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What Windows 11 Pro has that Windows 11 Home doesn’t

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Windows 11 Pro adds a set of features that Windows 11 Home leaves out. The ones that usually decide it are full BitLocker drive encryption, the ability to accept incoming Remote Desktop connections, Hyper-V virtual machines, Windows Sandbox, and the management tools businesses rely on, such as Group Policy, Active Directory domain join and Microsoft Entra ID join. Pro also supports up to 2 TB of memory, against 128 GB on Home. Apps, games, performance and security updates are the same in both.

Upgrading a Home PC to Pro takes a Pro product key and a restart, and your files and apps stay where they are. Microsoft sells Windows 11 Pro for £219.99 in its UK store.

BitLocker on Pro, Device Encryption on Home

Windows 11 Home has Device Encryption, which Microsoft describes as “a Windows feature that enables BitLocker encryption automatically”. On supported hardware it switches itself on when you sign in with a Microsoft account or a work or school account, and the recovery key is attached to that account. Microsoft adds that “If you’re using a local account, Device Encryption isn’t turned on automatically.”

To check whether a Home PC supports it, search the Start menu for System Information, open it and find Device Encryption Support. If it reads Meets prerequisites, the feature is available.

Windows 11 Pro has the full BitLocker Drive Encryption, which Microsoft lists for the Pro, Enterprise and Education editions, adding that “It isn’t available on Windows Home edition.” You choose which drives to encrypt, including USB drives through BitLocker To Go, you decide where the recovery key is kept, and it works with a local account as well as a Microsoft account. For a laptop that carries client files around, BitLocker is a common reason to buy Pro.

Remote Desktop into the PC

Every edition of Windows can connect out to another computer with Remote Desktop. Only Pro and higher editions accept a connection in. Microsoft’s documentation says “Windows Home editions can’t serve as Remote Desktop hosts, though they can be used as clients to connect to other systems that support Remote Desktop hosting.”

If you want to reach your office PC from home, or let an IT provider log in to it, that PC needs Pro. To switch it on, select Start, then Settings, then System. Choose Remote Desktop, turn Enable Remote Desktop on and confirm.

Hyper-V and Windows Sandbox

Hyper-V runs full virtual machines, such as a second copy of Windows for testing, an older version of Windows for a legacy app, or a Linux server for development work. Microsoft is explicit that “The Hyper-V role can’t be installed on Windows 10 Home or Windows 11 Home.”

On Pro, Hyper-V needs a 64-bit processor with Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), CPU support for VM Monitor Mode Extension, at least 4 GB of memory, and virtualisation turned on in the PC’s firmware settings. Open PowerShell as administrator and run this command to enable it.

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All

Windows Sandbox is the lightweight version, a clean Windows desktop that opens in a window and is wiped when you close it. Microsoft’s description is “Nothing persists on the device. Everything is discarded when the user closes the application.” That makes it a safe place to open a file you don’t trust. Microsoft also says “Windows Sandbox is currently not supported on Windows Home edition.” On Pro, search the Start menu for Turn Windows features on or off and tick Windows Sandbox.

Tools for managing business PCs

Pro includes the tools businesses use to control and manage their PCs.

  • Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc), for setting rules on one PC or across a network
  • Joining an Active Directory domain
  • Joining Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft’s cloud directory, formerly called Azure AD
  • Windows Update for Business, for scheduling and deferring updates
  • Assigned Access and kiosk mode, for locking a PC to a single app
  • Management through mobile device management services such as Microsoft Intune

A Home PC can’t join a domain or Microsoft Entra ID at all. If your business runs its own server, or manages its devices through Microsoft 365, its PCs need Pro.

Memory limits

Windows 11 Home supports up to 128 GB of RAM and Windows 11 Pro up to 2 TB. Few PCs come near 128 GB, but workstations for video editing, 3D work or large data sets sometimes do.

What stays the same

Pro doesn’t make Windows faster, and both editions get the same monthly security updates on the same day. Microsoft Defender, Windows Hello, Smart App Control, Windows Backup and Copilot work the same way in each.

The support period is the same too. Each annual version of Home and Pro is supported for 24 months, which is why version 24H2 of both reached the end of servicing on 13 October 2026, while the Enterprise and Education editions of 24H2 carry on until 12 October 2027.

Who needs Pro

Choose Pro if the PC holds client or company data you want encrypted with BitLocker, if you or an IT provider need to connect to it remotely, if you run virtual machines or test software in a sandbox, or if it has to join a company domain or Microsoft Entra ID. If none of that applies, Home will do everything you ask of it.

Windows 11 Pro is sold as a licence for one PC, and the rest of the range is under Windows licences.

Upgrading from Home to Pro

The upgrade happens in place, with no reinstall.

  1. Check that Windows 11 Home is activated, which Microsoft recommends doing before the upgrade.
  2. Select Start, then Settings > System > Activation.
  3. Next to Change product key, select Change.
  4. Approve the User Account Control prompt with an administrator account.
  5. Type your 25-character Windows 11 Pro key and select Next.
  6. Windows applies the upgrade and restarts the PC.

Afterwards, Settings > System > About shows Windows 11 Pro under Windows specifications, and the Activation page shows it as activated. If an error code appears, our list of Windows 11 activation errors explains what each one means.

The upgrade only goes one way. Going from Pro back to Home means a clean installation.

Clean installs on a PC that came with Home

A PC sold with Windows 11 Home has the Home key stored in its firmware. Windows Setup reads that key and installs Home again without asking which edition you want. The quickest route is to let it finish, then upgrade to Pro from the desktop with the steps above. Our guide to setting up Windows 11 Pro and Office 2024 runs through a full clean installation in order.

Questions about Windows 11 Home and Pro

Is Windows 11 Pro faster than Home?

No. Both editions run the same code and the same apps at the same speed. Pro adds features and leaves performance as it is.

Will I lose my files when I upgrade from Home to Pro?

No. Entering a Pro key upgrades Windows in place, and your files, apps and settings stay as they were.

Does Windows 11 Home have BitLocker?

Home has Device Encryption, which uses BitLocker to encrypt the drive automatically on supported hardware. The full BitLocker controls, including BitLocker To Go for USB drives, come with Pro and higher editions.

Can a Windows 11 Home PC join a work domain?

No. Joining an Active Directory domain or Microsoft Entra ID needs Windows 11 Pro or a higher edition.

Does Windows 11 Pro include Office?

No. Office is licensed separately. The Windows 11 Pro and Office LTSC Professional Plus 2024 bundle includes both licences for one PC.

Sources

Newer
Windows 11 activation errors, what each code means and what to try
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Older How to install Office LTSC Professional Plus or Standard 2024 with the Office Deployment Tool

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