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Many tech users are fiercely loyal to their preferred platforms, but there are still open-minded individuals on both sides of the macOS vs. Windows debate who may not fully understand what the other has to offer. In this comparison, I break down the key features of Apple's and Microsoft's operating systems, side by side. Of course, some features will matter more to you than others. Your ultimate choice might depend on your professional needs, your existing device ecosystem (including your phone and tablet), the platforms used by those around you, or whether gaming is a priority. While ChromeOS and Linux are viable alternatives if they support the software you need, most people will be choosing between macOS and Windows. So, which one comes out on top? Let’s take a closer look.
Hardware Options
Before you can run any OS, you need a computer and possibly some peripherals. Apple has some fine hardware options, including MacBooks with attractive industrial designs, the iMac with its 4.5K screen, and the massively powerful Mac Pro (starting at $6,999). However, these devices are pricey, and their variety pales in comparison with the many Windows PCs and tablets that are available from different manufacturers. You won't find any convertible laptops or touch screens on any Macs, and if you've used one, you know it's useful. Nontraditional options like the Raspberry Pi and VR headsets can all run Windows, too. Handheld gaming PCs make for an even wider selection of Windows devices.
As for internal components—things like the CPU, graphics card, and storage—there’s no contest. Windows gives you a lot more leeway in configuring a system with the components you want and more flexibility to upgrade later. Heck, you can even build your own PC with the parts of your choice. Both OSes have gotten to the point where support for keyboards, mice, printers, webcams, and other peripherals is a plug-and-play situation, so you shouldn't worry much about that. Both come with excellent, seamless support for multiple monitors, too.
Winner: Windows
Setup Experience
Both OSes have clear and polished setup processes. You can use either without signing in to an account with Apple or Microsoft, though both make it hard to do so. If you do sign in, you get a richer experience on both. Not signing in means missing out on app roaming, data syncing, messages, voice assistants, and a whole lot of other goodies, with more coming all the time, like Apple Intelligence on Mac and some more-advanced Copilot AI features in Windows. I have yet to hear of a Mac user who doesn't sign into an Apple account on their computer, and doing so is the very first thing mentioned in Apple's Getting Started guide.
Both initial setup processes are straightforward, letting you replicate a previous computer. Microsoft allows you to install the OS with your voice and differentiates the process based on whether you're setting up the computer for personal or business use. Both OSes automatically recognize and install drivers for standard hardware peripherals, such as mice, keyboards, and hard drives.
Winner: Tie
Login Experience
Both systems have login options that go beyond the traditional act of simply signing in on your desktop. If you have a recent MacBook or a Magic Keyboard, you can easily sign into your Mac using your fingerprint. Or you can log in through your iPhone or Apple Watch if they are close enough to the computer. In my experience with a recent MacBook Air, however, I had to enter the computer password more often than seemed necessary; the fingerprint simply isn't an option in some instances.
Windows 11 relies on the Hello system for biometric logins, and you have a few options. Face login with a depth-mapping-capable webcam is probably the coolest and quickest, and it's available on most higher-end PCs, including all Surface devices. Windows Hello also supports fingerprint readers, available on laptops such as the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon. If you don’t have hardware that's compatible with either of those features, Windows will also accept a PIN, which is more convenient than a full password. A PIN is specific to a machine—Microsoft doesn't store it online like a standard account password—and four incorrect entries temporarily lock you out, so it's quite secure. Unlike my experience with the MacBook, Windows Hello works nearly every time for me.
Once you boot the OS, Windows has a Start button and menu that lets you access the apps, documents, and settings you most frequently use. There's nothing similar in macOS, but you can pin frequently used apps to your Dock, head to the Applications folder, or set up your desktop with icons for programs and files you access often. The macOS Launchpad formerly offered a way to page through and start apps, though few used it, and Apple discontinued it with Tahoe.
