We use Windows Server to host applications, host files, emails, Windows server emails, and data exchange. But for the most part, we use it to host applications, directory services, and DNS services.
Senior System Engineer at a comms service provider with 201-500 employees
A server operating system with a valuable user interface
Pros and Cons
- "I like the views in the user interface."
- "Microsoft technical support is good."
- "It would help if Microsoft made it lighter to run on the servers and made troubleshooting much easier."
- "It would help if Microsoft made it lighter to run on the servers and made troubleshooting much easier."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
I like the views in the user interface.
What needs improvement?
It would help if Microsoft made it lighter to run on the servers and made troubleshooting much easier. I have to deal with unexpected errors and faults that happen in Windows. It also crashes.
When it's a big environment, especially in an industrialized environment, we see unexpected errors. They create instability, or unexpected errors happen in the infrastructure. You need to restart the server or restart the services. You don't know the root cause of these errors.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been working with Windows Server for about 20 years.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Sometimes we have to deal with unexpected errors that create instability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Windows Server is mostly scalable. However, you run into problems if it's going to be very big. If something happens, troubleshooting it will be very difficult.
How are customer service and support?
Microsoft technical support is good.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is mostly straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The Windows Server standard edition is affordable. But the cost of the data center edition is high, especially compared to some competitors. Some competitors are offering their operating systems for free.
What other advice do I have?
I would tell potential customers of Windows Server that they need to study it. They need to understand their business case very well. If features are available in Windows Server, they can safely go for it, but they need to study the design very well.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give Windows Server an eight.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Executive Personal Assistant at a insurance company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Stable, easy to use, and can handle huge workloads
Pros and Cons
- "Overall, Windows Server 2016 provides a stable environment for some of the very large workloads that it is subjected to in our organization, and it is very easy to use."
- "Overall, Windows Server 2016 provides a stable environment for some of the very large workloads that it is subjected to in our organization, and it is very easy to use."
- "There are lots of improvements that can be brought by Microsoft, although for us Windows Server works mostly as expected. For how we're using Windows Server, security is a top priority, so when talking security, it can always be improved upon, no matter what."
- "There are lots of improvements that can be brought by Microsoft, although for us Windows Server works mostly as expected."
What is our primary use case?
We are using Windows Server 2016 for our organization's backend applications which reside in a data center. HP provides us with our Windows platforms, and we also have Unix platforms from them as well.
We have been using Windows environments since I joined my organization, which is close to 20 years now. Currently, we're doing what you can call a hosted private cloud with colocation and we are running some huge workloads using Windows Server in this cloud.
From our side, the organization's 2800 end users are mostly running Windows 10 in a highly virtualized environment. So whenever we need more resources, it takes just a couple of minutes to get it up and running.
What is most valuable?
Overall, Windows Server 2016 provides a stable environment for some of the very large workloads that it is subjected to in our organization, and it is very easy to use.
What needs improvement?
There are lots of improvements that can be brought by Microsoft, although for us Windows Server works mostly as expected. For how we're using Windows Server, security is a top priority, so when talking security, it can always be improved upon, no matter what.
Then there's the performance side, which is not bad, but we are currently looking to increase capacity and we have found that we need to enhance the hardware to get the performance we are looking for. Because of this, we are going to be refreshing the hardware and moving to new infrastructure in the next few weeks.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Windows Server for many years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is very stable.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have enterprise support with them which I cannot personally comment on.
How was the initial setup?
We are running a form of Windows Servers, from our side, which are highly virtualized. So from where we're sitting, to provision Windows Server takes just a couple of clicks and it is up and running.
What about the implementation team?
For the backend systems where we implement Windows Server at the data center, the entire IT team is around 120 people. Then, from a user perspective, much of it is self-service, meaning users can request to provision as needed from the pool of virtualized resources.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Our current license is an enterprise license agreement which gives you a whole lot of possibility, especially when you go through an R&D process. For example, you can provision everything, spread the service use over six months, and then wrap it up. It gives you a lot of flexibility.
What other advice do I have?
Windows Server is a stable product and there's no way we will change it for something else.
I would rate Windows Server an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Windows Server
April 2026
Learn what your peers think about Windows Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2026.
893,244 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Cloud Service Director at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees
Reliable and quite stable with a familiar operating system
Pros and Cons
- "We haven't had any issues with the server whatsoever. It's been very reliable."
- "We haven't had any issues with the server whatsoever, it's been very reliable."
- "The scalability could be improved a bit."
- "The scalability could be improved a bit."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for the Arctic directory, SharePoint, or the Information System's company.
What is most valuable?
The operating system is the solution's most valuable aspect. Many people on the team are extremely familiar with it.
We haven't had any issues with the server whatsoever. It's been very reliable.
What needs improvement?
The patching could be better within the solution. There are many updates, however, if you compare it with other parts of Windows, the patching has a different management structure.
The scalability could be improved a bit.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've worked with a company that has had the solution on and off over the course of maybe ten years or so. I've worked with them over the last two months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is quite stable. I consider it reliable. I don't have issues with bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's been good overall.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have at least 2000 uses on the solution currently in my organization. About 60 of those are software engineers and data scientists and other related positions.
