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Kali Linux vs Windows 10 comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 7, 2024
 

Categories and Ranking

Kali Linux
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
11th
Average Rating
9.0
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
AWS Marketplace (2nd)
Windows 10
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
7th
Average Rating
8.2
Number of Reviews
269
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Featured Reviews

GurpreetSingh4 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jun 3, 2024
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.
Darko Borovic - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 30, 2024
Easy to use and has good features like control panel, system settings, and backup
Windows 10 is mostly used in our production system. We are a TV station with some software depending on an operating system. This software won't be able to start or manage in other operating systems. We were forced to use Windows 10. Since we updated that software, we switched to Windows 11…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution's most valuable feature is that it is very easy 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."
"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 systems. With Kali Linux, you can conduct penetration testing for networks, web applications, and Android mobile apps."
"The most effective features of Kali Linux include its stability as a Linux operating system, its flexibility in configuring resources such as partitions, its powerful and stable file system, and its multi-user capability, which allows for setting user privileges and rights. Additionally, Kali Linux provides access to a wide range of free and open-source applications for testing and development purposes."
"The interface is good and straightforward to use."
"The most valuable feature of Kali Linux is the attack it performs using a CVE script that's already on the internet."
"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."
"Additionally, it now includes comprehensive migration analytics and reporting capabilities."
"We are satisfied with this operating system."
"The best thing is that all are using it and that there are some applications like Power BI that are only in Windows and not in any other environment."
"Microsoft recently has been doing a lot to improve their products and we've been happy with the advances."
"It is easy to use."
"When it's new it's very fast."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is its ease of use. It is the most used operating system in the world."
"The solution has been issue-free."
"The scalability of the solution is good."
 

Cons

"The installation process of Kali Linux can be slow, particularly when installing and upgrading packages within virtualized environments."
"The product should improve its security features."
"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."
"I would like to have automation in Kali Linux instead of manually configuring or setting up something in case of an upgrade."
"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"
"The tool is slightly difficult to learn."
"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."
"Sometimes it doesn't work, and it constantly needs fixing in terms of upgrades, patches, etc."
"The solution should improve the updates because the computers have a boot error whenever they release an upgrade."
"I'm currently facing an issue on Windows 10 related to pop-up notifications. The problem is identifying which specific application requires attention when the taskbar notifies about an important event. For instance, when working on an application, the taskbar appears with a notification but doesn't indicate which application needs attention. I have to minimize the active application windows to identify it, which can be inconvenient."
"The speed and performance should be improved."
"The update cycle could use some improvement."
"The technical support of Microsoft is sometimes hard to reach, they could improve in this area."
"In the beginning, the system froze a few times."
"They should change their policy to include some basic support for more than just updates."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is an open-source tool."
"I have used the free version."
"The tool is open-source."
"Kali Linux is open source."
"The licensing fee is expensive compared to other products."
"I use it free of charge."
"Kali Linux is a free product, and you don't have to pay for a license."
"The price is good because Kali Linux already provides a good bundle of tools."
"The tool's price used to be good earlier, but now it has become expensive. The tool is worth the money, especially since Windows 10 users got auto-upgraded to Windows 11."
"I do not know the specifics of the licensing terms, as we are talking about an enterprise arrangement of which I am not involved."
"I have never bought this solution myself, I generally get it with my Notebook for free. I think they are competitively priced at this moment."
"The licensing fees could be more flexible."
"The price of the solution is reasonable, it normally comes included with a purchase of a laptop or other device."
"Windows 10 is cheap."
"All Microsoft products are expensive."
"I have a home license that costs me around 1,000 rupees."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Educational Organization
11%
Comms Service Provider
11%
University
10%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
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 versions before 2016 had a lot of stability problems. When cybersecurity teams tested these devices or operating systems, we found many vulnerabilities to exploit. That's why if I could mak...
What is your primary use case for Windows 10?
We use the solution as an operating system.
 

Comparisons

 

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Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Kali Linux vs. Windows 10 and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.
815,854 professionals have used our research since 2012.