Eton or Winchestwr

Have a our met your HM at Eton? If not can you delay the decision making until you have. I understand Eton has a complicated process of allocating HM's.
Winchester is probably more collegiate, because of the importance of the HM to the boys and all boys eat in house. At Eton some eat in a communal dinning area and I believe tutors play a big role in the boys lives.
At Winchester uniform is very relaxed jacket and tie/suit with lots of freedom to choose colour style etc so there's lots of room for individual preferences, great for the non conformist, boys don't have to wear "uniform" when not in lessons. My DS progressed seamlessly and in his own time through a scruffy look all the time to a smart suit and scruffy when not in lesson to smart suit and smart home clothes. No one interferes. It's also surprisingly devoid of meaningless ritual. I loath ridiculous outdated uniform and meaningless ritual so this was a big big plus for us.

Winchester is very rigid about boys staying to the end of term, no going home a few days early or even a few hours because the flight is more convenient/cheaper. I don't know about Eton. Some may find this irritating I guess.

In addition to above comments
Ask your DS whether he would rather play high performance tennis during the term at Eton (assuming he is good enough to get in top teams) or do Div and play / compete in tennis mainly for enjoyment at Winchester.
Then ask him and yourselves which housemaster you instinctively prefer (assuming he is going to be there when your DS starts).

Finally if you live abroad do you like Winchester that bit more so as to have extra travel. I guess the answer is no since you are having difficulty choosing.
What your DS ends up achieving and enjoying at either school will be driven by him so I think you have to see what package excites him the most however subtle that is.

There are. But they're probably slightly exhausted with all the threads that turn out to be absolutely pure imagination.

No disrespect to you OP.

Congratulations to your son.

Has he boarded before? If not he might well find sleeping in a dorm more convivial. Other boys adore having their own room to retreat to, entertain in and stamp their personality on.

Is he entirely cool at the prospect of swanning about in fancy clothes - and would he take being constantly photographed by eager tourists in his stride? For some boys this raises nothing but a huge grin - but not everyone would like it.

As pp have said, if he got into both he will probably be fine at either - boys (and families) who like one much more than the other tend not to apply to both.

ps if you have questions not answered on the old threads, I'm sure there are readers here who could comment.

Probably the key thing to remember is that both are very good schools with a lot in common: if you're finding the choice difficult (some do, some don't!) it's likely to be an indication that your DS would be fine in either place. As, of course, is the fact that he's been offered both: the schools have a pretty good idea of who will be a good fit.

Visiting again seems like an excellent idea, and if that gives you a gut feel, whether or not you can justify it rationally, I'd go with that.

I sure you could visit again although both are now shut till September. Have you met your HM at Winchester?

I'm afraid I agree with Needmoresleep - there are a million threads comparing the two!

Clear your diary for the next week and type a school name into Search.

"Rugger bugger not bigger."

DS2 has just finished at Winchester we chose it because we felt it was a unashamedly very civilised intellectual environment, academia is always going to take precedence over everything else. We also felt it's not a desperately competitive environment, my DS is not competitive. After he started I saw a programme about Eton the beaks (teachers) read out marks and your place in the class, that I understand rarely happens at Winchester. Boys are very much allowed to be themselves there is no pressure to conform, my DS was a quirky lone wolf a true non conformist and he has remained like that and is comfortable in his quirky lone wolf non conformist skin he found many kindred spirits. Music and drama are either an option you choose to do from day 1 in the case of the former or an extra curricular activity in the case of the latter. I know some parents who've said their DS's think there is no "fun" at Winchester my DS has not found this. I also know quite a few boys who were considered to be "very bright" at prep school who've got a bit of a shock at Winchester and at the end of the first year are in the "6th" set for the everything and feel rather demoralised, there are a lot of exceedingly bright boys there. Another said her DS found it too "studious". Also at Winchester your DS's HM is the most important person, ours has been simply fantastic but if your DS doesn't get on with his I can imagine this would be difficult.
Winchester currently only offers the much harder Pre U it is significantly more work than the A level and it is much harder (my DS could get an A on both the physics and maths A level papers at the end of yr 11 and was advised he'd be bored stiff doing AS French) and the boys do wonder why they're being put through it although none of course know how the A level works, I understand it's much more bity less joined up and more prescribed Wykamists are not always good at prescribed. As we know the pasture always looks greener etc. Winchester A equivalent grades are significantly better than Etons and it appears that more and more universities are asking for A's.
There is no compulsory sport after the first couple of terms and no "major minor" sport, my DS did what would be a minor sport in most schools three days a week from day 1, no team sport player he threw his football boots away at the end of the second term with glee "no more team sports ever again!" I dont know how good the tennis is but I believe it's all grass courts but other may know more, you could look at "news/sports results" on their website to get a feel for it.
I know some feel Winchester is more nurturing, and it's very liberal and forgiving which I like adolescents are biologically programmed to take risks and schools need to be more forgiving IMO, it's also good for the disorganised; there's set times for prep etc, I've heard quite a few disappointing things about Etons pastoral but I could probably say the same for Winchester.
My DS who's boarded said nice yr 2 only got a single room in yr 13 he didn't like it, he genuinely believes that friendship are made when lights go out. At least 3 mums I know said their DS's have really struggled to make friends at Eton but this may be their personalities rather than Eton it's self. Winchester is sending more and more to the Ivy League with the associated expense I don't know what Etons doing.
Finally Div is unique to Winchester, for those boys who love it it's what makes their school experience, others feels it's a waste of time "learning and its associated prep for the sake of it". My math/science orientated non reading DS loved it and studied in particular literature that I know he wouldn't have at any other school, there is no history/Eng Lit IGCSE so the dons (teachers) who teach those subjects have more freedom to teach what and how they like). A friend teacher English at another school he said he'd love to be free of the examination curriculum and teach how what he wanted too.
I. The parents at Winchester are a casual bunch, if you want lots of social activities/opportunities I wouldn't recommend Winchester, as a review in Tatler many years ago said it's not the place for the "interfering parent, the rugger bigger or the social climber". In my experience from MN and friends many Eton parents think it's the best place in he world and can't or won't see anything wrong with it, they have completely bought into "Eton the brand" maybe I'm an embittered old cynic but I personally don't find this very healthly, no where should be or is that perfect, Winchester parents are IME are able to see its strengths and weaknesses warts and all but still believe in what it offers.
Good luck to your DS wherever he goes.

There are lots of previous threads discussing the relatively merits of the two schools. It is worth using the search function, not least because any new thread is likely to attract the same contributors saying the same things.