- Windows 10 ESU will be available from November 2025 for three years
- It costs $ 61 per day. Years when prices double annually then
- Windows 10 is still preferred over Windows 11 by many users
With the official Windows 10 End of Life Deadline months away, Microsoft still hopes users will choose to upgrade to its flagship us, Windows 11, but it has also issued a number of notes that describe how users can continue using it Older software.
A newly updated support document from the company has detailed Windows 10 Extended Security Update (ESU) program, including costs and eligibility.
Microsoft promises that ESU will continue to provide “critical and important security updates” for a period of time after Windows 10 loses support – but this comes at the expense of an annual subscription.
Windows 10 ESU details revealed
In the mail, Microsoft revealed devices running Windows 10 22H2 are entitled to participate in the ESU program, but emphasized that this would only include important security updates and not new features, non-security updates, design change requests or general support.
Users can sign up for the ESU program via the Microsoft Volume License Program, and it costs $ 61 per day. Unit to cover between November 2025 and November 2026. From there, costs will double annually, but the ESU membership ends after three years. In other words, Windows 10 fans can buy themselves another three years of secure use before they are eventually forced to run a potentially uncertain OS or upgrade to Windows 11.
The company also added ESUs is cumulative, so you will need to have bought years one before upgrade to year two. If you decide at the beginning of the second year to get security updates, you will be able to join in retrospectively by paying for the previous year’s coverage.
“Windows 10 PCs will continue to work, but we recommend that customers upgrade eligible PCs to Windows 11 using Windows Autopatch, Microsoft Intune or transition to a new Windows 11 -PC to the best, most secure computer experience , ”The company added.
The rose among the thorns is that Windows 10 virtual machines running in Windows 365 or Azure Virtual Desktop get expanded security updates for free.
However, even Microsoft’s best endeavor has not deterred users from choosing to stay on Windows 10-the almost decorated operating system accounts for 60% of all Windows installations (via statcounter). Still, the Windows 11 adoption has slowly risen in recent months to a market share of 37%.
