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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
13
Ranking in other categories
AWS Marketplace (6th)
Windows 11
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
10th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
45
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of Kali Linux is 2.3%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Windows 11 is 6.5%, up from 0.8% 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.
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

"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 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."
"Additionally, it now includes comprehensive migration analytics and reporting capabilities."
"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 most valuable feature is that it is very easy to use."
"Kali Linux is much better than other OS because it gives you a good set of tools. It is preferred for vulnerability assessments and cybersecurity."
"The solution's stability is very good."
"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."
"Windows 11 has a good user interface."
"Windows 11 is mainly used for support and provides improved performance compared to Windows 10."
"I like the tool's Office software."
"The solution is the most updated version of Windows."
"It has good security features, providing strong protection against platform viruses and vulnerabilities, which secures my resources."
"We use Windows 11 for our workstation’s daily operations."
"The tool is very stable and I don't recall a time the screen went blue which was common for Windows 7. The product's installation is fast. If I have any issue that prevents me from booting Windows 11, it will automatically run into auto-repair mode and fix those issues. Windows 10 had this functionality but it wasn't good."
"Windows 11 is very user-friendly and has improved user interactivity compared to Windows 10."
 

Cons

"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"From an improvement perspective, it should be made possible for users to learn about the product easily."
"I would like to have automation in Kali Linux instead of manually configuring or setting up something in case of an upgrade."
"The solution must improve its aesthetics."
"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."
"Major updates cause problems in small business environments because the end customers have to upgrade their workstations."
"A significant drawback is its cost for the hardware requirements that is important for optimal performance which makes it less accessible and potentially impractical for many users globally."
"Some minor features of Windows 10 are missing in Windows 11."
"I didn't find any reliable reviews for applications in the Microsoft Store."
"The solution's stability can be improved."
"In terms of improvement, I have noticed some latency issues when loading large Excel or Word files."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"It is an open-source tool."
"There is no need to make any payments towards the licensing costs since it is a solution that is available for free."
"Kali Linux is a free product, and you don't have to pay for a license."
"Kali Linux is open source."
"The tool is open-source."
"The price is good because Kali Linux already provides a good bundle of tools."
"The product is well-priced."
"My company purchases licenses in bulk for 2000 users."
"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."
"Windows 11 is not an expensive solution."
"The price of the solution is reasonable."
"The pricing is affordable."
"The product is not cheap."
"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."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
14%
Computer Software Company
13%
University
13%
Educational Organization
11%
Computer Software Company
13%
Comms Service Provider
12%
University
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
 

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 do you like most about Windows 11?
We use Windows 11 for our workstation’s daily operations.
What needs improvement with Windows 11?
Windows 11 requires a very powerful hardware infrastructure. When installed on an old machine, it can be problematic due to outdated configurations. For a better experience, Windows 11 should be im...
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Kali Linux vs. Windows 11 and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.