I find the scalability to be pretty good. We don't have any issues in that sense. However, it could be a bit better.
We do plan to increase usage in the future.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support is good however, you do need to sign a contract with premier support in order to get excellent service.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I don't deal with the pricing aspect of the solution and therefore can't really comment on how much it costs or if we are charged on a monthly or yearly basis.
What other advice do I have?
We're just customers. We don't have a business relationship with Microsoft.
We're using both the 2012 and 2016 versions of the solution right now.
Overall, I would rate the solution eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Operations Director / Business Critical Solutions Architect at a outsourcing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
A stable solution with useful mutual authentication and environment
Pros and Cons
- "I find mutual authentication and the environment useful."
- "I'm quite satisfied with Windows Server. I find mutual authentication and the environment useful. Over the years, I've seen some very good improvements in the Windows Server's quality and functionality."
- "I find ethernet configuration and implementation difficult."
- "I find ethernet configuration and implementation difficult."
What is our primary use case?
I've used it with government applications to integrate and install with Shine server and Fire servers, enabling remote access. For some clients, we have developed and installed an integrated solution for about 500 users and are usually 'anywhere applications.' One client is a government permit office, and they use it for GIS applications and keep track of services.
What is most valuable?
I'm quite satisfied with Windows Server. I find mutual authentication and the environment useful. Over the years, I've seen some very good improvements in the Windows Server's quality and functionality.
What needs improvement?
I find ethernet configuration and implementation difficult. I would also like to see more reliable updates.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Windows Server for more than 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
When compared to the legacy Windows Server, stability has improved.
How are customer service and technical support?
Windows Server technical support is good. Over the last 15 years, I've used Microsoft technical support maybe 300 times or less, and those experiences were good.
How was the initial setup?
For the most part, the initial setup is straightforward. In my experience, about 80% of the implementations were straightforward, and about 20% were a little more difficult.
It took us about six to eight months to deploy the Windows Server for my client at the government permit office.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
In our case, we primarily use Microsoft, so the cost is a lot less. But some of our customers have spent approximately $12,000 a year on the operating system license.
What other advice do I have?
Windows Server is a nice product, but it does have some small problems. I would recommend potential customers to do some research first.
It's a little more difficult to implement this operating system with functionality in the cloud. Everything, including the files and interface, keeps us in a Microsoft environment, and when moving applications to the cloud, some people might find it challenging.
They have training for all the features that Microsoft offers. Technology is evolving quickly. Although I've been in this market for 25 years, I can see that I'm getting a little bit left behind because of a lack of formal training in the new functions that Microsoft and many other companies are implementing.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give Windows Server an eight.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Computer engineering student at a educational organization with 501-1,000 employees
Straightforward with good stability and an easy initial setup
Pros and Cons
- "The solution, in general, is quite straightforward. A beginner could probably use it with ease. It's always more or less simple to understand how this works."
- "For a company that wants all the necessary components to administer their infrastructure and so forth, it's quite good."
- "We are finding some of the configurations inside the group policy not very straightforward. We had some difficulties, for example, just trying to figure out how to configure and how to block the usage of MP3 files, and so on."
- "Configuring a group policy has shown to be not very straightforward. For example, one of our assignments was to create a GPO that should block any user from opening and/or downloading an MP3/WAV file, and the same for video files."
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use the solution for college assignments.
We are using it just to learn how to configure all the options that Windows Server provides for the active directory and basically all the necessary configurations. It's for enterprise infrastructure, so to speak. We are mainly focusing on group policy and remote authentication, the main controller, and all the functionalities that a Windows server provides through the access directory.
What is most valuable?
The solution, in general, is quite straightforward. A beginner could probably use it with ease. It's always more or less simple to understand how this works.
What needs improvement?
Configuring a group policy has shown to be not very straightforward. For example, one of our assignments was to create a GPO that should block any user of opening and/or downloading an MP3/WAV file, and the same for video files. It was very confusing to find a solution that would do just that, we had to test different approches, or ven combining policies to achieve something that resambles what was asked to do. The default template in the File Server Resouce Manager isn't enough.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've only been using the solution for about two months or so. It's relatively new to me.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is quite stable. It doesn't have bugs or glitches, nor does it crash. It's reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. A company shouldn't have any troubles expanding it if they need to.
There may be 50 or 60 users on the solution currently. They're all students.
I'm not sure if I will continue using the solution of expanding usage in the future.
How are customer service and technical support?
We've never really reached out to technical support. Typically, we'll look to the internet to search for answers. We'll google and find what we need.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I didn't previously use a different solution.
How was the initial setup?
The solution is not too complex. It's quite simple to install the components, and not very difficult to configure for the most part. We're just to start using it, and it's not so complex so far. Still, it has a learning curve. You have to get to know some basic concepts before you can really understand what you're configuring. Otherwise, you get a little bit lost.
The installation itself only takes about ten minutes or so. It's rather quick. You don't really need to deploy it, per se, as it's on a virtual machine. It's not a professional environment. Of course, it would probably take longer if you have to configure all of the necessary requirements for professional applications.
