Windows Server 2022 vs Windows Server 2025

VPSBG is proud to announce that we are now officially offering Windows Server 2025! You can easily grab a powerful VPS or VDS server with the newest Windows Server release and start taking advantage of the new and exciting features that this version brings! But what exactly makes the 2025 OS version stand out from its predecessor - the Windows Server 2022? Let’s take a deeper look!

Release & Lifecycle

Windows Server 2025 was released on November 1st 2024. In terms of support, it still employs the usual 5 year mainstream guarantee + 5 year extended support cycle that the 2022 also did.

However, with its extended support and now longer lifecycle, the 2025 version is going to be more future-proof which is something that businesses and enterprises are most definitely going to benefit from.

User Interface & Desktop Experience

The next major difference between the 2 versions is the fact that Windows Server 2025 utilizes the modern Windows 11-based user interface, which also comes with a large set of different customizations.

For example, the Start Menu and the Task Manager come with a new, fresh layout, constructed with the help of the Mica material. You can also customize and pin apps to your desire, allowing for a much more UX-focused design and a better overall experience.

Additionally, the new version is also equipped with better Bluetooth support, making connecting wireless devices much easier.

Upgrade & Installation

In terms of upgrades, Windows Server 2025 allows users to directly upgrade from Windows Server 2012 R2+ and up instead of only the previous server version. This means that you can now effectively skip versions, making it super simple to migrate from older versions to the newest one.

Another benefit is that the 2025 version introduces Windows Update for all types of upgrades, meaning that you are now capable of updating features in-place rather than having to use ISO images, simplifying the entire process.

Performance

Next up, we have one of the most important upgrade areas - performance. With its DirectStorage, Windows Server 2025 enables NVMe drives to directly communicate with your server’s memory, essentially preventing any CPU bottlenecks. This results in more than double the amount of I/O operations with a whopping 70% lower latency!

A detailed study from flexense showed the following results:

This means that while some areas did see a decline, the overall performance improvement is about 3-4% for Windows Server 2025 over its predecessor - 2022.

Not only that but the amount of Max CPU cores and RAM have been increased to 256 and 64TB respectively! This makes the 2025 version the perfect choice for AI networks, development and high-performance computing workloads!

Security, Zero Trust Policy & Encryption

As you know, privacy and security for VPSBG are of the utmost importance, which is why the security improvements in Windows Server 2025 are quite valuable for us.

With the 2025 version, Zero Trust Security has been implemented, which now enforces Multi-Factor Authentication and Conditional Access Policies by default, meaning that you will need to set up an additional security authentication method, resulting in better overall security.

Not only that but Windows Server 2025 also integrates Hardware-based Confidential Computing - a way to encrypt data end-to-end, even for administrators, which guarantees privacy and security protection at all times and prevents unauthorized access to the data on your server.

Finally, there are AI algorithms that have also been introduced in order to identify threats and protect your server.

Virtualization & Hyper-V

When it comes to hosting and cloud systems, the Hyper-V Version of Windows Server 2025 has been equipped with Dynamic Memory Compression, allowing for about 30% more virtual machines per host without having to compromise on performance.

Additionally, there are now also Confidential VMs, which support AMD’s SEV-SNP and Intel’s TDX for hardware-encrypted isolation. We at VPSBG support and implement SEV for our virtual machines.

Networking & Storage

In terms of networking and storage, Windows Server 2025 utilizes SMB over QUIC, which allows for more secure and reliable remote access that enhances file-sharing and remote working. Hotpaching has also been extended to storage-related updates, which reduces the overall number of reboots and minimizes downtime, allowing for better management and automation.

Management & Automation

Speaking of management and automation, Windows Server 2025 comes with a revamped Windows Admin Center that now features more automation tools as well as role-based management options. Not only that but the PowerShell scripting has also been improved, being tailored for cloud-first operations.

Linux & Cross-Platform Support

While the 2022 version did already have Linux VM support, the 2025 version now provides even better performance and compatibility if you wish to run any Linux virtual machines. Additionally, you can now also manage both your Windows Server and Linux VM from a single dashboard!

So if you are still unsure about whether you should be making the upgrade from an older Windows Server version, you should now definitely consider it!