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Windows 10 Pro vs Enterprise

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UPDATED August 31st, 2021 to reflect new (lower) pricing:

Choosing between Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise for business can be overwhelming due to the abundance of information online. And you know it is crucial to carefully evaluate the options before deciding, but where to start? 

Don’t worry. That’s why we’ve made it easy for you, in this article we will explore key distinctions, pricing considerations, and the pivotal question of whether Windows 10 Enterprise is the right investment for your business.  You can also book a meeting with us, we'll show you the plan that best suits your goals.

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Do I Need Windows 10 Enterprise?

Windows 10 Pro is the business version of Windows 10 that comes pre-installed on most PCs when you buy them from Dell, HP, Microsoft, etc. Windows 10 Enterprise, however, is an add-on that sits on top of Windows 10 Pro for added security and mobile device management benefits.  

You can buy Windows 10 Enterprise as a monthly subscription for $7 or $11 per user/month, like the other Office 365 licenses. There are two Windows 10 Enterprise licenses, Windows 10 E3 and Windows 10 E5.  

Windows 10 Enterprise is basically the fanciest anti-malware / anti-virus on the planet (specifically the Windows 10 E5 license). Windows 10 E5 can operate on all your devices no matter the OS (Linux, macOS, Windows 10), will automatically clean up any virus/malware it finds, then will give you a report as to whose devices are causing problems and where the attacks came from. It really is beautiful, you don't have to do any work.


Windows 10 Enterprise Pricing

If you do not already have Windows 10 Pro pre-installed on your PC then you have 3 options for pricing: 

  1. If you are on Windows 10 Home then you can upgrade to Windows 10 Pro for $49 per device 
  1. If you are upgrading from Windows 7 Pro it’ll cost you $199 on the Microsoft website, but you can probably find it on Amazon for $99-$150 
  1. If your PC is old enough, maybe it's time to just use that money towards a new PC?

When it comes to Windows 10 Enterprise, there are two versions, 'E3' and 'E5'. And honestly, we think that only Windows 10 E5 is worth buying, don't even bother with E3. That's because E5 comes with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, which you can learn more about and watch all the videos about it in our Windows 10 E3 vs E5 blog post.

In addition to buying Windows Enterprise 'a-la-carte' you can also buy them bundled in Microsoft 365 plans:

Lastly, you can also buy Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (previously called Microsoft Defender ATP) separate from Windows 10 E5, for $5.25 per user/mo.

Windows 10 Enterprise E3 vs E5 comparison tableWindows 2

 


Windows 10 Pro vs Enterprise Features

Windows 10 Enterprise has 37 additional features that Windows 10 Pro does not have. But the question is, do I need it? Yes, for 2 reasons:

1. It integrates into the rest of the Microsoft tech stack. Having full control of everything IT under one roof and one admin center for your servers in Azure, users in Microsoft 365, and even managing their devices, their operating systems all in one place??? Sign me up.

2. If you're going to buy it, just pay the $4 extra for Windows 10 E5 simply for the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and the automatic rumination tool.

If you get some sort of ransomware or malware, E5 will actually automatically take action and clean it up and remove it without you the IT person having to do anything, which really saves your butt, and one or two stressful all-nighters cleaning that up yourself.

windows 10 pro vs enterprise table part 1windows 10 pro vs enterprise table part 2windows 10 pro vs enterprise table part 3windows 10 pro vs enterprise table part 4windows 10 pro vs enterprise table part 5windows 10 pro vs enterprise table part 6

With Enterprise clocking 37(!) additional features to Pro, it's no doubt which one we think is best but only you can decide what's right for your organization. Questions? Talk to one of our experts, we are just a click away! 

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If you're interested in Windows's security capabilities, read our latest cybersecurity articles down below or visit our Cybersecurity Solutions Page to learn more.

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