Winner: Windows
Included Apps
Both operating systems come with a wealth of utilities and apps, from calendars and mail clients to photo and video editors. Both come with screenshot tools, voice recorders, and web browsers, not to mention camera, contacts, news, and weather apps. Both even now offer AI image generation in their drawing apps.
Microsoft throws in the handy Sticky Notes and Teams chat. It also has the Xbox gaming app (see Gaming section below). macOS has FaceTime and Stickies, but it stands out most for its superior video editor, iMovie, the Preview utility, and the outstanding Apple Music streaming service. It also has the awesome GarageBand music composition app and the relatively full-featured iWork office suite.
Winner: macOS
Third-Party Software Compatibility
Both platforms have had time to develop rich ecosystems of software and services. Windows is more likely to support custom business applications, and macOS is prevalent in creative fields. That said, you can find plenty of good general business software for Macs. And Windows actually boasts more options in some creative areas, such as photo and video editing software.
macOS and Windows have app stores that manage installation and updating, but app developers sadly haven’t given attention to these desktop stores the way they have to their mobile counterparts. On a related note, I still find it odd that some macOS apps make you drag a disk image to the Applications folder; that's just one of at least three different ways to install apps on a Mac.
Windows app installation is more straightforward. For a few years now, Windows' default web browser has let you install many app-like websites as progressive web apps (PWAs). They can appear in the Microsoft Store and get Start menu entries; you can uninstall them just like any other application. Apple avoids the industry-standard term PWA, instead offering what the company calls a web app capability, but these can't appear in the Mac App Store. Finally, Windows PCs can still run software programmed decades ago, while macOS version updates regularly make older apps obsolete. This is important for businesses that previously spent a lot of money on custom code.
Winner: Windows
Interface Customization
Both operating systems give you decent leeway for customizing their appearance. You can personalize the desktop backgrounds, interface colors, screen item sizes, and screen savers. Both OSes have good wallpaper options, with macOS adding Live Wallpapers that change throughout the day and Windows 11 adding HDR wallpaper support.
The quality of an operating system's dark mode is a point of contention for some users. macOS’s version is a bit more consistent. Despite regular updates, some older Windows dialogs are still not dark when the mode is active. Windows has a Custom option, which lets you decide whether you want dark or light mode for apps, system elements, or both. Both systems use slick, rounded window corners. macOS Tahoe introduces Liquid Glass, which uses transparent elements, much like 2006's Windows Vista. I find this interface design less obtrusive on macOS than on Apple's mobile platforms, but if you want translucent or monochromatic icons in the Dock, you should enjoy it.
When it comes to widgets, the two OSes differ markedly in implementation. Windows 11 offers widgets that live in a panel that optionally pops up when you hover over its Taskbar icon. Recently, Microsoft added the ability to choose widgets for the lock screen, too. Until recently, Apple restricted macOS widgets to the Notification Center panel, but ever since Sonoma, you can place them anywhere on the desktop, just like in Windows Vista more than a decade ago. What's more, you can use iPhone widgets on the macOS desktop, thanks to Continuity (see Mobile Device Integration section below). A major difference is that widgets you create with the iPhone show information only; they're not interactive.
Winner: Tie
Desktop and Window Management
Whenever I work on a Mac, I’m frustrated by how the system manages and arranges program windows. Even with Sequoia's shameless copying of Windows' Snap Layouts feature (see below), Microsoft's OS still makes it easier to arrange windows on the screen the way you want, not the way the OS wants. The 2024 Sequoia update also copied Windows' ability to snap a window to fill exactly half the screen by dragging its title bar to the side edge—something that's been around since 2009's Windows 7.
But there's a problem: In macOS, you can't use these techniques with all window types. I was recently very frustrated by Tahoe when trying to show a dialog box alongside a web page for a serial number entry. (Another UI functionality issue: The copy and paste function in macOS works only with numbers before a hyphen, so I had to copy and paste multiple times for a long serial number with several four-digit numbers separated by dashes.) Each time I switched to the web page to enter part of the serial number, the dialog with the number slunk back to a small Stage Manager card (see below).
