Compare Windows

New UI

Windows 11 is easier on the eyes and easier to use. We took the best elements of Windows 10 and refined them to create a soothing place to work and play.

Smart recommendations in File Explorer & Start Menu

Find the files you’re looking for faster with smart recommendations in your Start menu and File Explorer. You can also mark favourite files and use File Explorer tabs, only on Windows 11, to keep your files organised and separate.¹

Passkeys integrated with Windows Hello

Passkeys are the cross-platform future of secure sign‑in management.

Windows 11 users will be able to replace passwords with passkeys for their web sites and apps if offered by the web site or application. Instead of using a username and password to sign‑in to a website or app you will use a username and passkey. The sign‑in experience is made seamless using Windows Hello or your mobile phone.

Users will be able to manage their passkeys in Windows Settings.

Passkeys on Windows 11 devices will work on multiple browsers including Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Firefox, and others.⁵

Wake on approach. Lock on leave.

Windows 11 can automatically wake up when you approach your device and lock when you leave it.³

Smart App Control

Smart App Control provides a layer of security by only permitting apps with good reputations to be installed on your Windows 11 PC.⁴

Seamless redocking

When you connect your PC to an external display or monitor, Windows 11 remembers how you like things arranged when you leave, come back, and reconnect. This feature is new and exclusive to Windows 11.⁷

Live Captions

With Live Captions⁸ on Windows 11, speech—like that through a Teams call—can be instantly transcribed into captions.

Windows Studio Effects

Windows Studio Effects elevate your video calls. You can eliminate distracting sights and sounds, stay in focus with automatic framing, and maintain eye contact even if you’re reading from notes.⁹

Auto HDR

Auto HDR increases the range of colours both new and old games can produce. Available only on Windows 11, this new calibration app increases control of colour.¹⁰

Dynamic Lighting

If you have RGB LEDs in your mouse, keyboard, or tower, coordinate their colours with the Dynamic Lighting menu in Settings. Once linked, game and app integrations work seamlessly to react to music or what happens in‑game.¹¹

Cross Adapter Scan Out (CASO)

CASO can reduce latency and increase frame rates on gaming laptops (with integrated and discrete GPUs) for 2000+ DirectX 11 and later games.¹²

Optimisations for windowed games

Optimisations for windowed games reduces latency and increase frame rates on 2,000+ DirectX 11 and later games, and enables you to play windowed games at higher frame rates and use features like Auto HDR.¹³

Controller bar

The Windows 11 Control bar helps you easily jump back into the game you last played or into a new one.¹⁴

Touchscreen

While Windows 10 worked well with touch inputs¹⁵, Windows 11 was designed with them in mind for a true mouse‑less or keyboard‑less experience.

Search

The Search bar in Windows 11 is in a new, easy‑to‑find location. Located in the Start Menu, it can find what you can’t, including files, apps, or anything you want online.²

Widgets

Widgets are new for Windows 11. They’ll help you stay up to date with all the things you need to keep tabs on, like schedules, weather, stocks, sports—even celebrity gossip.

Energy recommendations

Windows 11 makes it easier to keep track of your energy efficiency with the introduction of Energy recommendations. Energy recommendations identifies settings that have an outsized impact on power consumption in one place, making it easy to adjust your power consumption and improve battery life.

TPM 2.0

A Trusted Platform Module (TPM) helps prevent unwanted tampering. Windows 11 requires TPM 2.0, which provides next‑gen security and privacy for you, your apps and your system’s hardware.²¹

Advanced network security

Windows 11 has an improved experience and protocols, including more secure and reliable connection methods and advanced network security, including encryption and firewall protection and built‑in Virtual Private Network (VPN) protocols. Includes support for Hyper‑V, Firewall, Wi‑Fi 6, WPA3, and an encrypted DNS protocol, and support for more Bluetooth connections including Secure Simple Pairing, Secure Connections, and Core Spec compliance up through version 5.3.

