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Windows 10 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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
1.3
Windows 10 increases efficiency with fewer crashes, better security, and user-friendly features, achieving ROI within 18 months.
Sentiment score
5.5
Windows Server boosts efficiency and resource management, with users reporting significant cost reductions and improved virtualization and Azure services.
We're very competitive commercially and technically because of it.
IT-Operation Head at Granules India Ltd
We've seen value in Windows Server because the systems work smoothly without any problems.
L3 Engineer at Momentum Metropolitan Holdings Limited
Windows Server offers excellent value for money, particularly when compared to alternatives.
Security Engineer at ProVision
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
4.8
Windows 10 users often prefer online resources over Microsoft support, despite its helpfulness and knowledgeable staff, due to faster solutions.
Sentiment score
6.2
Customer service is generally effective, but technical support quality varies, and experiences with Microsoft are mixed.
We have informed Microsoft, but the issue is still there, and it has been more than three to four months.
Technology\Cloud Architect | IT Infrastructure Security & Compliance at IDFC Bank
The customer service and support from Microsoft are quite responsive and generally good.
Senior Manager at Morgan Stanley
The Office 365 support is good, it takes a while sometimes to point to the problem, but they're good.
IT Administrator at a university with 51-200 employees
Our in-house team can also solve most issues.
IT-Operation Head at Granules India Ltd
If you go through a partner who sells or supports Windows, the support could be around seven out of ten, because Windows relies on these partners for assistance.
Head of Major Account Sales Operation 1 at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Microsoft's technical support for Windows Server has been lacking, with rare responses even with premium support.
Security Engineer at ProVision
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
5.4
Windows 10 is adaptable and scalable for diverse organizations, offering seamless expansion and cross-device compatibility with regular updates.
Sentiment score
7.6
Windows Server is flexible and scalable, efficiently adapting to varying organizational sizes despite some management complexity.
We can focus fully on our work without pressure or concerns about issues on our own PCs.
Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 201-500 employees
For scalability, I would rate it a nine or ten because performance-wise, Windows 10 has never given me those issues.
Senior Engagement Manager at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
I can increase the licensing amount easily when there is company growth or when new people join.
Assistant Vice President at a financial services firm with 51-200 employees
I've worked in companies with 20,000 to 100,000 users, and it scales beautifully without issues.
Manager, Information & Cloud Systems at a consultancy with 1,001-5,000 employees
It's definitely scalable.
IT-Operation Head at Granules India Ltd
The solution is used extensively in our organization, and we have plans to increase the usage.
Project Engineer at CDAC
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
6.5
Windows 10 is appreciated for stability and reliability, despite occasional update issues and third-party software compatibility challenges.
Sentiment score
7.5
Windows Server is highly stable and reliable, with improvements since 2012, often rated 8-10 out of 10 by users.
The challenges were related to third-party agents and their supportability.
Technology\Cloud Architect | IT Infrastructure Security & Compliance at IDFC Bank
Windows 10 is stable for my daily development work, providing frequent security updates and user-friendly updates, which are excellent.
Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 201-500 employees
I would rate the stability of the product an eight.
Senior Engagement Manager at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
We have experienced no blue screens or crashes and often achieved an uptime of 2,000 to 3,000 days without any issues whatsoever.
Security Engineer at ProVision
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
Manager at Accenture company
The tool is stable.
ITSM Administrator & Analyst at Ministry of Interior
 

Room For Improvement

Windows 10 requires improvements in updates, security, user interface, stability, resource usage, pricing, and compatibility for better user experience.
Windows Server users seek improved security, better integration, usability, optimization, pricing, automation, documentation, patching, and technical support.
Microsoft can improve their Teams product because everybody uses Teams, and it's very clunky and unfriendly in terms of scrolling back, downloading files, and moving back and forth within the different teams.
Senior Engagement Manager at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Investment in Windows 10 may not be ideal as the world is changing with advancing technology in the AI age.
DevOps Engineer at CipherTV Corp.
The transitions within Teams are not smooth, and call quality in meetings is not great.
Senior Manager at Morgan Stanley
From a security perspective, sometimes, malware attacks and hackers take advantage of the tool's vulnerabilities.
Manager, Strategic Alliances at Softcell Technologies Limited
Deploying antivirus and firewall software on the server is advisable, but having an external firewall adds an extra layer of security.
Project and Service Delivery Manager Cloud at MANAPPURAM COMPTECH AND CONSULTANTS LIMITED
Windows Server needs to improve its speed and stability.
Oracle business analyst at Sensience
 

