Let’s discuss the Feature Comparison of Windows Server 2025 vs. 2022 vs. 2019. In this post, I will compare the key features of Windows Server 2019, 2022, and 2025. Key features of Windows Server 2025 are Hotpatching, High Security, and Faster Storage.
This comparison guide helps business leaders, IT decision-makers, solution architects, and IT professionals understand the differences between their current Windows Server and the latest Microsoft versions.
Windows Server 2025 includes high security, performance, and flexibility features. It offers faster storage options and better integration with cloud environments. This version builds on the solid foundation of the previous version, Windows Server 2022, and introduces functional enhancements to meet your needs.
This guide will help you explore the exciting new features and improvements in Windows Server 2025 and the comparison between 2019, 2022 and 2025 Windows servers.
Table of Contents
What is Hotpatching?
Hotpatching is a method for installing operating system security updates on supported Windows Servers without any restart. It allows you to update your applications safely without restarting them. This feature supported both Windows Server 2025 and 2022.
Feature Comparison of Windows Server 2025 Vs 2022 Vs 2019
Windows Server 2025 offers enhanced multi-layer security, Hyper-V, AI, and Performance, faster storage options, and the ability to integrate with cloud environments. You can efficiently handle large storage and demanding CPU/GPU workloads like machine learning and artificial intelligence. New updates to AD DS and AD LDS improve domain management.
Windows Server 2022 is a better version of Windows Server 2019. It has new features and improved security. The Secured-Core Server protects the hardware, firmware, and operating system.
Windows Server 2019 connects on-premises systems with Azure, enhances security, improves efficiency, and supports cloud-native apps and containers.
Key Feature of Windows Server 2025
The following features are only available on Windows Server 2025, and they are fully supported.
- Arc-enabled Hotpatch –Windows Server Standard/Datacenter
- Credential Guard by default
- 32k database page size option
- AD object repair
- Improved algorithms for Name/Sid Lookups
- LDAP encryption by default
- Passphrase feature
- Replication priority order
- Improved readability password dictionary
- SMB NTLM Disable
- Routing and Remote Access Services (RRAS) Hardening.
- Hyper-V GPU Partitioning (GPU-P), High Availability and Live Migration
The following table shows the percentage-wise new features available in Windows Server 2025, 2022 and 2019, respectively. (fully supported=100%, Partially =50% )
| Features | 2025 | 2022 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) | Fully supported | Partially Supported | Partially Supported |
| Transport Layer Security 1.3 | Fully supported | Fully supported | 75% supported |
| Hyper-V Scalability | Fully supported | Partially Supported | 25% supported |
| Storage Migration Service (SMS) | Fully supported | Fully supported | 75% supported |
| Broadest Application Compatibility Validation | Fully supported | 75% supported | 75% supported |
- Top 83 Windows 11 Desktop Admin Interview Questions
- Windows 11 Version Numbers Build Numbers Major Minor Build Rev
- Managing Data Limits for Network Connections in Windows 11
Windows Server 2025, 2022 and 2019 fully support the following features.
| Features |
|---|
| Hyper-V Discrete Device Assignment (DDA). |
| Storage – SAN Support and NAS Support |
| Azure Arc |
| Windows Server Upgrade Support |
| In-Place Upgrade via Windows Update |
| Windows Admin Center v2 |
The following features are fully supported only on Windows Server 2025 and 2022 and not supported on 2019 Windows Server.
| Features | Sub-divisions |
|---|---|
| Secured-Core Server and Hotpatching | Hotpatch – Windows Server Datacenter: Azure Edition |
| Active Directory | LDAP support for TLS 1.3 |
| Storage | Adjustable Storage Repair |
| SMB Compression |
Broadest Application Compatibility Validation
Expanded testing of Microsoft apps to ensure they work well with popular industry apps. This feature is fully available in 2025 Servers and 75% in 2022 and 2019.
Wi-Fi
Enabling wireless capabilities for edge deployments is easier in Server 2025, with the Wireless LAN Service feature installed by default. However, it is only partially supported in Server 2022 and Server 2019.
Containers
Container Image Portability, Networking Control Path Performance, and Reduced Image Size are the main features of Container. Images are smaller, and the exact size will be known when they are generally available.
Resources
Need Further Assistance or Have Technical Questions?
Join the LinkedIn Page and Telegram group to get the latest step-by-step guides and news updates. Join our Meetup Page to participate in User group meetings. Also, Join the WhatsApp Community to get the latest news on Microsoft Technologies. We are there on Reddit as well.
Author
Anoop C Nair has been Microsoft MVP for 10 consecutive years from 2015 onwards. He is a Workplace Solution Architect with more than 22+ years of experience in Workplace technologies. He is a Blogger, Speaker, and Local User Group Community leader. His primary focus is on Device Management technologies like SCCM and Intune. He writes about technologies like Intune, SCCM, Windows, Cloud PC, Windows, Entra, Microsoft Security, Career, etc.