What about the implementation team?
My colleagues and I handled the installation as a group.
What other advice do I have?
I'm not really a customer. I'm just a student learning the ins and outs of the product itself.
We are using in virtual machines the Windows Server 2019.
I'd recommend this solution. It's quite complete. For a company that wants all the necessary components to administer their infrastructure and so forth, it's quite good.
Overall, I would rate the solution eight out of ten. If they offered better documentation that wasn't as dated I might rate it higher.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
System Manager at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Easy to set up and has good file sharing protocols, but the event logging and reporting need improvement
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features are the file transfer protocol (FTP) and the secure file transfer protocol (SFTP)."
- "The most valuable features are the file transfer protocol (FTP) and the secure file transfer protocol (SFTP)."
- "The reporting, event logging, and event management functionalities need to be improved."
- "The reporting, event logging, and event management functionalities need to be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We are primarily using Windows Server for monitoring purposes.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are the file transfer protocol (FTP) and the secure file transfer protocol (SFTP). These are both used for file sharing.
What needs improvement?
The reporting, event logging, and event management functionalities need to be improved.
Windows Server needs more applications from the monitoring and backup perspective. These are not incorporated yet. In previous versions, the backup software was available, but not now.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Windows Server for 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
There are bugs that appear but Microsoft provides updates that can rectify the bugs or expand the number of features.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Most of the features are scalable. Windows 2016 and 2019 may be more scalable, but we have not recently upgraded the infrastructure.
Our customer has a small number of people using Windows Server.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We began with using Windows Server and we are still using it. We are looking to migrate to Linux as well, but it depends on the infrastructure and the types of licenses. Microsoft recently began including lots of applications that require licenses, where they were not needed previously.
We are also using Ubuntu Linux and CentOS, which are open-source solutions.
Certain tools are easier to use, depending on whether you are using Linux or Windows.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward and our deployment was completed in three months.
When we implement this solution, we start in a development environment and then move it to production.
What about the implementation team?
Our in-house team performed the deployment.
The number of staff required for maintenance depends on the environment, infrastructure, and the type of activity that is being done.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Infrastructure System's Manager at ICAPP (Americana Group)
Good stability and feature-rich, but the integration with other operating systems should be improved
Pros and Cons
- "We have had no problems with Windows Server and we plan to continue using it in the future."
- "Overall, this is a good product that is easy to use, it has very good features, and I can recommend it."
- "I would like to see better integration with other operating systems."
- "I would like to see better integration with other operating systems."
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is its stability. We have had no problems with Windows Server and we plan to continue using it in the future.
This product has very good features.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see better integration with other operating systems. For example, when I migrate from services from Linux or Unix to Windows Server, it's hard to do. I expect it to be easier.
For how long have I used the solution?
We began using Windows Server between 10 and 12 years ago.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This is a scalable product. We have more than 150 people in 20 different groups who use it. In my personal group, we have four people.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have not faced any problems that we couldn't solve, so we have not needed to contact technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have worked with other operating systems such as Linux and Unix, and I find that they are more complicated.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. It takes between two and four hours to deploy, depending on the type of service.
What about the implementation team?
We installed it ourselves and we have an IT staff of about six people that use it regularly.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have a corporate deal with Microsoft and pay licensing fees annually. It is an expensive product.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, this is a good product that is easy to use, it has very good features, and I can recommend it.
I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Principal Consultant at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Stable platform that is easy to use and integrates well, and has a supportive technical team
Pros and Cons
- "The features that I like the most are that it's easy to use and the integration."
- "The features that I like the most are that it's easy to use and the integration."
- "In terms of support, it's pretty complicated when you have to study the documentation."
- "In terms of support, it's pretty complicated when you have to study the documentation."
What is our primary use case?
Our use cases are usually data and analytics. We are building platforms for our clients to exploit their data. We are building the data curation.
Also, the analytics for the front end, and the presentation of the data for the end-user.
What is most valuable?
The features that I like the most are that it's easy to use and the integration.
What needs improvement?
In terms of support, it's pretty complicated when you have to study the documentation.
It would definitely be helpful if the documentation could be more straightforward.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Windows Server for eight years.
We are usually working with the latest version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Windows Server is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's a scalable product. The number of users depends on our customers. Some customers have as many as 50 users while some others have 15 users. It really depends on the clients, but we're not in the thousands of end-users.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support is pretty good. We have a good relationship with our vendor's specialists. We mostly work with Microsoft and some other vendors.
Overall, they are supportive.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward.
It took approximately a month to deploy, but it depends on the number of installations we have. Some are larger and some smaller.
We need two or three staff members to deploy it. They are PDAs, they are infrastructure people who have the tech knowledge.
We have a team in our organization that we call specialists to configure the server. They are tech-savvy, and they know all about the backend.
What about the implementation team?
We are integrators.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There are licensing costs for this solution, although it's not expensive. Microsoft is relatively inexpensive compared to other database platforms.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others who want to use Windows Server.
I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Integrator
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