Microsoft will end support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, requiring you to pay annually if you want to continue using the operating system securely. Microsoft will offer Extended Security Updates (ESU) to Windows 10 users, starting at $61 for the first year.
Pricing for additional security updates will be available to consumers with Windows 10 for the first time. Businesses and consumers will need to purchase an ESU license for each Windows 10 device they plan to continue using after next year’s support deadline.
For businesses, the price is $61 for the first year. It doubles to $122 in the second year and doubles again to $244 in the third year. If you join the ESU program in the second year, you will also have to pay the first year’s fees because ESU is cumulative.
On Wednesday, Microsoft updated its Windows IT Pro blog post to note that the listed pricing is only for commercial organizations and that details on consumer pricing “will be shared at a later date.”
Editor’s Note 4.3.2024: The details and pricing structure outlined in this article apply only to commercial organizations.Details will be shared with consumers on our website at a later date Consumer support page.Educational organizations can find customized information about Windows 10 End of Support at Microsoft Education Blog.
Microsoft typically only provides Extended Security Update subscriptions to organizations that need to continue running older versions of Windows. This time, things are different, as Windows 10 is still used by a large number of users nearly nine years after its release in 2015.
“Extended security updates are not a long-term solution but a temporary bridge,” Microsoft explained in a blog post. “Beginning in October 2024 (one year before the end of support date), you can purchase ESU licenses for Windows 10 devices that you do not plan to upgrade to Windows 11.”
Microsoft is offering a 25% discount for businesses that use Microsoft’s cloud-based update solutions like Intune or Windows Autopatch. This reduces first-year pricing to $45 per user (up to five devices). If you use Windows 10 laptops and PCs to connect to Windows 11 cloud computers through Windows 365, Microsoft will waive the security update fee because the license is included in the Windows 365 subscription fee.
Schools will get deeper discounts, with Microsoft offering a license for $1 for the first year, doubling that to $2 for the second year and $4 for the third year.It doesn’t look like Microsoft will be offering any special discounted prices for consumers, but we’re still a few months away from these licenses going on sale, so the company Can Still offering something to the consumer.
Naturally, Microsoft wants consumers to switch to Windows 11. Millions of computers can’t officially upgrade to Windows 11 due to stricter hardware requirements and Microsoft’s security push for its latest operating system. Only CPUs released since 2018 and devices supporting TPM security chips support Windows 11.
As a result, the rollout of Windows 11 lags behind that of Windows 10, which was offered as a free upgrade to Windows 7 and Windows 8 users. Windows 11 is also a free upgrade, but only for Windows 10 machines that meet strict minimum hardware requirements.
StatCounter says that 69% of Windows users are still using Windows 10, while Windows 11 usage is only 27%. That’s a huge gap that Microsoft is unlikely to close within the next 18 months, resulting in many Windows 10 users having to consider paying for the first security update.
Correction on April 3 at 8:40 pm ET: After publication, Microsoft updated its post to note that this pricing is only available for commercial organizations. Consumer pricing has not yet been announced.