| Features | Starter | Home Basic | Home Premium | Professional | Enterprise | Ultimate |
| OEM licensing | Retail and OEM licensing in Emerging markets | Retail and OEM licensing | Retail, OEM and Volume licensing | Volume licensing | Retail and OEM licensing |
| End of Support | January 14, 2020;7 years’ time | January 14, 2020;7 years’ time | January 14, 2020;7 years’ time | January 14, 2020;7 years’ time | January 14, 2020;7 years’ time | January 14, 2020;7 years’ time |
| Maximum physical memory (RAM) (x64) | N/A | 8 GB | 16 GB | 192 GB | 192 GB | 192 GB |
| Maximum physical memory (RAM) (IA-32) | 2 GB | 4 GB | 4 GB | 4 GB | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Incoming file and printer sharing connections | ? | 5 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 32-bit and 64-bit versions | 32-bit only | Both (64-bit disc not included) | Both | Both | Both | Both |
| Maximum physical CPUs supported | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Backup and Restore Center | Cannot back up to network (Backup to network and local hard disk, restore) | Cannot back up to network | Cannot back up to network | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Remote Desktop (Client and Host) | Client only | Client only | Client only | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HomeGroup (create and join) | Join only | Join only | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in DVD (MPEG-2 and Dolby Digital) decoder | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in AVCHD support | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple monitors | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Color depth | N/A | 32-bit | 32-bit | 32-bit | 32-bit | 32-bit |
| Fast user switching | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Window Manager | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Mobility Center | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Printing via Internet (IPP) | No[44] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Internet connection sharing | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Aero | No | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Parental Controls | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Touch | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Premium Games Included | No | No | Yes | Disabled by default | Disabled by default | Yes |
| Windows Media Center | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Media Player Remote Media Experience | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dynamic Disks | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Encrypting File System | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Location Aware Printing | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Presentation Mode | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Group Policy | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Offline Files and Folder redirection | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Server domain joining | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows XP Mode | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Software Restriction Policies | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Remote Administration Tools | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS, formerly Active Directory Application Mode or ADAM) | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AppLocker | No | No | No | Create Policies, but Cannot Enforce | Create and Enforce Policies | Create and Enforce Policies |
| Aero glass remoting | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Media Player multimedia redirection | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Audio recording over Terminal Services | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-display Terminal Services | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise Search Scope | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Federated Search | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| BitLocker Drive Encryption | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| BranchCache Distributed Cache | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| DirectAccess | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Subsystem for Unix-based Applications | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Multilingual User Interface Pack | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Enhancements | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Licensed | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual Hard Disk Booting | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Switching between any of the 35 available languages | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Starter | Home Basic | Home Premium | Professional | Enterprise | Ultimate |
