Microsoft announced Windows 11 as successor to Windows 10 with a new UI, centered taskbar, new start menu, rounded corners, widgets, multiple virtual desktops, snap layouts, and many new features. Many security concerns such as encryptions and secure boot were also imposed along with those features.
Whereas, Linux is distributed across Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, and Debian editions. Most of the Linux editions get regular updates and their UI has also improved over time. Linux due to its open-source reliability, some developers must be cooking Windows 11 theme for the customized Linux.
In terms of design, look, and UI both Windows 11 and Linux are leading head-to-head but has got major differences in the different criteria. Let’s compare Microsoft’s new Windows 11 Vs Linux operating systems from all the important aspects to decide a winner. Apart from their differences, you can also download Linux on Windows 11 from Microsoft Store.
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Windows 11 System Requirements Vs Linux
Microsoft has raised the minimum bar with Windows 11 and had almost ditched the two years old PCs. Windows 11 is now only supported on the 64-bit architecture with at least 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage.
Linux on the other hand is supported on decade-old PCs with even 1 GB of RAM and 4 GB of storage. Different Linux editions require a different set of resources but none of them is greedy like Windows 11.
Windows 11 has mandatorily asked for the UEFI BIOS Mode with Secure Boot, TPM 2.0 chip support, and DirectX 12 with WDDM 2.0 Drivers. Linux can use all the available hardware and software features on a machine but also work smoothly without them.
Due to such low requirements by Linux, you can separately try it out on Windows 11 with Virtual Machine.
Windows 11 Performance to Linux
Linux is a core-level operating system packed with only important functions whereas major features are integrated into Windows 11. It gives Linux an advantage over Windows 11 to boot faster even on older machines.
Though Linux is performance-centric, Windows 11 outperform in getting adaptive to the external functions. It is easier for the less technical users to get their work done on Windows 11 than Linux. Experience users can reach their productivity to the sky with Linux but due to the periodic changes to the technology, it’s better to equip a better machine with Windows 11.
Windows 11 performance on well-equipped machines is much better and user-centric than Linux. Users can perform multiple tasks across multiple monitors with the extra perks of cloud sync, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365, and even Windows 365.
Windows 11 Gaming Features
Windows 11 being build for commercial users, Microsoft has especially taken care of gamers. This time Microsoft has brought their best Xbox gaming technology to Windows 11. It will take Gaming to the next level on PCs. Linux stands nowhere for gaming in comparison to Windows 11.
Windows 11 supports Auto HDR, DirectStorage Technology, and Integrated Xbox Game Pass to immerse its user in the ocean of games. Auto HDR and DirectStorage both are the Xbox Gaming features to improve the video as well as performance.
Linux is definitely at the major loss to get support for even popular PC games and hence even lose users to their rivalry Windows 11. Microsoft has sandboxed Linux by keeping technology to themselves to let developers and users both suffer to get back to Windows.
Free Linux Vs Paid Windows 11
Despite the exemplary victory for the awesome features, outstanding UI, thousands of apps, and superb gaming, Windows 11 is labeled as paid OS, and Linux is free. It requires ample of man force including tons of resources to develop an operating system and Microsoft manages by selling the premium license of their Windows.
Windows 11 has got different versions including Windows 11 Home, Pro, Education, and Enterprise dedicated to their respective set of users. Windows 11 will cost around $140 for the Home edition and $200 for the Pro edition. Only a few customized Linux editions are paid for compared to the major editions available for free from the internet.
Linux Security compared to Windows 11
Windows 11 being dominant in the PC market, attracts more viruses and malware from the internet. Microsoft is always collecting data against vulnerable programs from their million of users to update the security of their users. Windows Defender and its Firewall have improved a lot for defending a billion PCs against threats.
Linux is very well concerned for the user and group permissions across all directories and files. It won’t require an antivirus to acquire specific resources to keep scanning for viruses and malware across the files. Linux users can easily avoid them by sticking to the trusted repositories for programs.
Windows 11 Updates
Microsoft manages Windows 11 updates on our PCs by giving us no options for selecting which update to avoid or install. Windows 11 updates are pushed in a single bundle every quarter or a few months. Some updates are just waiting for our permissions until a specific threshold date to get install on our system.
Linux updates are all dependent on the user commands. Users have to manually search for the latest available update from the respective directory and install on their choices.
We will conclude here with the major differences between Windows 11 and Linux. Now it’s up to you to choose the best operating system for your requirements.