, or if you depend on older software or hardware drivers that have not been updated for Windows 11. Treat it as temporary, and avoid using an unenrolled Windows 10 PC for anything sensitive.

Frequently asked questions

Is Windows 11 Pro better than Windows 10 Home?

For most people, yes. Windows 11 Pro is fully supported with monthly security updates, while Windows 10 Home left free support in October 2025. Pro also adds BitLocker, Remote Desktop hosting, Hyper-V and Group Policy. Windows 10 Home only makes sense on hardware that cannot run Windows 11.

Can you upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Windows 11 Pro for free?

Partly. The upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 is free on eligible PCs, but it keeps the Home edition. Moving from Home to Pro requires a Windows 11 Pro product key, which you enter under Settings, System, Activation to unlock the Pro features without reinstalling.

Will you lose your files when upgrading?

Not with an in-place upgrade, which keeps your files, apps and most settings. A clean install erases the system drive. In both cases, back up anything important first, because upgrades can fail on PCs with damaged system files or very little free disk space.

Does Windows 11 Pro need a Microsoft account?

For personal use, Microsoft's current specifications say Windows 11 Pro requires an internet connection and a Microsoft account during first-time setup, the same as Home. PCs set up for work or school can sign in with an organisation account instead.

How long will Windows 11 be supported?

Microsoft has not announced an end date for Windows 11 as a whole. Each annual release, such as 24H2 or 25H2, is supported for a set period on Home and Pro, and you stay covered by installing the yearly feature update when Windows Update offers it.

The verdict

If your PC passes the Windows 11 check, move to Windows 11 Pro: you get back onto a supported system and gain encryption, remote access and virtual machines in one step. If it does not pass, enrol in Extended Security Updates now and plan the hardware change. When you are ready, the Windows 11 Pro key is a one-time purchase delivered by email, and our support team can help with activation.