Updated October 2026
The short answer
For browsing, school, gaming and everyday work, Home is enough. Choose Pro if you need full-drive encryption with BitLocker, want to connect to your PC remotely, run virtual machines, or your PC belongs to a company network.
What Pro adds
| Feature | Home | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| BitLocker drive encryption | Device encryption on supported PCs only | Yes |
| Remote Desktop (connect to this PC) | No | Yes |
| Hyper-V virtual machines | No | Yes |
| Windows Sandbox | No | Yes |
| Group Policy editor | No | Yes |
| Join a work domain or Microsoft Entra ID | No | Yes |
Who should choose Pro
- Freelancers and small businesses who handle client data.
- Developers and IT people who use virtual machines or Sandbox.
- Anyone who wants to reach their PC from another device with Remote Desktop.
Can I switch later?
Yes. You can move from Home to Pro at any time without reinstalling. Follow how to upgrade Windows 11 Home to Pro.
Keys mentioned in this guide
- Windows 11 Home $19.99
- Windows 11 Pro $24.99
Still stuck?Send us a screenshot and your order number on the contact page. If a key we sold you won't activate, we fix it or send a replacement.