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Kali Linux vs Windows 10 comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 7, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Kali Linux
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
11th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
AWS Marketplace (3rd)
Windows 10
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
8th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
5.3
Number of Reviews
275
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of Kali Linux is 2.2%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Windows 10 is 2.9%, down from 4.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Operating Systems (OS) for Business
 

Featured Reviews

GurpreetSingh4 - PeerSpot reviewer
Has small footprint and low maintenance cycles
Pre-installed tools can provide basic training and security measures, which is helpful. However, these tools may not be sufficient to secure your workload fully. That's why it's important to complement them with other specialized security tools to enhance your overall security. Before using Kali Linux, make sure you know its pros and cons. It's a good system to learn because it's the best choice for some situations. It has default firewall settings that block everything by default. It's up to the user to decide how much they want to open up. Learning Kali Linux takes time because it relies on command-line tasks instead of graphical interfaces. Practice is key to becoming comfortable with it.
Akos Szirmai - PeerSpot reviewer
Easy installation and the initial setup time is reasonable
Stability can be an issue. I have to restart it every two days. And the boot time is quite long. My laptop's old, has no SSD, and is just a traditional Winchester. Had desktops with Windows 11 and SSDs, much better performance. But hardware limitations on my current laptop lead to stability and response issues. It's more like the whole reinstall every two years thing. It makes cleaning a pain. Performance improves significantly after a fresh install, then slowly deteriorates as I add more programs. But my biggest concern with Windows 10 is actually bigger than my situation. I'm replacing my laptop anyway, but I read that Windows 10 support ends in a year or so. And with hardware limitations, many other computers won't run Windows 11. So it's not just me. A lot of people with decent, still-working Windows 10 machines will lose support and be unable to switch to 11. This will be a significant problem for individuals and institutions. Large companies with thousands of computers don't replace them every three years, and they might face issues with many computers unable to run Windows 11 and lacking support for 10.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The tools available in Kali Linux are incredibly effective for conducting security assessments."
"We use the product for open-source intelligence and identifying vulnerabilities."
"The interface is good and straightforward to use."
"In general, Kali Linux is used for hosting applications, developing new applications, and operating systems. It's also used in containers and nodes. The tool offers a smaller footprint than Windows because it lacks the functionality of graphical user interfaces. One advantage of Kali Linux is its lower maintenance requirements than Windows, with slower update cycles and easier maintenance procedures."
"The solution's most valuable feature is that it is very easy to use."
"I'm mostly using for the web security web application, so end map and the troubleshoot will it's my price, and it's available in ColliNX."
"The solution's stability is very good."
"Additionally, it now includes comprehensive migration analytics and reporting capabilities."
"The things I like most about Windows 10 are its stability and ease of use."
"I have found Windows 10 much better than the previous versions. It performs well, is easy to use, and is easy to use for new users."
"I have found all the features to be valuable. I like the compatibility of Windows with other products, I can add applications. The general compatibility of Microsoft is good, I know that I can use all the Microsoft products."
"The solution is stable."
"The tool is easy to use."
"The solution has good performance and has a good interface."
"Windows 10 is stable."
"I have found that the solution is easy to use, intuitive, and has a good user interface."
 

Cons

"I would like for them to offer more features for the free version in order for users to test them in their internal environment before purchasing."
"The product should improve its security features."
"The tool is slightly difficult to learn."
"The tool is already stable and well-developed, so there's minimal feedback for enhancement or change. However, it should improve security, which is crucial, especially with the increasing use of Kali Linux in cloud environments."
"Unfortunately, my current tool runs on Windows 10, and its use is restricted to enterprise versions. Integrating this tool or similar functionalities into Kali Linux for non-enterprise users would be incredibly valuable."
"There can be some lagging issues because the product gets stuck at times, making it an area of concern where improvements are required."
"Any new user or someone without deep expertise won't be able to understand how to scale or manage it"
"From an improvement perspective, Kali Linux could include more ML to help with academic literature, as it is one of the areas where there are shortcomings in the solution."
"They should lower the price point."
"Windows 10 could improve the security of the solution."
"The security and the updates could use improvements, as well as scalability."
"It takes a lot of time to boot Windows 10, and I want it to complete the booting process in two or three minutes. The search functionality in the product has glitches at times."
"The solution's pricing could be a little cheaper."
"The security could always be better."
"We had some issues deploying Windows 10 for our clients."
"We'd always be happier if the enterprise version was a little bit lower in price."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is no need to make any payments towards the licensing costs since it is a solution that is available for free."
"The price is good because Kali Linux already provides a good bundle of tools."
"Kali Linux offers a perpetual license, meaning you pay for it once and can use it. While free versions of Linux are available, Kali Linux, being an enterprise edition, usually comes with a perpetual license. I rate its pricing a five out of ten."
"I have used the free version."
"The licensing fee is expensive compared to other products."
"It is an open-source tool."
"I use it free of charge."
"The tool is open-source."
"We don't spend anything for the license."
"The price could be improved."
"The product has a yearly licensing fee."
"I don't have a license"
"We need to pay for licensing to use Windows 10. Any time we change the computers, we have to pay, and it's a bit expensive."
"There is a one-time purchase license required for this solution."
"There is a license to use the solution."
"We pay a licensing fee."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
16%
Computer Software Company
14%
University
13%
Educational Organization
11%
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
University
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Kali Linux?
I use the tool with Nmap to perform network audits. We use it to find vulnerabilities in our network through attacks. It's for those who want to launch or create viruses or perform attacks on syste...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Kali Linux?
Kali Linux offers a perpetual license, meaning you pay for it once and can use it. While free versions of Linux are available, Kali Linux, being an enterprise edition, usually comes with a perpetua...
What needs improvement with Kali Linux?
The tool is already stable and well-developed, so there's minimal feedback for enhancement or change. However, it should improve security, which is crucial, especially with the increasing use of Ka...
What needs improvement with Windows 10?
Windows 10 is quite old, and Windows 11 has newer features such as Copilot. Investment in Windows 10 may not be ideal as the world is changing with advancing technology in the AI age. It is general...
What is your primary use case for Windows 10?
I use Windows 10 as an operating system for my personal computer. Currently, I am using Windows 11.
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Kali Linux vs. Windows 10 and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
850,671 professionals have used our research since 2012.