Windows 10 is reaching its end-of-support date in October 2025, but Microsoft had already promised to give users a way to keep their devices protected if they don't want to or can't upgrade to Windows 11 just yet. Now, the company has revealed how much the Extended Security Updates (ESU) will cost once the program starts.

Windows 10 updates will cost the same as Windows 7

There are a few ways to get an ESU license for Windows 10, and prices will vary depending on the method you choose. The first and default method is the standard 5-by-5 activation, using an activation key you can apply to the machines you want to keep running Windows 10 after the end-of-support date. Using this method, you'll be paying $61 for the first year of updates. That's the price for a single user, so if you have multiple PCs, you have to multiply that by the number of PCs you want to have in the program.

Just like with Windows 7's ESU program, however, that price doubles every year up to a maximum of three years. So for year two, you'll be paying $122 per user, and for year three, that goes up to $244 per user. You also can't join the program halfway through to get a discount. If you join in year three, you have to pay for the previous years of updates, too.

Some users get updates for free (or at a discount)

If you're in an enterprise environment, Microsoft is also offering a couple of other ways to get these updates, though. If you're using a Windows 365 subscription and it includes Windows 11 cloud PCs, you can actually keep getting updates for your local Windows 10 machine running Windows 365 at no additional cost. This is an interesting perk for Windows 365 users, and it makes sense considering you're still using Windows 11 on that machine at the end of the day.

Otherwise, you can still benefit Microsoft's cloud management solutions such as Windows Autopatch or Microsoft Intune to get a discount on your ESU licenses. As an IT admin, you can assign licenses to your organization's PCs as needed without the need for an activation key, and it comes at a 25% discount, making each license cost $45 per user for the first year. This also makes deployment easier for large organizations.

You should still move to Windows 11

With all that being said, the point of the ESU program isn't to extend the life of Windows 10. Microsoft isn't extending technical support for the operating system aside from any issues with managing ESU licenses, and there won't be any new features or non-security fixes. Microsoft recommends upgrading to Windows 11 as soon as possible, either by upgrading compatible machines or buying new PCs. Windows 11 will be supported for at least a few more years, so it's the best way to future-proof yourself.