Setup Cost

Enterprise buyers find Windows 10 licensing flexible but desire clearer pricing and competitive adjustments for better affordability.
Enterprise buyers struggle with Windows Server licensing due to its complexity, varied pricing, and high costs compared to Linux.
For those buying a Windows license, it might be better to buy a Windows 11 license.
DevOps Engineer at CipherTV Corp.
Windows is considered overpriced, especially given the normal software functionalities.
Design engineer at a construction company with 201-500 employees
Windows 10 is cost-effective when compared to other competitors available such as Mac and Linux.
BI developer at Jubilee Life Insurance Company Ltd
It is quite expensive.
Head of Major Account Sales Operation 1 at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Previously, a Windows Server with two processors cost around two 154 euros annually, but now it is estimated to be around 3,000 to 4,000 euros for the same configuration.
Security Engineer at ProVision
On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the most expensive, I rate it ten out of ten.
Manager, IT Security at Averis Sdn Bhd
 

Valuable Features

Windows 10 is popular for its user-friendly interface, enhanced security, fast performance, and strong application and hardware compatibility.
Windows Server excels in scalability, security, and integration, offering features like Active Directory and seamless Microsoft tool compatibility.
When using mapping software such as QGIS or ArcGIS, the system remains stable, especially when handling heavy files.
Co-Founder at a consultancy with 51-200 employees
Device encryption is a main priority for us as developers in a FinTech company because we have the most secure user data.
Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 201-500 employees
The configuration management tools, such as SACM, are effective.
Technology\Cloud Architect | IT Infrastructure Security & Compliance at IDFC Bank
Windows Server is a stable and scalable solution.
IT head at Ficobank
The most valuable features of the solution stem from the fact that every Microsoft product is scalable, flexible, secure, and available on a certain budget.
Manager, Strategic Alliances at Softcell Technologies Limited
The IP directory is the most valuable feature.
Connectivity Platform Cyber Security Specialist at BASF Business Services GmbH
 

Categories and Ranking

Windows 10
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
9th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
4.6
Number of Reviews
284
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Windows Server
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
5th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
195
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of Windows 10 is 2.8%, down from 3.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Windows Server is 9.8%, up from 8.9% 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 Server9.8%
Windows 102.8%
Other87.4%
Operating Systems (OS) for Business
 

Featured Reviews

R Pranavan - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 201-500 employees
Collaborative development has become more secure and efficient for our team
We have faced some issues with Windows OneDrive because if one developer has a folder in a common OneDrive folder, it took some time to show it to others. It becomes somewhat difficult to work, as there is latency on that, so if you update that, it will be more efficient and useful for the developers. My main focus on Windows 10 is the giving of regular updates, so it might take some time to update Windows, which is also mandatory. As a developer, when we are working with Windows 10, if it takes more time to update and restart the PC, it affects our efficiency at work. If we could stop the updates on a regular basis or if they were delivered faster, it would be easier. As a developer, the frequent updates are too annoying for working on it, so it would be better if we stop the frequent updates and only provide the most important ones. Performance issues over time due to background apps and programs piling up and using an SSD instead of a hard disk are also concerns.
GS
Manager, Information & Cloud Systems at a consultancy with 1,001-5,000 employees
Long-standing experience improves reliability and security, making it a trusted platform
It's difficult to see improvements when using it daily. They improved compatibility with other platforms, such as Linux. One improvement I was thinking about some years ago was the ability to manage an on-premises server from Azure. Now, they have created Azure Arc, and we are using it as a very good way of managing on-premises servers. What can be improved is on the Azure side. With Active Directory on the server side and Entra ID on the Azure side in our hybrid environment, we find issues with data syncing to Entra ID. In Entra ID, Microsoft omitted some parameters. In Active Directory, you can put an expiring date to an account, but you cannot do that in Entra ID. We have other means of doing that, but it's common to have consultants working for six months, requiring account expiration or renewal processes. The Entra ID Connect syncing tool could be improved. Though they moved the service to Azure and use an agent instead of having a dedicated server, it remains cumbersome to set up due to the differences between Entra ID and Active Directory.
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Answers from the Community

