Windows 11 Pro vs Home: which licence do you need?
Last updated October 15, 2026
Buy Windows 11 Home for a normal home PC used for browsing, office work and gaming. Buy Windows 11 Pro if you need BitLocker drive encryption, Remote Desktop into this PC, Hyper-V virtual machines, joining a company domain, or Group Policy. Everything else is the same operating system.
What does Pro have that Home does not?
Pro is not a faster or better-looking Windows. It is the same build with a set of administration and security features unlocked. If you do not recognise a use for any of the entries below, you are almost certainly fine with Home.
| Feature | Home | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| BitLocker full-drive encryption | No — only device encryption with a Microsoft account | Yes, including managing the recovery key |
| Remote Desktop (connect into this PC) | No — can only connect out | Yes, acts as the host |
| Hyper-V virtual machines | No | Yes |
| Join an Active Directory / Entra domain | No | Yes |
| Group Policy editor | No | Yes |
| Windows Sandbox | No | Yes |
| Assigned Access / kiosk mode | Limited | Yes |
| Windows Update control | Forced, limited deferral | Deferral and targeting policies |
| Everything else — interface, apps, gaming | Same | Same |
I use my PC for work from home. Do I need Pro?
Working from home does not by itself require Pro. What matters is how your employer's IT connects to the machine. If they ask you to join the machine to a company domain, use Remote Desktop to reach it, or apply company security policies, that is Pro territory.
If you only open a browser and a VPN client to reach company systems, Home is enough.
Can I start with Home and move to Pro later?
Yes. Windows 11 supports an in-place edition upgrade: you change the product key and the edition changes without reinstalling, keeping your files and applications. Going the other way — Pro down to Home — is not supported and requires a clean install.
That asymmetry is the reason to think about it before buying. The upgrade path exists, so buying Home and outgrowing it is recoverable; but buying Pro when you had no use for it is money spent on features you will not open.
Does the licence follow the PC or the person?
It depends on the type of licence, and this matters more than the Home-versus-Pro decision for most buyers.
A retail licence can be moved to a different computer later. An OEM licence is tied to the first machine it is activated on and cannot legitimately be moved. Volume licensing is for organisations under an agreement.
The guide on retail, OEM and volume licences covers how to tell which one you are buying.
Which one should I actually buy?
Home for a personal computer doing personal things. Pro if you can name a feature from the table above that you will use — most often BitLocker, Remote Desktop or a work domain.
If you are buying for a business machine that IT supports, ask IT which edition their management tooling expects; that answer overrides this one.
Frequently asked questions
▸Is Windows 11 Pro faster than Home?
No. Both editions run the same operating system and the same applications at the same speed. Pro adds administration and security features; it does not add performance.
▸Do I need Pro for gaming?
No. Gaming performance, DirectX and the Xbox app are identical in Home. The gaming-adjacent features that differ, such as Hyper-V for virtual machines, are not used by games.
▸Can I upgrade from Home to Pro without reinstalling?
Yes. Changing the product key in Settings → System → Activation converts the edition in place, keeping your files and installed applications.
▸Can I move a Windows licence to a new PC?
A retail licence can be moved. An OEM licence is tied to the first device it is activated on and cannot legitimately be transferred, so check which type you are buying before you buy for a machine you plan to replace.
