Microsoft is ending help for Home windows 10 on October 14th, 2025, and also you’ll have to pay yearly if you wish to proceed utilizing the working system securely. Microsoft will supply Prolonged Safety Updates (ESU) for Home windows 10 customers, with pricing beginning at $61 for the primary yr.
The pricing for extra safety updates can be supplied to customers for the primary time ever with Home windows 10. Companies and customers might want to buy ESU licenses for every Home windows 10 machine they plan to maintain utilizing after the tip of help cutoff date subsequent yr.
For companies, the primary yr is priced at $61. It then doubles to $122 for the second yr after which doubles once more in yr three to $244. For those who enter into the ESU program in yr two, you’ll must pay for yr one as properly for the reason that ESUs are cumulative.
On Wednesday, Microsoft up to date its Home windows IT Professional Weblog put up to notice that the pricing listed applies to industrial organizations solely and that particulars of shopper pricing “can be shared at a later date.”
Editor’s notice 4.3.2024: The main points and pricing construction outlined on this put up apply to industrial organizations solely. Particulars can be shared at a later date for customers on our shopper finish of help web page. Academic organizations can discover tailor-made details about Home windows 10 finish of help within the Microsoft Schooling Weblog.
Microsoft usually solely affords subscriptions for Prolonged Safety Updates to organizations that have to hold working older variations of Home windows. This time round, it’s totally different, as there are nonetheless a lot of folks on Home windows 10, almost 9 years since its launch in 2015.
“Prolonged Safety Updates aren’t meant to be a long-term answer however moderately a short lived bridge,” explains Microsoft in a weblog put up. “You should buy ESU licenses for Home windows 10 units that you just don’t plan to improve to Home windows 11 beginning in October 2024, one yr earlier than the tip of help date.”
Microsoft is providing a 25 p.c low cost to companies that use a Microsoft cloud-based replace answer like Intune or Home windows Autopatch. This drops the pricing to $45 per person (as much as 5 units) for the primary yr. For those who’re utilizing Home windows 10 laptops and PCs to attach as much as Home windows 11 Cloud PCs via Home windows 365, then Microsoft is waiving the charges for safety updates since licenses are included within the Home windows 365 subscription value.
Colleges will get a fair larger low cost, with Microsoft providing a $1 license for yr one, which then doubles to $2 for yr two and $4 for the third yr. It doesn’t seem like Microsoft goes to supply any particular low cost pricing for customers, however we’re nonetheless months away from these licenses happening sale, so the corporate might nonetheless supply one thing for customers.
Naturally, Microsoft needs customers to maneuver to Home windows 11 as a substitute. Thousands and thousands of PCs can’t improve formally to Home windows 11 as a result of extra strict {hardware} necessities and Microsoft’s safety push with its newest OS. Home windows 11 is just supported on CPUs launched from 2018 onward and with units that help TPM safety chips.
Because of this, Home windows 11 has lagged behind the Home windows 10 rollout, which was supplied to Home windows 7 and Home windows 8 customers as a free improve. Home windows 11 was additionally a free improve, however just for Home windows 10 machines that met the strict minimal {hardware} necessities.
StatCounter says Home windows 10 continues to be utilized by 69 p.c of all Home windows customers, in comparison with simply 27 p.c for Home windows 11. That’s a giant hole that Microsoft is unlikely to shut over the approaching 18 months, leaving many Home windows 10 customers having to contemplate paying for safety updates for the primary time.
Correction April third, 8:40PM ET: After publication, Microsoft up to date its put up to notice this pricing is for industrial organizations solely. Pricing for customers has not been introduced but.