NC
Content Manager at PeerSpot
Nov 21, 2021
Nov 21, 2021
Windows Server integrates well with all Microsoft and many other mainstream solutions. Building a Failover Cluster is comparatively much easier in Windows Server than with other solutions. We really like the ease of use, stability, and performance of this solution. You get a good active directory that offers consistently evolving features that scales easily. Windows Server supports more memory ...
See 2 answers
Shibu Babuchandran - PeerSpot reviewer
Regional Manager/ Service Delivery Manager at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Oct 22, 2021
Hi @Netanya Carmi ​, Key Differences Between a Windows Server and a Windows Desktop Here are the key differences between a Windows server and a Windows desktop. 1. Windows Server Supports More Memory One of the main differences between a Windows server and desktop is the amount of memory each can support. A desktop running Windows 10 Enterprise has a 4 GB memory limit on an X86 and a 2TB limit on an X64. These numbers are greatly increased depending on the Windows server version. You can view the memory limitations for the Windows and Windows server releases on the Microsoft Developer site. 2. Windows Server Uses CPUs More Efficiently In general, a server OS is more efficient at using its hardware than a desktop OS, especially a CPU; therefore, if you install Alike on a server OS, you are taking full advantage of the hardware installed on your server, which also allows Alike to offer optimal performance. 3. More Network Connections Allowed on a Windows Server With a desktop version of Windows, network connections are limited to 10-20. A Windows server is not locked down to just 20 network connections; therefore, a Windows server can support well beyond 20 network connections based on your hardware’s capability. 4. The Server OS is Configured for Background Tasks By default, server editions of the Windows OS are configured to give priority to background tasks and services, whereas the desktop editions focus on foreground. While priority can be changed, the desktop edition’s management does not yield the same performance results.
Nov 21, 2021
Windows Server integrates well with all Microsoft and many other mainstream solutions. Building a Failover Cluster is comparatively much easier in Windows Server than with other solutions. We really like the ease of use, stability, and performance of this solution. You get a good active directory that offers consistently evolving features that scales easily. Windows Server supports more memory and uses CPUs more efficiently. Windows Server requires a lot of monthly maintenance with vulnerability management. From a security aspect, this should be improved. We would like to see a command-line version of Windows Server. Overall this solution can be very expensive. One popular feature of Windows 10 is its connectivity with mobile devices and ability to make cabless connections with external devices. Windows 10 has improved functionality and better integration between the networks and Windows 10 core system. The new subsystem for Linux is great. Windows 10 also offers a very good gaming option. which many of our team members thoroughly enjoy. It is a very stable solution with flexible scalability. Windows 10 gets a lot of updates and the automatic updates have caused some problems with our team, resulting in losing files or work. There are instances where updates have caused system crashes and failures. The process needs to be tweaked a bit. The enterprise version has many options, like games that are really intended for home use. The install process can be a bit complex and takes a lot of time to deploy. Windows 10 is a very expensive solution. Conclusion: These are both great solutions by an industry leader. Windows Server is a very robust and powerful on-premises hardware. We were looking to really step up our connections and Windows 10 can only handle about 10 or 20 connections, whereas Windows Server can handle an excess of 50,000 connections. We also needed more memory and more power. Windows10 Pro offers 2TB of RAM, while Windows Server can go to 24TB. Windows Server hardware can also handle more cores and processors; it has 64 sockets to Windows 10’s 2 sockets. Windows Server is the best solution for our organizational needs.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
10%
Performing Arts
8%
University
8%
Computer Software Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
University
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business125
Midsize Enterprise64
Large Enterprise120
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business78
Midsize Enterprise41
Large Enterprise88
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Windows 10?
We have faced some issues with Windows OneDrive because if one developer has a folder in a common OneDrive folder, it took some time to show it to others. It becomes somewhat difficult to work, as ...
What is your primary use case for Windows 10?
As a developer, we can work collaboratively, and Windows 10 is also good from a UI perspective. I chose to rate it an eight because I have faced issues when updates come in, which can be annoying. ...
What needs improvement with Windows Server?
The user interface of Windows Server needs improvement, especially when working with users, user accounts, and groups. There are multiple ways to accomplish tasks that do not align completely, so t...
What is your primary use case for Windows Server?
I integrated Windows Server in my infrastructure. We use Hyper-V technology extensively, as it is very important for us, and it functions quite well.
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Rakuten, Rackspace, Tyco
Find out what your peers are saying about Windows 10 vs. Windows Server and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
879,371 professionals have used our research since 2012.