Windows 11's Snap Layouts let you choose a window arrangement from any program's maximize button. The same thing works on a tablet's touch interface if you drag an app's top bar to the top of the screen to see layout choices. You can even reuse these layouts from Taskbar icons, and they carry over to a secondary display.
Apple put some effort into improving its windowing game with Stage Manager, available since Ventura. When enabled, it displays diagonal 3D tiles to the left of the active program window for easy switching. Some find the accompanying animations jarring, but at least they make window management somewhat clearer than before.
You can create multiple virtual desktops in both Windows and macOS, and they do an equally good job of letting you switch between them with touchpad gestures or keyboard shortcuts.
Confusingly, in macOS, there are two different ways for an app to run full-screen. The default is as a separate virtual desktop, which you get when you click the green maximize button (which also serves as a Resize button). But there's another full-screen mode that maintains the system menu across the top. Sometimes, I don't want macOS to switch me to another virtual desktop when I didn't specifically opt for one.
Finally, my favorite window-management trick in Windows is holding and shaking the mouse key on a window title bar to minimize everything else (in Windows 11, you have to turn this "Title bar window shake" feature on in Settings). It's a great way to clear out distractions and focus on the window you're working in. macOS Tahoe doesn't have anything similar.
Winner: Windows
Dock vs. Taskbar
The macOS Dock has made strides over the years, with its ability to display the icons of recently used apps and a nifty mouse-over magnifying animation. You can easily change the placement of icons in the Dock and enlarge or shrink the whole thing at any time, which is good for accessibility. One thing I find frustrating about macOS is that when I click on a running app’s Dock icon, sometimes its window doesn’t appear on the screen. That's because macOS is document-based, whereas Windows is application-based. When you click on an app's icon in the Dock, you may just see its menu at the top, but no program window. In Windows, tapping a taskbar icon always brings up the associated program's window.
The Windows taskbar shows a thumbnail miniature of the program window when you hover the mouse cursor over its icon. Taskbar Jump Lists let you see recent files you opened in the app or jump to frequently needed actions in that program; macOS's Dock works similarly. In Windows 11, the Taskbar took a step backward, but the company has restored its previous appeal. The default center alignment means that the Start button isn't always in the same place, but you can set it to left-justified. Microsoft also brought back the ability to choose a wider, more informative view of the app buttons, which more clearly shows which apps are running than the dot you get in macOS.
Winner: Tie
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Finder vs. File Explorer
Windows File Explorer has improved in recent OS updates. It now includes a Gallery view for photo folders and native support for 7-Zip and RAR archive files. You can finally have multiple tabs in a File Explorer window, something the macOS Finder has offered for years. File Explorer's Home folder lets you show Recent, Recommended, and Favorite files. The macOS Finder’s Recents folder works similarly. Finder also has a Favorites section, though I find it much harder to use than File Explorer, especially for getting from one place to another on a drive. For example, it doesn't let you easily navigate up and down a drive's folder tree.
File Explorer also has nice color-coded main folders. To PCMag contributor Edward Mendelson's great joy, macOS Tahoe finally brings the ability to change folder colors from that ghastly blue; in Windows, you can change the icon for any folder, but it doesn't work as simply as the Finder color-changing capability. Both OSes show previews of documents on the right side of the Explorer/Finder windows, let you choose which app to open a file with, and let you easily share files with a right click.
Winner: Windows
System Search
Windows has a permanent search box in the Taskbar, which I find convenient. Both OSes have magnifying glass icons and simple keyboard shortcuts to summon the search feature. Both can find local and web content, as well as do conversions and math. Both let you filter results by category (app, document, folder, etc.)
But macOS's Spotlight search gets the edge. The Tahoe update brings the ability to undertake Actions such as “Create Folder,” “Send Email,” or "Start Timer.” Note that Copilot now lets you search your computer's folders.
