We use Windows Servers to manage user logins through Active Directory and facilitate VPN connections, supporting our researchers who are architecturally building on DSP DNS for enhanced security and access control.
IT operation manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Offers flexibility and easy deployment
Pros and Cons
- "I find Windows Server valuable for its flexibility and user-friendly interface."
- "In terms of improvement, performance could be enhanced."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
I find Windows Server valuable for its flexibility and user-friendly interface.
What needs improvement?
In terms of improvement, performance could be enhanced.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Windows Server for 13 years.
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Windows Server
December 2025
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Windows Server is very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have not had any issues with the scalability of Windows Server.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
In large-scale environments with numerous simultaneous logins, Windows Server may not match the performance power of Linux. Linux tends to excel in handling extensive user loads, while Windows Server remains user-friendly for various tasks.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is quite straightforward and the deployment only takes about 30 minutes.
What about the implementation team?
We handled the deployment in-house without the need for a consultant or integrator. We manage it ourselves, and our subscription with Microsoft includes support, so whenever we have questions or issues, we contact Microsoft, and they assist us.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Windows Server to others but the choice depends on the specific technology and applications you plan to use. It is essential to consider compatibility and performance factors, as some applications may work better or be recommended for installation on Linux. Overall, I would rate Windows Server as an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior System Engineer at a transportation company with 501-1,000 employees
Transparent and easy-to-learn, but the product is not stable
Pros and Cons
- "The GUI is familiar. Anyone who doesn't know how to use a file server can be taught to use the product in a few minutes."
- "The solution should improve its stability."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for mass storage and application storage.
What is most valuable?
DFS is the most valuable feature of the product. The product is very transparent. Any changes to the underlying file servers are not visible to users. It is a huge benefit for us.
The GUI is familiar. Anyone who doesn't know how to use a file server can be taught to use the product in a few minutes.
What needs improvement?
The solution should improve its stability. After some updates, one of the KBs faced issues while booting. On boot, it started boot looping randomly.
The solution is very rigid. Whenever we want to make changes that are slightly out of the ordinary, we have to do them manually.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for four and a half years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is definitely scalable. Around 1,500 people are currently using the solution in our organization.
What about the implementation team?
It is quite easy to maintain the product. We have deployed the solution across the whole company.
What other advice do I have?
I have used all the versions from 2003 to 2022. You can change the host and IPs and switch on the whole configuration. The users do not notice anything as long as DFS is active and the file system is the same. The product is a good choice for small-scale environments. Overall, I rate the product a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Windows Server
December 2025
Learn what your peers think about Windows Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2025.
879,672 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Team Lead at a recreational facilities/services company with 501-1,000 employees
Enables us to build and test applications directly on the server from scratch.
Pros and Cons
- "We use Active Directory and IIS to host different kinds of web apps. We have also used the FTP feature for our FTP server."
- "Active Directory should have groups and policies. It could probably provide a better overview of how Active Directory is built."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for deployments, troubleshooting, Active Directory policies, and Windows patching.
What is most valuable?
We use Active Directory and IIS to host different kinds of web apps. We have also used the FTP feature for our FTP server.
FTP functionality does not require additional payment because Windows Server already includes the feature, reducing the costs of these tools. Windows Server also includes IIS, a web server hosting applications. This allows us to build and test applications directly on the server from scratch.
What needs improvement?
Active Directory should have groups and policies. It could probably provide a better overview of how Active Directory is built.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Windows Server as a consultant for ten years. We are using the 2022 version of the solution, as well as the 2008, 2016, and 2018 versions.
What other advice do I have?
We have various security measures, such as antivirus software and firewalls. Additionally, on the network side, we utilize different types of firewalls to manage and enhance the security of the infrastructure itself.
Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
ITSM Administrator & Analyst at a government with 1,001-5,000 employees
The product is secure, and it performs well, but the stability could be improved
Pros and Cons
- "The product’s performance is good."
- "The stability could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for all the applications and Active Directory. We use it for enterprise management. We have different departments.
How has it helped my organization?
The product is secure.
What is most valuable?
The product’s performance is good. We have a good infrastructure.
What needs improvement?
The stability could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for eight to ten years. I am using the latest version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The tool is stable. I rate the stability an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have more than 5000 users. The usage keeps increasing in our organization.
How are customer service and support?
Whenever we face any issue, we contact our Windows team, and they improve it. The technical support is fine.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
The deployment was done in-house. We have a big team to deploy and maintain the product, including project and system managers.
What other advice do I have?
I will recommend the tool to others. Overall, I rate the solution a seven or eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT head at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
A stable and scalable solution that can be used to run various systems
Pros and Cons
- "Windows Server is a stable and scalable solution."
