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Kali Linux vs Windows 10 comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 7, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Kali Linux
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
11th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
AWS Marketplace (3rd)
Windows 10
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
8th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
5.2
Number of Reviews
271
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of Kali Linux is 2.0%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Windows 10 is 3.0%, down from 4.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Operating Systems (OS) for Business
 

Featured Reviews

GurpreetSingh4 - PeerSpot reviewer
Has small footprint and low maintenance cycles
Pre-installed tools can provide basic training and security measures, which is helpful. However, these tools may not be sufficient to secure your workload fully. That's why it's important to complement them with other specialized security tools to enhance your overall security. Before using Kali Linux, make sure you know its pros and cons. It's a good system to learn because it's the best choice for some situations. It has default firewall settings that block everything by default. It's up to the user to decide how much they want to open up. Learning Kali Linux takes time because it relies on command-line tasks instead of graphical interfaces. Practice is key to becoming comfortable with it.
Akos Szirmai - PeerSpot reviewer
Easy installation and the initial setup time is reasonable
Stability can be an issue. I have to restart it every two days. And the boot time is quite long. My laptop's old, has no SSD, and is just a traditional Winchester. Had desktops with Windows 11 and SSDs, much better performance. But hardware limitations on my current laptop lead to stability and response issues. It's more like the whole reinstall every two years thing. It makes cleaning a pain. Performance improves significantly after a fresh install, then slowly deteriorates as I add more programs. But my biggest concern with Windows 10 is actually bigger than my situation. I'm replacing my laptop anyway, but I read that Windows 10 support ends in a year or so. And with hardware limitations, many other computers won't run Windows 11. So it's not just me. A lot of people with decent, still-working Windows 10 machines will lose support and be unable to switch to 11. This will be a significant problem for individuals and institutions. Large companies with thousands of computers don't replace them every three years, and they might face issues with many computers unable to run Windows 11 and lacking support for 10.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"In general, Kali Linux is used for hosting applications, developing new applications, and operating systems. It's also used in containers and nodes. The tool offers a smaller footprint than Windows because it lacks the functionality of graphical user interfaces. One advantage of Kali Linux is its lower maintenance requirements than Windows, with slower update cycles and easier maintenance procedures."
"The solution's stability is very good."
"I'm mostly using for the web security web application, so end map and the troubleshoot will it's my price, and it's available in ColliNX."
"The most valuable feature of Kali Linux is the attack it performs using a CVE script that's already on the internet."
"The most effective features of Kali Linux include its stability as a Linux operating system, its flexibility in configuring resources such as partitions, its powerful and stable file system, and its multi-user capability, which allows for setting user privileges and rights. Additionally, Kali Linux provides access to a wide range of free and open-source applications for testing and development purposes."
"Additionally, it now includes comprehensive migration analytics and reporting capabilities."
"The solution's most valuable feature is that it is very easy to use."
"The interface is good and straightforward to use."
"The solution is easy to use compared to other solutions, such as Mac OS. I am very familiar with Windows 10 since I have been using Windows since I was very young. It is always evolving to meet make new standards."
"It is compatible with most of the applications I use like Office."
"Windows 10 is definitely stable."
"One of the most valuable features is the ease of multitasking. It's easy to switch over different applications and multitasking is very free and flawless. Another useful feature is the ability to recover any data from a crash. Multiple benchmarking applications are supported by Windows, which isn't the case with Linux. So in case you need an application, you can Google it, find it, and easily install it. The user experience is also good. If you have the SSD installed in the laptop or machine, it will start like a boom. Windows is always ahead."
"I have found all the features to be valuable. I like the compatibility of Windows with other products, I can add applications. The general compatibility of Microsoft is good, I know that I can use all the Microsoft products."
"The solution is easy to use and secure."
"Every new version is always an improvement on the last."
"Windows 10's most valuable feature is that it is quite intuitive and really easy to use compared to other operating systems."
 

Cons

"The product should integrate AI and GPT capabilities."
"The tool is already stable and well-developed, so there's minimal feedback for enhancement or change. However, it should improve security, which is crucial, especially with the increasing use of Kali Linux in cloud environments."
"The installation process of Kali Linux can be slow, particularly when installing and upgrading packages within virtualized environments."
"From an improvement perspective, Kali Linux could include more ML to help with academic literature, as it is one of the areas where there are shortcomings in the solution."
"From an improvement perspective, it should be made possible for users to learn about the product easily."
"There can be some lagging issues because the product gets stuck at times, making it an area of concern where improvements are required."
"Any new user or someone without deep expertise won't be able to understand how to scale or manage it"
"I would like to have automation in Kali Linux instead of manually configuring or setting up something in case of an upgrade."
"The solution is not secure."
"When there are updates, the system should automatically identify and remove any unnecessary previous features that are no longer needed, ensuring that they don't take up space on the storage media during this period."
"Occasionally configurations can be a bit tricky."
"In the next release, I would like it to improve regarding stability plus performance."
"Sometimes, I receive a blue screen when I open the product, so it is an area that can be improved in the tool."
"The interface must be made faster."
"Setup and use between multiple monitors should be easier."
"The search feature could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Kali Linux is a free product, and you don't have to pay for a license."
"The price is good because Kali Linux already provides a good bundle of tools."
"I have used the free version."
"It is an open-source tool."
"The licensing fee is expensive compared to other products."
"Kali Linux is open source."
"Kali Linux offers a perpetual license, meaning you pay for it once and can use it. While free versions of Linux are available, Kali Linux, being an enterprise edition, usually comes with a perpetual license. I rate its pricing a five out of ten."
"The tool is open-source."
"The solution's price is affordable."
"Every time I've bought Windows, it came bundled with the laptop, so we are talking about a perpetual license."
"The price strategy is fine and there are no additional costs involved."
"The pricing scheme could improve for Windows 10. There is an annual license required for the use of this solution."
"There is a need to make a payment towards the perpetual licensing model offered by the product."
"The licensing is yearly. It would be nice if they offered some one-time license options where you could procure it for a lifetime."
"We pay a licensing fee."
"There is an annual license and the price of the solution is a little expensive and could be reduced."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
16%
Computer Software Company
14%
University
12%
Educational Organization
10%
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
University
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Kali Linux?
I use the tool with Nmap to perform network audits. We use it to find vulnerabilities in our network through attacks. It's for those who want to launch or create viruses or perform attacks on syste...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Kali Linux?
Kali Linux offers a perpetual license, meaning you pay for it once and can use it. While free versions of Linux are available, Kali Linux, being an enterprise edition, usually comes with a perpetua...
What needs improvement with Kali Linux?
The tool is already stable and well-developed, so there's minimal feedback for enhancement or change. However, it should improve security, which is crucial, especially with the increasing use of Ka...
What needs improvement with Windows 10?
I do not have notes for improvement.
What is your primary use case for Windows 10?
In my case, I would mostly say it's because of security reasons. At least for the typical use cases that I generally rely on Windows for, there didn't seem to be a noticeable performance difference...
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Kali Linux vs. Windows 10 and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.