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How much will additional support for Windows 10 cost?
Microsoft will end support for the Windows 10 operating system on October 14, 2025. If you want to continue using the operating system safely, you will have to pay an annual fee. Microsoft will offer Extended Security Updates (ESU) to users of the Windows 10 operating system, with the price starting at $61 for the first year.
The possibility of additional security updates will be the first for consumers historically offered with Windows 10. Businesses and consumers will be required to purchase an ESU license for each Windows 10 device they plan to use after support ends next year.
For businesses, the price will be $61 in the first year, then double to $122 in the second year, and $244 in the third year. If you enter the ESU program in the second year, you will also have to pay for the first year, as the costs are cumulative.
Microsoft updated the post on its Windows IT Pro Blog to note that the listed prices apply only to commercial organizations and that details on consumer pricing will be "announced at a later date."
Microsoft typically offers Extended Security Update subscriptions only to organizations that need to continue using older versions of Windows. This time is different, because almost nine years after the release of the Windows 10 system, many private users are still on this system.
Microsoft, of course, wants consumers to switch to Windows 11 instead. More million users cannot officially upgrade their computers to Windows 11 due to stricter hardware requirements and Microsoft's security measures regarding the latest operating system. The Windows 11 operating system is supported only on processors released from 2018 and on devices that support TPM security chips.
