Microsoft recently announced the prices of the Extended Security Updates program for Windows 10. The operating system is on track to reach its end of support in less than two years, and companies using it should already start preparing for this big event. However, Microsoft is not ready to reveal all the details for "regular consumers" yet.
Microsoft has updated the official announcement post to clarify that the initial announcement is only for enterprise customers. Home users should expect a separate announcement, which will most likely have different policies and price tags.
Editor’s note 4.3.2024: The details and pricing structure outlined in this post apply to commercial organizations only. Details will be shared at a later date for consumers on our consumer end of support page. Educational organizations can find tailored information about Windows 10 end of support in the Microsoft Education Blog.
With over 69% of all Windows PCs still running Windows 10 (according to Statcounter), Microsoft has a big challenge to tackle. While some users will eventually move to Windows 11, hundreds of millions of computers will remain on Windows 10 for a long time. Windows XP, for example, was dropped in 2014, but it still has enough users using it online to register on third-party analytic services. Windows 10 users stuck with the unsupported OS have to either pay Microsoft for extended security updates or risk encountering malware exploring unpatched vulnerabilities.
Extended Security Updates will be available for three years. Businesses will have to pay Microsoft $61 per year for one device, and those joining later will be forced to pay for the previous years since each update is cumulative. The company also has discounts and promotions for specific users and subscribers, such as schools and Windows 365 subscribers. It will be very interesting to see how Microsoft plans to promote the program to your average Joe.
If you plan to stay with Windows 10, what price would you consider reasonable to pay Microsoft for three more years of additional support?