Winner: macOS
Touch, Pen, and Dictation
In terms of alternative input, Microsoft's operating system has the edge. Windows has had full touch screen support for more than a decade, and it has a touch-optimized interface when you switch from keyboard to touch or stylus input. A good selection of convertible laptops and tablets is available on the market to take advantage of it. After decades of obdurately refusing to entertain the idea of bestowing its computers with touch screens, rumor has it that Apple might finally offer this capability.
Stylus input is another win for Windows. The support for styluses like the Surface Slim Pen 2 on touch screens is robust, with incredibly good handwriting-to-text conversion and pressure sensitivity. You can use a pen anywhere you enter text. To me, the metal Stylus Pen feels better than the plasticky Apple Pencil for iPads.
In both Windows and Mac, you can use your voice for text input in any app. To do this in macOS, you have to specifically enable it. Once voice dictation is on, you can access it by double-tapping the Fn key. In Windows, just press Windows Key-H (for hear), and you're off and dictating.
Winner: Windows
Apple Intelligence vs. Copilot
With 2025’s Tahoe update, Apple macOS is slowly getting more AI capabilities courtesy of Apple Intelligence. These include Image Playground, which generates cartoon-like images based on your text prompts; Writing Tools, which can summarize or rewrite selected text. AI features also make cameos in Apple programs like Photos (remove objects), Mail (summarize and prioritize), and Safari (summarize web page). The improved Siri has been woefully limited and slow to arrive, but you can now enable it to use OpenAI’s ChatGPT for more powerful functionality.
Microsoft added Copilot to Windows in 2023, a full generative AI chatbot that can create text and images and answer research questions. Copilot, which uses OpenAI GPT technology, just keeps getting more impressive, with things like Copilot Vision, which lets you have a natural voice conversation about items on your screen (see video above). It can even highlight an area on the screen while telling you how to complete a certain action. Copilot also now supports the "Hey Copilot" wake-word option, in a nod to dear old Cortana. Copilot+ PCs get even more AI features, with things like Click to Do, Live Captions with translation, and Recall.
Winner: Windows
Mobile Device Integration
With Phone Link, Microsoft has reached near parity with Apple's mobile-to-desktop integration story if you connect an Android phone. And connecting an iPhone to Windows gets you calls, notifications, and texts on the desktop. Connecting some higher-end Android phones lets you run multiple Android apps on a Windows screen simultaneously. But the Apple desktop-mobile connection continues to be tighter and slicker. The iPhone Mirroring feature lets you show and control the mobile interface on your computer screen, but supports just one app at a time.
You can use an iPhone as an external webcam (Windows now has this feature, too, for Android phones), and you can use an iPad as a secondary screen. The macOS Notifications panel lets you send text messages by syncing with a nearby iPhone, and you can share all your photos across devices in Apple Photos. You can transfer almost anything to another Apple device using AirDrop. Finally, you can even engage in video calling with FaceTime between devices. Apple Watch is yet another piece of the integrated ecosystem that Windows can’t match. For example, you can unlock your Mac when your watch is in proximity, and the same notifications flow to both.
Winner: macOS
3D, VR, and AR Support
VR, AR, and the metaverse might not be the hot topic they once were, but they're still valid criteria to consider when comparing OSes, especially with Apple finally getting into the space with its Vision Pro headset. That device doesn't require a Mac but can connect with one for a virtual flat display. The most popular VR headset, the Meta Quest 3, works only with Windows, not Macs. The same is true for SteamVR gaming headsets, which run only on SteamOS and Windows.
Apple does provide some VR support: You can edit 360-degree video content in Final Cut Pro with external enclosures for VR-capable graphics cards. Apple’s ARKit system works with some iPhone and iPad models to let app builders create augmented reality applications.
Winner: Windows
Accessibility
Both operating systems include a good deal of support for users with disabilities, but Microsoft has consistently made it a top priority. Both OSes offer Braille support, screen magnification, sticky and slow key entry, text narration, and voice input. But with Windows, a blind person can set up the system by voice. Microsoft has even added the ability to control the computer with your eyes and has come out with a line of Adaptive Accessories for alternative input.
