Windows 7 comes in four main editions: the Home Basic Edition for consumers; the Home Premium Edition for consumer power users; the Professional Edition for business and power users; and the Ultimate Edition for the complete package. Two other editions are available for specific needs: the Starter Edition and Enterprise Edition. The Starter Edition is for the beginning PC user and provides the most basic entry to Windows 7, which is targeted to emerging markets. The Enterprise Edition is for large corporations with advanced data protection, compatibility, and international support needs.

The Home Basic Edition provides a basic secure entry point for using Windows 7. The Home Premium Edition adds to the basic experience by providing the Windows Aero experience, the Mobility Center and Tablet PC support for laptops, Windows Meeting Space for sharing documents, and Windows Media Center for media entertainment.

The Professional Edition modifies the Home Premium Edition by adding advanced hardware protection, business networking and remote desktop access, and by removing the Windows Media Center. The Ultimate Edition combines every thing from all the editions into one complete package.