Windows Hello for Microsoft account

Windows Hello provides a secure, convenient sign-in experience by augmenting or replacing passwords with a stronger authentication model based on a PIN or biometric sign¹⁶—in such as facial or fingerprint recognition. Windows 11 includes improved security using the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0.

Windows Security app

The Windows Security app serves as the security dashboard and is available on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Snap assist

Snap assist makes the most of your screen space by arranging your open windows into perfectly aligned grids.¹⁷ On Windows 11, Snap remembers your layout, so you can seamlessly stay in your flow.

Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge is optimised for Windows 11 to bring you the browsing speed and security you crave. And, with Copilot in Edge, get the help you need to answer complex questions and everyday tasks.¹⁸

Sync your PC and phone

Make and take calls. Reply to texts. Check and dismiss notifications. Use Phone Link to do it all from your Windows PC without even taking your phone out of your pocket. Now available for Android™ and iPhone® devices only on Windows 11.¹⁹

Windows on ARM

Devices with a thin, light design and amazing battery life that run the apps you care about.²⁰

Narrator

To read, or to be read to? Narrator can turn text into spoken words. Only on Windows 11 does Narrator use natural, human voices to read text on the screen aloud.²⁴

Contrast themes

High contrast themes are available in both Windows 10 and 11 to help those with low vision see more easily.

Voice access

Along with the voice typing and speech‑to‑text for typing functions on Windows 10, you can now use voice access commands to perform basic functions on your Windows 11 PC; like open apps, minimize windows, and scroll.²⁶

Microsoft Store

The new Microsoft Store has been redesigned for Windows 11 and makes finding apps, movies, and TV shows you love easy.

Universal Media Search

No more “endless scrolling”. Universal media search in the Microsoft store looks across the catalogs of multiple streaming services all at once² to help you find what you want to stream, fast.

Photos app

Crop, erase, adjust colours and lighting—Photos can help you get your pictures just right. Enjoy the latest features, like iCloud sync, OneDrive search²⁷, and Background Blur, on Windows 11, to help you organise and revisit your favourite moments.

Paint

Paint includes some powerful but simple‑to‑use tools. You can easily remove backgrounds, and scale with better quality to help your project look more professional. Now in Windows 11, Paint can generate images based on a text prompt to help you bring your creativity to life.^{28 29}

Snipping Tool

Snipping Tool is available on both Windows 10 and 11 to help users crop screenshots to share with others exactly what you’re seeing.

On Windows 11, you can Screen Record and copy or redact text from any screenshot image.³⁰

Clipchamp

Microsoft Clipchamp comes built into Windows 11 with new functionality that can help you put together unique videos with just a couple of prompts. With dynamic templates and dazzling effects, Clipchamp makes it easy for anyone to edit videos like a pro.³¹

Digital pen

Draw, design, and navigate the smart way using a digital pen, now with an improved inking experience only on Windows 11.³²

Emojis

Whenever words won’t do, emojis are just a couple of clicks away with the Emoji Clipboard on Windows 11. With a simple keystroke [Win + V], you’ll find your favourites and get access libraries of faces, GIFs, keymojis, and symbols to help you say what you really mean.³³

DirectStorage

Games with larger worlds that load in less time. It’s possible with DirectStorage.³⁴

DirectX 12 Ultimate

This is what harnesses your hardware to produce stunning graphics for your games.³⁵

3D spatial sound

This technology makes it possible for you to perceive where the sources of sound in games are with compatible headphones.³

PC Game Pass

PC Game Pass grants you access to over a hundred games for one low monthly membership fee.³⁶

Xbox game bar

No need to alt + tab to change songs, check graphics performance, or find friends. Just use the hotkey Win + G to ring up the overlay made for better play.

Get Started app

The Get Started app is designed to help you get to know Windows better.

Windows Backup

Feel at home instantly on your new PC. Windows 11 gives you the choice of bringing over the files, apps, and preferences you want with you.^{37 38}

Microsoft account

A Microsoft account can be your one passport to all things Microsoft, from Office to Xbox and more.