I will only install Windows Pro versions because they are typically supported much longer (look at W7 for example - the first to be dropped was the Home version. If you have the Pro version it is usually supported another 4 or 5 years.) Pro versions usually have more settings that can be tweaked, they have settings more in line with Enterprise, like user rights, group policy, Backup and Restore, encryption, RAID, Virtual Machines, etc. Lastly, Home versions typically assign Administrator rights to new user accounts, which is dangerous when connecting to the Web. You have to change the rights to Limited/Restricted for non-Admin accounts. (Even on OSX, and just like Linux and Windows, I only use the Admin account to administer the PC (OS updates, installing/removing apps, installing drivers, etc.) and use dedicated user accounts for Banking, 'Net Surfing, Purchasing, Gaming, Video Production, Music, Work, etc.)
http://helpdeskgeek.com/windows-7/difference-between-windows-7-home-professional-and-ultimate/
http://www.howtogeek.com/222458/should-you-upgrade-to-the-professional-edition-of-windows-10/
Is it worth the extra $100? It is to me - and to anyone who bought W7-64bit Pro and is still getting security updates - which shouldn't end until 2020. My W8.0Pro was updated to W8.1Pro and was then updated to W10Pro for "free". (And we all know what that "really" cost... ) And believe it or not I preferred W8.0 because it allowed the creation of disc based recovery disks, whereas W8.1 only did USB recovery sticks. Today it doesn't matter all that much - unless you don't like the idea of having to use a 4, 8, 16 or 32GB stick when the MS recovery software only takes up a CD's worth (~650MB) of data.
