Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Kali Linux vs Windows 11 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
14
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Windows 11
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
7th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
47
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of Kali Linux is 2.7%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Windows 11 is 7.7%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Operating Systems (OS) for Business Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Windows 117.7%
Kali Linux2.7%
Other89.6%
Operating Systems (OS) for Business
 

Featured Reviews

NilutpalDutta - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides valuable real-time data scanning for vulnerability assessment
We don't know if Kali Linux has the port scanning capability yet, but that is an area of improvement because we are working with DMZ zones and customized ports. If we can add featured customized port scanning and DMZ zone capability, then it will be a very great tool. It might be there, but we are not exploring it yet. We are not exploring 100% of Kali Linux capabilities. If real-time customized port scanning can be added, for example, instead of a default port such as 8080 or 443, if we can use a customized port such as 9876, that capability would be great. The only point that I didn't find on Kali Linux for now is the ability to customize port scanning.
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…

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."
"The interface is good and straightforward 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."
"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 valuable feature of Kali Linux is the attack it performs using a CVE script that's already on the internet."
"The solution's stability is very good."
"We use the product for open-source intelligence and identifying vulnerabilities."
"Kali Linux has the capability of real-time data scanning for vulnerability assessment for backend services, and that is actually very far more valuable."
"Windows 11 has nice icons and colors."
"It is a stable solution."
"The most valuable aspect is the seamless integration and robust compatibility of other tools."
"I use Windows 11 for development environments and find it user-friendly."
"It has good security features, providing strong protection against platform viruses and vulnerabilities, which secures my resources."
"Windows 11 is mainly used for support and provides improved performance compared to Windows 10."
"Windows 11 is more user-friendly in GUI (Graphical User Interface) and offers a wide range of settings and preferences."
"The artificial intelligence capabilities of the product have supported my organization."
 

Cons

"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."
"The installation process of Kali Linux can be slow, particularly when installing and upgrading packages within virtualized environments."
"The product should integrate AI and GPT capabilities."
"I would like to have automation in Kali Linux instead of manually configuring or setting up something in case of an upgrade."
"The tool is slightly difficult to learn."
"From an improvement perspective, it should be made possible for users to learn about the product easily."
"Any new user or someone without deep expertise won't be able to understand how to scale or manage it"
"Our company PCs are quite old, and many don't have the resources or specifications to support Windows 11."
"The integration between Windows and cloud applications could be improved to create a seamless experience."
"I would like the solution to include AI integration. It also needs to have better support."
"Some minor features of Windows 10 are missing in Windows 11."
"Windows 11 needs to improve its pricing."
"Drives are a significant issue, and finding the correct drives for everything to function properly is challenging."
"Windows 11 requires a very powerful hardware infrastructure. When installed on an old machine, it can be problematic due to outdated configurations."
"When I was using Winsel, a tool for the existing purpose, and completing the purpose of that is to complete the file, it would show an error and ask me to purchase the product. But now, instead of giving the product, we have a patch to loop the tool. This happened via dot key dot shared and dot bat solutions. So, that kind of convenience has not been provided in Windows 11."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is good because Kali Linux already provides a good bundle of tools."
"I have used the free version."
"Kali Linux is open source."
"The tool is open-source."
"It is an open-source tool."
"I use it free of charge."
"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."
"There is no need to make any payments towards the licensing costs since it is a solution that is available for free."
"My company purchases licenses in bulk for 2000 users."
"The solution is affordable."
"The price of the solution is reasonable."
"The tool is expensive."
"The licensing cost is high."
"My machine came with a Windows 10 license and I upgraded to Windows 11 without paying anything. If you buy a new computer, Windows 11 is included with it."
"We take a yearly license, but payment-wise, it's better to pay monthly."
"The pricing is affordable."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Operating Systems (OS) for Business solutions are best for your needs.
867,370 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
13%
Computer Software Company
13%
University
13%
Educational Organization
10%
Comms Service Provider
13%
Computer Software Company
12%
University
8%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise5
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business12
Midsize Enterprise11
Large Enterprise24
 

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?
We don't know if Kali Linux has the port scanning capability yet, but that is an area of improvement because we are working with DMZ zones and customized ports. If we can add featured customized po...
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?
There's no difference; Windows 11 is not more expensive than Windows 10 for my institution. I spend £11,000 a year on Microsoft, which is a lot for a school. That £11,000 is for all Microsoft produ...
What needs improvement with Windows 11?
I have faced challenges with Windows 11, particularly with a recent Wi-Fi wireless issue. The dot 1.80 update caused Wi-Fi drivers to automatically disconnect, preventing users from connecting to W...
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Kali Linux vs. Windows 11 and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
867,370 professionals have used our research since 2012.