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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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
4.8
Windows 11 offers significant ROI and user-friendliness, though opinions differ compared to previous Windows versions.
Sentiment score
6.2
Windows Server enhances efficiency and cost-effectiveness with stability, reducing dependency, operating expenses, and time/resource usage by 10-20%.
Windows 11 is more stable compared to its earlier versions.
We're very competitive commercially and technically because of it.
We've seen value in Windows Server because the systems work smoothly without any problems.
Windows Server offers excellent value for money, particularly when compared to alternatives.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
4.9
Windows 11 support is generally reliable, with some challenges in accessibility, and enterprise users appreciate effective service and troubleshooting.
Sentiment score
6.4
Customers appreciate easy setup and positive support but note issues with response times and expertise for complex problems.
Everything should work perfectly if you have new hardware that matches the Windows 11 requirements.
For issues that require level three or level four support, they initiate a process with Microsoft to address the problem.
The technical support team’s response time is very slow.
Our in-house team can also solve most issues.
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.
Microsoft's technical support for Windows Server has been lacking, with rare responses even with premium support.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
4.8
Windows 11 is scalable and user-friendly, despite hardware requirement impacts, with notable enterprise challenges and improvements needed.
Sentiment score
7.9
Windows Server offers scalable expansion, supporting diverse user bases and enterprises, with integration capability for effective business adaptability.
With various products available, such as those integrated with Active Directory, you can streamline and automate the process for a thousand users or more.
The system is used to control the whole site and the air traffic in every city.
We faced challenges integrating it in multi-app environments, requiring complex API setups.
I've worked in companies with 20,000 to 100,000 users, and it scales beautifully without issues.
I rate its scalability a ten out of ten.
It's definitely scalable.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
5.3
Windows 11 is highly stable, excelling in application performance, though update and functionality issues are occasionally reported.
Sentiment score
7.6
Windows Server is praised for stability and reliability, though some users report security concerns and occasional compatibility issues from updates.
With the tool, we are able to control airplane traffic.
The solution's high level of stability ensures that the machine doesn't go down multiple times.
The stability can be influenced by the status and specifications of our company PCs.
We have experienced no blue screens or crashes and often achieved an uptime of 2,000 to 3,000 days without any issues whatsoever.
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
The tool is stable.
 

Room For Improvement

Windows 11 faces stability, pricing, and security issues, along with navigation challenges and hardware demands, requiring various improvements.
Windows Server needs better performance alignment, security enhancements, clearer documentation, integration, UI simplification, and improved technical support.
For a better experience, Windows 11 should be improved to take fewer resources.
Windows 11's pricing needs improvement.
TDM software requires compatible hardware to install Windows 11, and that can be a drawback.
From a security perspective, sometimes, malware attacks and hackers take advantage of the tool's vulnerabilities.
Deploying antivirus and firewall software on the server is advisable, but having an external firewall adds an extra layer of security.
Windows Server needs to improve its speed and stability.
 

Setup Cost

Windows 11 pricing varies, with high costs for some, but offers free upgrades and flexible educational licenses for affordability.
Windows Server pricing is seen as complex and expensive, but offers flexible licensing options based on business needs.
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.
The tool is expensive.
It is quite expensive.
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.
On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the most expensive, I rate it ten out of ten.
 

Valuable Features

Windows 11 users appreciate its seamless setup, performance, integration with Office, security, multitasking, and enhanced resilience features.
Windows Server excels in feature integration, performance, and ease of use, enhancing enterprise application management and interoperability.
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.
Windows is one of the best operating systems an enterprise or user can use.
Windows Server is a stable and scalable solution.
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.
The IP directory is the most valuable feature.
 

Categories and Ranking

Windows 11
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
9th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
47
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
6.9
Number of Reviews
194
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of Windows 11 is 7.3%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Windows Server is 9.6%, up from 8.6% 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…
Jai Prakash Sharma - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient Management Achieved with Internal Resources and Reliable Technical Support
Maintenance of Windows Server varies by organization, but for us, it's not very difficult as we have in-house resources managing these tasks. However, it can become a bit tricky when we want to see a collated view of our security posture. Regarding AI integrations with Windows Server, Copilot adoption is progressing, though I have only experienced it on endpoints and not on the server side. We operate significant workloads on AI, but we consume those primarily on Linux rather than Windows Server. I don't have much experience regarding integration capabilities in Windows Server for AI workloads, so I may not be the right person to provide insights on that. Overall, I am quite happy with my experience using Windows Server. I don't have many constraints or concerns, so I would rate it eight out of ten.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
13%
Computer Software Company
13%
University
8%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Computer Software Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Government
8%
University
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?
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...
What needs improvement with Windows Server?
I don't have experience with Windows Server containers and Kubernetes for deploying cloud-native applications. I cannot provide specific improvements for Windows Server because I don't have extensi...
What is your primary use case for Windows Server?
At the office, the main use case for Windows Server involves different functions, for example, file server or firewall and the IIS server, Microsoft Internet Server, Internet Information Services. ...
 

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: July 2025.
865,164 professionals have used our research since 2012.