Microsoft has announced that they will be ending support for Windows 10 on October 14th, 2025. This means that users who want to continue using the operating system securely will need to pay a yearly fee. The Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 10 will be available for purchase, with pricing starting at $61 for the first year. This is a significant change, as Microsoft has never offered security updates to consumers for additional payment before.
Businesses and consumers alike will need to purchase ESU licenses for each Windows 10 device they plan to keep using after the end of support cutoff date. The pricing for ESU follows a tiered system, starting at $61 for the first year, doubling to $122 for the second year, and then doubling again to $244 in the third year. It’s important to note that ESUs are cumulative, so if you enter the program in year two, you will have to pay for year one as well.
It’s clear that Microsoft sees the Extended Security Updates as a temporary bridge rather than a long-term solution. According to a blog post from Microsoft, ESU licenses can be purchased for Windows 10 devices that are not planned to be upgraded to Windows 11 starting in October 2024, one year before the end of support date.
Discounts and Special Pricing
Microsoft is offering a 25 percent discount to businesses that use a Microsoft cloud-based update solution like Intune or Windows Autopatch. This brings the pricing down to $45 per user for the first year. Schools will receive an even bigger discount, with a $1 license for the first year, which then doubles to $2 for year two and $4 for the third year. However, it does not appear that Microsoft will be offering any special discount pricing for consumers at this time.
Microsoft is encouraging consumers to transition to Windows 11 instead of paying for Extended Security Updates for Windows 10. However, many users are unable to upgrade to Windows 11 due to its strict hardware requirements. Windows 11 is only supported on CPUs released from 2018 onward and devices that support TPM security chips. As a result, Windows 10 still remains widely used, with 69 percent of all Windows users still on Windows 10 compared to just 27 percent on Windows 11.
With the end of support for Windows 10 approaching, users will need to make a decision about whether to pay for Extended Security Updates or transition to Windows 11. While Microsoft is offering discounts for businesses and schools, consumers may have to bear the full cost of security updates. It will be interesting to see how this transition plays out over the next 18 months, as millions of Windows 10 users are faced with the prospect of paying for security updates for the first time.
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