8 reasons to choose Windows 10 instead of Windows 11

Windows 11 looks modern and attractive, so it's understandable if you're eager to try the new operating system. But before you get started, there are reasons why you might be better off sticking with Windows 10.

For starters, Windows 10 is well supported. Software and hardware compatibility issues are rare. On the other hand, there have been major compatibility issues with Windows 11.

Let's take a look at some more reasons why you should stick with Windows 10 for now instead of switching to Windows 11.

1. Unlike Windows 11, Windows 10 can run on any device

One of the biggest reasons not to upgrade to Windows 11 is that you simply can't do it. Windows 11's hardware requirements are a major hurdle for some users.

The biggest and toughest requirement is that the computer will need to have an 8th generation AMD or Zen 2 CPU with a TPM 2.0 chip . Furthermore, the CPU also needs to support Secure Boot.

While these CPU requirements are nothing special, the reality is that there are a surprisingly large number of computers that are still running hardware that is much older than what Microsoft requires for Windows 11. If you are one of these people, you have no choice but to buy a new PC to install Windows 11.

So if you don't want or can't afford to buy a new PC, you're forced to stick with Windows 10. But as you'll see later, using Windows 10 isn't as bad as you think.

2. Windows 11 is buggy and lacks many features

Windows 11 is less than a year old. Switching to the latest version of Windows so soon after its release is never a pleasant experience. When Windows 10 launched in 2015, for example, it was buggy. And while the operating system was eventually patched, the people who initially adopted it were essentially beta testers.

Windows 11 is new. It's missing features, has a lot of bugs, and there are new hardware and software compatibility issues that are being found and fixed all the time.

Therefore, if you want a smooth PC experience, it is better to wait for a while before switching to Windows 11.

3. Windows 11 taskbar is no match when compared to Windows 10

The Windows 10 taskbar isn't perfect, but it works pretty well. It's customizable and has a ton of features. Simply put, there's nothing to complain about.

When Microsoft introduced Windows 11's centralized taskbar, users expected a certain level of perfection from it. Unfortunately, the new taskbar leaves a lot to be desired.

First, the Windows 11 taskbar isn't as customizable as Windows 10's. For example, you can't make it taller or move it around the screen. Also, the new taskbar is permanently centered, and you can't left-align the taskbar without using a third-party app.

In short, if you love the Windows 10 taskbar, you probably won’t like the new one. So until Microsoft can come up with a fix, it’s best to stick with Windows 10 and its trusty taskbar.

4. It's easier to change settings on Windows 10 than Windows 11

Unfortunately, Windows 11 makes it more difficult to change basic settings. For example, in earlier builds of Windows 11, you couldn’t right-click the taskbar to access Task Manager, a feature that was heavily used in Windows 10. While later builds have brought this feature back to Windows 11, it makes you wonder why Microsoft chose to implement changes like this.

Another new annoyance in Windows 11 is choosing a default app for a specific file type. To do this, you need to set a default app for each individual image or video type. You can’t just choose a single app for all image or video types.

Windows 11 also brings a new built-in S Mode that comes equipped by default on some Windows 11 systems. While this new mode is intended to enhance Windows security by restricting the installation of third-party apps, prohibiting registry changes, and restricting Internet browsing to Microsoft Edge, it can severely limit performance and the overall experience.

Changing the behavior of familiar components of the Windows environment is significantly more difficult on Windows 11 than on Windows 10. This makes sense for Windows 10 users to hold off on upgrading until a Windows 11 update makes things easier.

5. Android apps on Windows 11 are not very diverse

Technically, this isn't a reason to choose Windows 10, but a reason not to move to Windows 11 yet.

When Microsoft launched Windows 11, it boasted about Android apps running on Windows for the first time. Three months after its release, Android apps on Windows 11 are only available in preview builds.

Even if you become a Windows Insider and install the preview build, you'll only have a selection of less than 50 apps to choose from.

6. Windows 11 is not much different from Windows 10

Windows 11 wasn’t supposed to be a new version of Windows. It was supposed to be a major update to Windows 10 and was called the Windows 10 Sun Valley Update. Microsoft just quickly renamed the Sun Valley update to Windows 11.

In other words, Windows 11 is a “new wine in a new bottle” version of Windows 10. There is incredible feature parity between the two operating systems. With the exception of a few features, anything you see on Windows 11, you can find its counterpart on Windows 10.

Until Microsoft delivers truly differentiating features on the new platform, like promised Android app support, there's little incentive to switch to Windows 11.

7. Windows 11's best gaming features are also available on Windows 10

Microsoft is calling Windows 11 “the best Windows for gaming,” and it’s packed the operating system with a bunch of cool gaming-focused features to back that up. Some of Windows 11’s gaming features include AutoHDR, DirectStorage, and deeper Xbox app integration.

All of the above features are either already available in Windows 10 or are coming to Windows 10 in one form or another. For example, DirectStorage is coming to Windows 10 even though Microsoft has stated that it will be exclusive to Windows 11.

Similarly, Microsoft has also stated that AutoHDR is a Windows 11 exclusive feature. But AutoHDR is now included with Windows 10 Build 21337 in the Windows Insider program.

Next, although Windows 11 comes with the Xbox app, you can also get the same app on Windows 10.

Ultimately, when it comes to gaming performance, there’s really no difference in frame rates. In some exceptional cases, you might get a few extra frames per second on Windows 11, but that’s about it.

In short, if you were hoping for a visually perceptible better gaming experience on Windows 11, you'll likely be disappointed.

8. Microsoft will support Windows 10 until 2025

Just like it did with Windows 7 after the release of Windows 10, Microsoft will continue to support Windows 10 until 2025. This means that if you're running Windows 10, you'll continue to receive bug fixes, new features, and security patches.

So you don't have to worry about Microsoft ditching Windows 10 in favor of Windows 11, at least for the next few years.

Microsoft has made a lot of welcome improvements in Windows 11. The new operating system has a beautiful design, useful features like Snap Layouts , and is a free upgrade. However, as you've just seen, there are still plenty of reasons why people might want to stick with Windows 10. And most of those reasons are due to problems with Windows 11.

Let's hope Microsoft fixes these issues and makes moving to Windows 11 more worth considering.