- "The solution's licensing cost is expensive and could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We use Windows Server to run our banking system.
What is most valuable?
Windows Server is a stable and scalable solution.
What needs improvement?
The solution's licensing cost is expensive and could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Windows Server for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate Windows Server ten out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Around 42 users in our organization use the solution on a daily basis.
I rate Windows Server ten out of ten for scalability.
How was the initial setup?
The solution’s initial setup is too complex.
What about the implementation team?
We deploy the solution manually because we only have five servers. Around eight technical staff are needed for the solution’s deployment and maintenance.
What was our ROI?
We have seen value from using the solution, and that's why we deploy our systems using Windows Server.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We use a perpetual license for Windows Server, which is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Windows Server to other users. Users should be trained or familiar with operating the solution before using it.
Overall, I rate Windows Server ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
General Manager at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Easy to install and adapt product with efficient GUI
Pros and Cons
- "The product is easy to use and adapt. It is known for GUI."
- "They could provide a lot of patches for the platform."
What is our primary use case?
We use Windows Server to manage Active Directory.
What is most valuable?
The product is easy to use and adapt. It is known for GUI.
What needs improvement?
They could provide a lot of patches for the platform.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Windows Server for 10 to 12 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I need to ensure patches are updated on time. I rate its stability an eight out of ten. It could be improved.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have 400 Windows Server users in our organization. I rate its scalability a ten out of ten.
How was the initial setup?
It is an easy-to-install product. It requires two engineers to manage the infrastructure and takes three to four hours to complete.
What about the implementation team?
We take help from third-party integrators, consultants, and resellers for implementing the product.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have purchased Windows Server’s yearly license. I rate its pricing a four out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
I advise others to ensure updating patches regularly for Windows Server. It is a flexible product. I rate it a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
CEO at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Great support and good availability of resources but the Windows Server Core needs to link to a console
Pros and Cons
- "The support that Microsoft provides for this is very good."
- "For countries in the Middle East and Africa, their pricing is a little bit high."
What is our primary use case?
We do software services, and most of the time we use this for UAT and testing purposes.
What is most valuable?
The availability of resources that are aware of Windows is great. It's more than any operating system.
The support that Microsoft provides for this is very good. If you have an issue with the Windows Server, you'll get a lot of support from Microsoft.
The integration is great.
The interface and dashboards are fine.
What needs improvement?
While I would say scripting needs improvement, I've noticed that they started to do this couple of years ago. They do have their own WSL and PowerShell Scripts.
Generally, there is always room for improvement. However, nothing comes on top of my head right now.
For countries in the Middle East and Africa, their pricing is a little bit high. Microsoft is having unified pricing across the globe. That's an issue. They don't negotiate on that. It's very expensive for many countries in this region.
They have something called Windows Server Core, and it doesn't have a graphical user interface, which is fine. However, there should be a management console or something that you can hook up to Windows Server Core so you can manage it much easier if you need UI or something.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have used the solution since the beginning of the company, about 12 years at this point.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is great. If a company needs assistance, Microsoft is great at helping assist in troubleshooting. We are satisfied with the level of support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We use Windows and Azure, Google Cloud GCP, and many flavors of Linux. For the database, we also use SQL Server and MySQL.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is high in certain regions as they don't price adjust for certain countries. They also do not negotiate their pricing. The cost is the cost.
What other advice do I have?
We use various deployment models, including on-premises, on the cloud, and hybrid.
I'd rate the solution at a seven out of ten. If the pricing was more flexible, it would be better for the customer.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. partner
IT Security Manager at a non-profit with 51-200 employees
An easy-to-use solution that can be used to host virtual machines
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Windows Server is that it is intuitive and easy to use."
- "The Windows server image was quite large and took some time to be installed."
What is our primary use case?
We used Windows Server to host a couple of virtual machines.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Windows Server is that it is intuitive and easy to use.
What needs improvement?
The solution’s stability could be improved. The Windows server image was quite large and took some time to be installed.
For how long have I used the solution?
We used Windows Server for a few months for demonstration purposes.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Windows Server is a stable solution, and I had no issues with its stability.
I rate Windows Server a nine out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Around 160 users are using Windows Server in our organization.
How was the initial setup?
The solution’s initial setup is straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented the solution through an in-house team in two hours. To deploy the solution, we installed the Windows server image on the server.
What other advice do I have?
Three technical staff members are involved in the deployment and maintenance of the solution. I would recommend Windows Server to other users.
Overall, I rate Windows Server a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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Updated: December 2025
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