Two ways to upgrade to Windows 11 Pro: Is the more expensive license always the better choice?
Compare two Windows 11 Pro upgrade licensing options and discover whether the more expensive license provides any real advantages. Learn about installation, activation, hardware requirements, and how to choose the most cost-effective solution for your business.
Imagine a common business scenario. A company decides to upgrade to Windows 11 Pro and requests quotations from a software licensing provider. It receives two offers. Both lead to the same outcome. Both provide the right to use Windows 11 Pro and both rely on Microsoft's standard upgrade path from Windows 10 Pro to Windows 11 Pro. Yet one option is significantly more expensive than the other.
Does a higher price really mean a better solution?
We compared both options (Windows 10 Pro/Enterprise LTSC 2019 Upgrade and Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 Upgrade) from the perspective of a typical business customer, focusing on what matters most: what the customer actually receives and whether the more expensive license provides any additional practical benefits.
When choosing a license, the product name is not the most important factor, the end result is.
How will the installation process work?
How is the operating system activated?
What features will the user receive?
And is there any real difference between the available operating system options?
→ Read our guide to choosing the right upgrade option
What does the customer actually receive?
At first glance, the two licenses differ in price, which may suggest that the more expensive option offers a better product. However, that is not necessarily the case.
When we look at what is actually included, we find that both options (Windows 10 Pro/Enterprise LTSC 2019 Upgrade and Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 Upgrade) provide virtually the same package.
The package includes:
a license certificate containing two product keys – one for Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 and one for Windows 10 Pro,
installation files,
installation instructions for Windows 10 Pro,
a step-by-step guide to upgrading to Windows 11 Pro,
the right to use Windows 11 Pro.
For IT administrators, the deployment process is essentially identical.
The operating system is installed, activated, and the end result is a fully functional Windows 11 Pro installation.
How does the installation process work?
Here again, customers will notice virtually no difference between the two licensing options.
For both products, Microsoft's recommended approach is the same: first activate
Windows 10 Pro, then perform the standard upgrade to Windows 11 Pro.
In practice, many IT administrators choose to install Windows 11 Pro directly. On supported devices, Windows 11 Pro can typically be activated using the supplied Windows 10 Pro product key, resulting in the same fully functional operating system.
The upgrade itself can be completed using several official Microsoft methods, including Windows Update, the Windows 11 Installation Assistant, or a Windows 11 ISO image. In every case, these are standard tools provided by Microsoft.
Where is the real difference?
The answer will probably surprise almost everyone.
The difference is not in the operating system, its features, or the installation and activation process.
Instead, the difference lies in how the right to use Windows 11 Pro is presented.
One option was introduced after the release of Windows 11. As a result, the product description explicitly states that it can be used with Windows 11 Pro.
The other option was introduced before Windows 11 became available, and the right to use Windows 11 Pro is based on Microsoft's standard upgrade rights.
From the end user's perspective, however, both options ultimately provide the same Windows 11 Pro environment.
When should you choose Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 Upgrade
The more expensive option has its place in organizations whose internal procurement policies require purchases to follow specific internal rules.
For some businesses and public sector organizations, this may be important for internal compliance, procurement procedures, or documentation requirements.
From a technical perspective, however, customers do not receive any additional features, improved performance, or a different installation experience. In both cases, the end result is the same fully functional Windows 11 Pro operating system.
Price is not always a measure of value
In the IT industry, a higher price often means more features or greater flexibility.
In this case, however, the situation is different. Both options ultimately lead to the same outcome: a fully functional Windows 11 Pro installation.
If your organization does not require the ability to use Windows 11 Pro to be explicitly referenced in the product description, Windows 10 Pro / Enterprise LTSC 2019 Upgrade may be the more rational choice. It delivers the same practical result as the more expensive alternative, but at a significantly lower purchase price.
How to upgrade to Windows 11 Pro
Once you have the appropriate license, upgrading from Windows 10 Pro to Windows 11 Pro is a straightforward process that can be completed in just a few simple steps.
We have prepared a comprehensive step-by-step guide that walks you through the entire process.