Listen, we get it. Understandably, you’re looking for value as well as performance when you buy a new PC or laptop for the business.

Why would you be looking anyway, you ask? In October 2025, Windows 10 comes off life support, meaning no more updates or security fixes, ever. And if your current devices aren’t eligible to upgrade from 10 to 11, you can expect to go on a bit of an IT shopping expedition. We understand it might be tempting to buy new devices with Windows 11 Home already installed. It’s cheaper than buying with Windows 11 Pro, works just fine, and you can always upgrade later if you have to – right?

Not exactly. Windows Home isn’t going to serve you well when you’re running a business – especially when it comes to longevity and security.

For business devices, Windows 11 Pro is the way to go. Here’s why.

What’s the cost difference?

Good question! Our friends at Australia’s PC Magazine recently did some research to determine the difference in the cost of Windows 11 Home and Pro when buying a new device.

They looked at the list price of the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED Touch and found only around a $50 difference between buying one with Windows 11 Home vs choosing the Pro version. However, if you go for Windows Home and want to upgrade to Pro later, it will cost you extra $$ through the Windows Store app or by buying a license key, making it an even more expensive afterthought.

A Colton takeaway:

Save yourself some time and hassle and go straight for a device with Windows 11 Pro ready installed!

Why pay more? Aren’t they practically the same?

Down to the nitty gritty. Why bother going for Windows 11 Pro over Home?

Windows 11 Home is great for home users. It shares many of the features found in Pro, including Copilot Generative AI, File Explorer with tabs, a widgets panel, native passkey support for increased security, updated utility apps, quick Bluetooth pairing, standard security features and much more.

However, it’s what Home doesn’t include that’s important.

Home doesn’t include BitLocker. According to Microsoft: “BitLocker is a Windows security feature that provides encryption for entire volumes, addressing the threats of data theft or exposure from lost, stolen, or inappropriately decommissioned devices.” Needless to say, BitLocker is enabled in the Windows 11 Pro version.

Neither does Home include remote desktop control, which enables you to connect to and control your PC from a remote device. Home doesn’t have Hyper-V for creating and running virtual machines or offer Private Catalog, which provides access to your company’s apps in your own private section of the Microsoft Store.

Finally, Home will not enable you to join Azure Active Directory, so you won’t be able to connect to your business network via the cloud or join a domain and connect to your business network.

A Colton takeaway:

Yes, Home is great for individual users, but it doesn’t make life easier if you have a business network.

How about security?

Now, this is a biggie.

As mentioned earlier, while Windows 11 Home includes the standard Windows Security features (think virus and threat protection, firewall and network protection, family options, app control, and device security like TPM support and core isolation), it doesn’t include BitLocker.

BitLocker should be a bit of a dealbreaker for you. Why?

Say you leave your laptop on the train. With BitLocker your IT administrator can remotely encrypt it so your precious data is safe. Phew. And even when it’s not lost, it also makes sure that any sensitive information on your device is encrypted so you comply with data protection regulations.

You can also configure BitLocker so that you have to authenticate before loading operating systems – adding another layer of protection. By encrypting the disk, BitLocker can help protect you against certain types of malware that target unencrypted data. All in all, it provides more robust security.

Aside from BitLocker, Windows 11 Pro lets your IT team separate personal apps (for example, Facebook or Netflix) from your work apps. They can also scan your Pro devices for content that shouldn’t be there, restrict sharing, and even remove infected or illicit content that could pose a threat.

A Colton takeaway:

Pro is a huge security step up for businesses. You can’t even begin to achieve this sort of protection with Home.

No, we’re not dissing Home

We think Windows 11 Home is perfect for …home.

Whereas the additional security features of Pro make it business-worthy. As your business typically has more to lose than an individual (like customer data and reputation), it’s critical that you have significant safeguards in place to protect your operations and data.

A Colton takeaway:

Spending a bit less on a new device by opting for Windows 11 Home at the outset is a false economy compared with being forced to upgrade to Pro later on to mitigate risk.

If you’d like some help finding out if your devices are eligible for upgrades to Windows 11 (the Pro version, of course!), just ask. Or if you need new devices, give us a yell and we can steer you in the right direction.