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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
5.2
Number of Reviews
271
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of Kali Linux is 2.0%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Windows 10 is 3.0%, down from 4.5% 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

"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."
"We use the product for open-source intelligence and identifying vulnerabilities."
"The interface is good and straightforward to use."
"The solution's most valuable feature is that it is very easy to use."
"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 solution's stability is very good."
"The tools available in Kali Linux are incredibly effective for conducting security assessments."
"Additionally, it now includes comprehensive migration analytics and reporting capabilities."
"The main features of Windows 10 are ease of use and performance."
"The solution's most valuable features are virtual desktops and continuous updates."
"I like the main window pane where you can sort your mostly used and different types of apps, such as OneDrive, Google Chrome, and Access. I can just open up the main window, and those apps are right there at my fingertips. I moved from Windows 7 to Windows 10, and it took me a little while to get used to Windows 10, but once I got used to it, I do like it. It integrates with everything that I am using, and it gives me everything that I need as a user."
"One feature I have found most valuable is Windows Hello. Windows Hello brings in a password-less solution, wherein users don't need to type in their password. They can do biometric logins or pin-based logins."
"The solution is easy to use and secure."
"We've found the scalability to be good."
"Microsoft Windows 10 is the most supportive operating system that you can find. Everything can run on it."
"I like that it's a very easy solution to use. It's also very easy to integrate it for our customers. It's a very intuitive operating system, and if they take their time to go through it quickly, they can use it without any support."
 

Cons

"The product should integrate AI and GPT capabilities."
"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."
"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 tool is slightly difficult to learn."
"From an improvement perspective, it should be made possible for users to learn about the product easily."
"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."
"The product should improve its security features."
"Any new user or someone without deep expertise won't be able to understand how to scale or manage it"
"The product must reduce the number of updates."
"I am not so happy with the performance"
"The solution could be more secure."
"Microsoft could improve the solution by adding enhanced translation and speaking recognition."
"If the Windows 10 license could be cheaper, that would be better. Generally, a reduced price is always beneficial for consumers."
"I would prefer it if the solution was cheaper."
"I don't face major challenges with Windows 10. My main concern is how the system protects against hackers, especially after recent reports of systems being accessed without user knowledge. For improvements, since Microsoft plans to stop supporting Windows 10 soon, it might be better to focus on Windows 11. However, if I had to suggest improvements for Windows 10, I'd recommend including convenient features like those in Apple products. For example, Apple's easy printer setup without needing to install drivers."
"The security and the updates could use improvements, as well as scalability."
 

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."
"It is an open-source tool."
"Kali Linux is open source."
"I have used the free version."
"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."
"Kali Linux is a free product, and you don't have to pay for a license."
"The licensing fee is expensive compared to other products."
"The tool is open-source."
"There is a license required for this solution and it could be less expensive."
"Windows 10 came with the computer when I bought it, so it was already licensed."
"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."
"It is not expensive."
"The solution is affordable and there is a license to use it."
"There is a license required for this solution."
"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis."
"We pay Microsoft a yearly license fee."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
15%
Computer Software Company
14%
University
12%
Educational Organization
10%
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?
I do not have notes for improvement.
What is your primary use case for Windows 10?
In my case, I would mostly say it's because of security reasons. At least for the typical use cases that I generally rely on Windows for, there didn't seem to be a noticeable performance difference...
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Kali Linux vs. Windows 10 and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
842,767 professionals have used our research since 2012.