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Windows 11 vs Windows Server 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:
 

Customer Service

No sentiment score available
Windows 11's customer service varies; some find it effective, while others experience slow support, prompting self-reliance or third-party help.
No sentiment score available
Microsoft's Windows Server support receives mixed reviews, with some praising its responsiveness and others highlighting slow service and improvement needs.
They are very quick and knowledgeable about their product.
Sometimes they won't even respond.
Everything should work perfectly if you have new hardware that matches the Windows 11 requirements.
I had the need to contact Microsoft customer support on a matter, and their engineer was able to remotely assume control of the screen (with my permission and after following instructions) and in a few minutes had resolved the problem.
When we get the support from Microsoft's Shanghai division, the support is very good.
There have been cases where the problem is too complicated to easily correct over the phone, so they sent a local technical from their support team to assist us in troubleshooting.
 

Room For Improvement

Sentiment score
6.8
Windows 11 needs enhancements in security, user interface, AI integration, and update processes, with concerns about pricing and compatibility.
Sentiment score
5.2
Windows Server needs improvements in security, integration, interface, optimization, support, and cost management for better user experience.
In terms of security, implementing easier remote access to laptops and providing more mature patching options would be beneficial.
It should also improve security which includes patching the vulnerabilities.
Windows 11's pricing needs improvement.
This tool simplifies the control and monitoring of all servers.
Microsoft should expand to integrate the Windows Server with Azure and Linux distribution to provide a simple container environment for running dockerized applications.
If the service could be better integrated with the Azure Cloud, I think it would be a plus for Windows.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
10.0
Windows 11 is praised for scalability and ease of deployment, despite challenges in upgrades and specific hardware requirements.
Sentiment score
8.2
Windows Server offers scalable solutions for various organizations, though larger deployments and advanced cloud scaling may pose challenges.
With various products available, such as those integrated with Active Directory, you can streamline and automate the process for a thousand users or more.
I would rate the scalability of Windows 11 a ten out of ten.
I would rate the product's scalability a nine out of ten and my company has about 2000 users for Windows 9 and Windows 10.
In general, it is scalable and manageable.
It works for any size of organization from small to large.
I'm on a 16GB system with a 500GB SSD and I can run multiple VM's on VirtualBox, client sessions, multiple displays and so forth without any issues at all.
 

Setup Cost

No sentiment score available
Enterprise users have mixed opinions on Windows 11 licensing costs, appreciating flexibility but considering it a major investment.
No sentiment score available
Windows Server pricing is complex and costly compared to Linux, with various licensing options and additional support fees.
Windows 11 is not an expensive solution.
I rate its pricing a nine out of ten.
On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a nine out of ten.
Some of our customers have spent approximately $12,000 a year on the operating system license.
Some competitors are offering their operating systems for free.
It's a bit expensive if you were to compare it to Linux.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Windows 11 is stable and suitable for basic tasks, though occasional crashes occur; improvements enhance productivity.
Sentiment score
8.2
Windows Server is praised for its reliability and stability, with recent improvements, especially in handling updates and usage increases.
I would rate the stability a nine out of ten.
I rate the stability a nine and a half out of ten.
With the tool, we are able to control airplane traffic.
The solution is quite stable.
There aren't really bugs or glitches.
It's very reliable and the performance is good.
 

Valuable Features

No sentiment score available
Windows 11 users appreciate its interface, performance, multitasking, security features, integration with Office, and user-friendly design.
Sentiment score
8.1
Windows Server offers ease of use, stability, scalability, robust management, virtualization, and Microsoft integration, enhancing enterprise application performance.
One of the most valuable features of Windows 11 is its ability to provide detailed statistics about the laptop's performance, including battery usage, CPU performance, and network performance.
The standout feature, known as the Linux App System Forwarded, enables the use of Linux commands within the Windows environment.
The tool's most valuable feature is its stability.
I love using it for the DHCP server, DNS services, and using a computer to map sites on our domain.
The most valuable feature of this solution is the ESRP that is used with the Windows Platform.
Integration with other Microsoft solutions like Exchange and System Center Configuration Manager has the great ability to manage all of the different features on system support, like upgrading, securing, and troubleshooting different Windows systems for clients.
 

Categories and Ranking

Windows 11
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
10th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
8.3
Number of Reviews
42
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Windows Server
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
4th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
182
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2024, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of Windows 11 is 3.0%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Windows Server is 9.4%, down from 9.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Operating Systems (OS) for Business
 

Featured Reviews

Pmurki@Micron.Com Praveen - PeerSpot reviewer
Easy to use, stable product and improve productivity
We use our laptops with Windows only. We use it for everything. For the last 20 years, my entire career, I've been using Windows only. Office 365 will be extensively used, along with other tools from Office 365 Everything is good. It's easy to use. It supports AI initiatives. Like we use…
Dan Campeanu - PeerSpot reviewer
Supports various hardware interfaces and offers excellent value for money
Windows Server was crucial for our business as it offered scalability, allowing us to seamlessly upgrade servers as our company expanded rapidly. It served as the backbone for all our tools and applications, providing a unified platform for our operations. Windows Server's security features have significantly improved our IT security posture. While occasional vulnerabilities arose, Microsoft promptly addressed them, providing clear instructions on mitigation. Consequently, we have had no security incidents in over 20 years, thanks to proactive measures and effective security management. Managing Windows Server in a multi-server environment used to be relatively easy, but in recent years, it has become increasingly challenging due to the removal of useful tools and Microsoft's focus on cloud services. Integrating Windows Server with Azure was initially challenging due to limited documentation and some synchronization issues, but it became smoother over time with the help of user experiences and shared knowledge. Integration with AWS for specific tasks was less problematic. I would recommend Windows Server to others. Overall, I would rate it as a nine out of ten.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
University
7%
Computer Software Company
12%
Government
10%
Educational Organization
10%
Financial Services Firm
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Windows 11?
We use Windows 11 for our workstation’s daily operations.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Windows 11?
The licensing is expensive, but it's value for money. Many people need it for deployment in Windows environments. It's very much required at this time.
What needs improvement with Windows Server?
Active Directory should have groups and policies. It could probably provide a better overview of how Active Directory is built.
What is your primary use case for Windows Server?
We use the solution for deployments, troubleshooting, Active Directory policies, and Windows patching.
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Rakuten, Rackspace, Tyco
Find out what your peers are saying about Windows 11 vs. Windows Server and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.