Comparing Windows, Windows Server, Linux and macOS

Windows 11 is the most widely used desktop operating system. It comes in Home and Pro editions (Pro adds features such as BitLocker encryption, joining a company domain and more update control). Windows 10 reached its end of support in October 2025, so it no longer receives regular security updates — businesses should move to Windows 11.

• Strengths: runs almost all business and educational software; most staff already know it; huge range of hardware and drivers.
• Weaknesses: licence cost; the most targeted OS for malware (so updates and antivirus matter); needs fairly modern hardware (TPM 2.0 and a supported CPU).

Windows Server 2025 is Microsoft's current server operating system. Key features include Active Directory (central user accounts and logins for every PC in an organisation), file and print sharing, and Group Policy to manage many PCs at once.

• Editions: Standard (for most businesses), Datacenter (for many virtual machines), and Essentials (for small businesses, sold with some servers).
• Licensing: Standard and Datacenter are licensed per processor core, and each user or device that connects usually also needs a Client Access Licence (CAL). This can make it expensive as a business grows.
• Strengths: works smoothly with Windows PCs and Microsoft 365; easy graphical management; strong vendor support.
• Weaknesses: licence and CAL costs; heavier on resources than a minimal Linux server.

Linux is a free, open-source operating system kernel first released by Linus Torvalds in 1991. It is packaged with tools and software into distributions ("distros"):

• Ubuntu (desktop and Ubuntu Server 26.04 LTS) — popular and beginner-friendly; LTS (long-term support) releases get at least five years of security updates.
• Debian (version 13) — very stable; the base of Ubuntu.
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL 10) — commercial support for businesses; Rocky Linux and AlmaLinux are free rebuilds.
• Linux Mint — a friendly desktop for people coming from Windows.

• Strengths: free to use; open source (anyone can check the code); very stable and secure; runs well on older or modest hardware; dominates web servers, the cloud and supercomputers.
• Weaknesses: some popular programs (Microsoft Office desktop apps, Adobe Photoshop) do not run natively; staff may need training; support comes from the community unless you pay for it (e.g. Red Hat, Canonical).

macOS runs only on Apple Mac computers. It is included free with a Mac, and Apple releases a new version every year.

• Strengths: polished and easy to use; strong security; popular for design, photography, music and video; works smoothly with iPhones and iPads.
• Weaknesses: only runs on Apple hardware, which costs more; fewer business and engineering programs than Windows; limited upgrade options.