Microsoft has customer support in American Sign Language by video call. It works with the free BeMyEyes app, which "connects blind and low vision people with volunteers for visual assistance through a live video call." The company's Seeing AI tech can describe people's emotions in real time based on their expressions. Microsoft has even published a highly rated Seeing AI app for Android and iOS.
Copilot+ PCs include a Live Captions feature that displays text captions for any spoken words playing on the PC. This feature can translate other spoken languages into English. It is all done with local PC computing resources and leverages the neural processing unit (NPU) on these PCs.
Even on non-Copilot+ PCs, Windows 11 can display live captions for any spoken audio from any source on the screen. Windows 11 also made its Narrator voice sound more natural when reading screen text, while an improved Voice Access feature lets you control everything on the PC (now in preview). The company staffs a Disability Answer Desk for both consumers and businesses.
In its favor, Apple continues to improve and add accessibility features, such as Personal Voice, which lets people at risk of losing their voice create a digital voice that sounds like theirs in phone or video calls. The company also launched Live Captions to match Windows' equivalent.
Winner: Windows
Security and Stability
Windows PCs have historically been more vulnerable to malware than Macs, including ransomware, spyware, botnets, and good old-fashioned viruses. For its part, Microsoft is constantly beefing up its security, pushing Microsoft Defender updates, and even introducing anti-ransomware measures.
macOS has a much cleaner record, but it's by no means immune from the baddies out there. Vulnerabilities occur in it, too. Apple is pretty good about issuing patch updates to address these, but PCMag's principal writer for security, Neil Rubenking, still recommends using antivirus software on Macs.
Both operating systems include built-in VPN support, and all of PCMag's top VPN service choices are available on both platforms, so that category is a wash.
And then there’s the issue of stability. macOS wins on this count, too, mostly because Apple controls the hardware ecosystem (third-party drivers are a major cause of instability on Windows PCs) as well as the software. Stability has improved with Windows 11, but it's still not rock-solid. Those looking for the ultimate stability should check out Linux.
Winner: macOS
Gaming
Hardcore gamers don’t even need to look at this section. While there are plenty of excellent games available for macOS, and there’s even a version of Steam for the platform, Macs typically don't allow the game catalog and the level of internal component customization possible with PC gaming.
As for game selection, there are far more AAA titles on Steam that are compatible with Windows than macOS. You can even stream games to your PC through the Xbox app. With Play Anywhere, you can load games you buy on the Microsoft Store on either your PC or your Xbox console.
Apple does have a Game Porting Toolkit for converting Windows games for use on Macs, and more AAA titles continue to arrive on the OS, including Cyberpunk 2077.
Windows Game Bar, which you can summon with the Windows key + G combination, lets you record your gaming activities, see system resource usage, and interact with fellow gamers. You can easily use an Xbox game controller with a Windows PC. You can play some casual games right inside the Microsoft Store on Windows. Windows' Game Mode optimizes the system while gaming, Auto HDR improves graphics, and DirectStorage lets you load those enormous games faster. Microsoft recently announced Gaming Copilot, which provides assistance during your quests. Both OSes now support ray tracing for more lifelike lighting in games.
Winner: Windows
And The Winner Is...
Microsoft Windows 11
In many areas, macOS and Windows are evenly matched, as shown by the number of ties in our comparison. However, Windows ultimately comes out ahead thanks to its superior usability and unmatched compatibility. It’s also the clear choice for anyone interested in gaming or using a touch-screen device. That said, macOS remains a favorite for many due to its cohesive design and strong reputation for reliability. As a general rule, Android users may feel more at home with Windows, while iPhone users are likely better off with macOS.
Do you agree that Windows is the better desktop OS? Are there other categories that we should include in our evaluation? Let us know in the comments. For more coverage, make sure to visit our dedicated macOS and Windows pages.
