Microsoft plans to end support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. However, the tech giant allows its customers to continue using older operating systems safely. To continue using Windows 10 after the above dates, users will have to pay an annual fee. Microsoft has announced that it will roll out Enhanced Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 10 users.
Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU): Price, availability and more
Users who want to use Windows 10 after October 2025 will have to pay a subscription of $61 (approximately Rs. 5,000) for the first year. This is the first time that Microsoft is offering Windows 10 customers additional security updates for a fee.
Both business and consumer customers must purchase an ESU license for each Windows 10 device that they want to continue using after the support date expires.
Users pay $61 in the first year and the price doubles to $122 the following year. In the third year, the price doubles again to $244. ESU is cumulative, i.e. H. Users participating in the ESU program in the second year must pay the first year fees.
Microsoft typically only offers extended security update subscriptions for organizations that need to maintain older versions of Windows. However, things are different this time as there are many users who are still using Windows 10 almost nine years after its release in 2015.
Separately, Microsoft is offering a 25 percent discount to companies that use Microsoft’s cloud-based update solutions such as Intune and Windows Autopatch. This brings the price down to $45 per user (up to 5 devices) for the first year.
For users who use Windows 10 laptops and PCs to connect to Windows 11 cloud PCs through Windows 365, Microsoft will waive security update fees because the license is included in the cost of the Windows 365 subscription.
Microsoft offers a license for $1 for the first year, doubling to $2 for the second year and $4 for the third year, giving schools even more discounts. However, it doesn’t look like the company will be offering any special discount pricing to consumers, but there are still a few months left before these licenses launch, so the company may have something available for residential customers in the coming months. Provided.
What the company says
Microsoft explains in a blog post: “Major security updates are not a long-term solution, but rather a temporary bridge.” one year before the end of your Windows 11 support plan.
Microsoft wants consumers to upgrade to Windows 1. However, millions of PC users cannot officially upgrade to the latest OS due to stricter hardware requirements and the company’s efforts to ensure the security of its latest OS. For those who don’t know, Windows 11 is only supported on processors released after 2018 and only works with devices that support TPM security chips.
This puts Windows 11 behind the release of Windows 10, which was offered as a free upgrade to Windows 7 and Windows 8 users. Windows 11 was offered as a free upgrade, although it should be noted that it only works on Windows 10 PCs that meet strict minimum equipment requirements.
According to StatCounter, Windows 10 is still used by 69% of Windows users, compared to 27% of Windows 11 users. Microsoft may not be able to close that gap in the next 18 months, and neither will many Windows 10 users. be able to block another to give you a choice. In addition to paying for security updates.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
