Windows 10 editions


has twelve editions, all with varying feature sets, use cases, or intended devices. Certain editions are distributed only on devices directly from an original equipment manufacturer, while editions such as Enterprise and Education are only available through volume licensing channels. Microsoft also makes editions of Windows 10 available to device manufacturers for use on specific classes of devices, including IoT devices and previously marketed Windows 10 Mobile for smartphones.

Baseline editions

Baseline editions are the only editions available as standalone purchases in retail outlets.
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Organizational editions

These editions add features to facilitate centralized control of many installations of the OS within an organization. The main avenue of acquiring them is a volume licensing contract with Microsoft.
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Device-specific editions

These editions are licensed to OEMs only, and are primarily obtained via the purchase of hardware that includes it:
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Discontinued editions

The following editions of Windows 10 are discontinued, i.e. were not part of Windows 10 version 1803.
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Variations

As with previous versions of Windows since Windows XP, all Windows 10 editions for PC hardware have "N" and "KN" variations in Europe and South Korea that exclude certain bundled multimedia functionality, including media players and related components, in order to comply with antitrust rulings. The "Media Feature Pack" can be installed to restore these features.
As with Windows 8.1, a reduced-price "Windows 10 with Bing" SKU is available to OEMs; it is subsidized by having Microsoft's Bing search engine set as default, which cannot be changed to a different search engine by OEMs. It is intended primarily for low-cost devices, and is otherwise identical to Windows 10 Home.
In May 2017, it was reported that Microsoft had, as part of its partnership with China Electronics Technology Group, created a specially-modified version of Windows 10 Enterprise designed for use within branches of the Chinese government. This version is pre-configured to "remove features that are not needed by Chinese government employees", and allow the use of its internal encryption algorithms.

Comparison chart

The 4 GB limit for 32-bit editions is a limitation of the 32-bit addressing, not of Windows 10 itself. In practice, less than 4 GB of memory is addressable as the 4 GB space also includes the memory mapped peripherals.
Microsoft OEM licensing formula takes display size, RAM capacity and storage capacity into account. In mid-2015, devices with 4 GB RAM were expected to be $20 more expensive than devices with 2 GB RAM.

Upgrade path

Free upgrade

At the time of launch, Microsoft deemed Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users eligible to upgrade to Windows 10 free of charge, so long as the upgrade takes place within one year of Windows 10's initial release date. Windows RT and the respective Enterprise editions of Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 were excluded from this offer.
Windows version and editionWindows 10 edition
Windows 7 StarterHome
Windows 7 Home BasicHome
Windows 7 Home PremiumHome
Windows 7 ProfessionalPro
Windows 7 UltimatePro
Windows 8.1 with BingHome
Windows 8.1Home
Windows 8.1 ProPro
Windows Phone 8.1Mobile

Commercial upgrade

The following table summarizes possible upgrade paths that can be taken, provided that proper licenses are purchased.
ItemMeaning
Full upgrade is possible, preserving apps, settings and data
Full upgrade is not possible
Full upgrade is possible but feature loss will occur

Release branches

New releases of Windows10, called feature updates, are released twice a year as a free update for existing Windows 10 users. Each feature update contains new features and other changes to the operating system. The pace at which a system receives feature updates is dependent on the release branch from which the system downloads its updates. Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise and Education can optionally use a branch that receives updates at a slower pace. These modes can be managed through system settings, Windows Server Update Services, Windows Update for Business, Group Policy or through mobile device management systems such as Microsoft Intune.
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