With less than one year to go until the end of support for Windows 10, Microsoft today issued a reminder as to why you should upgrade to Windows 11 or buy a Windows 11 PC as soon as possible. Among the many benefits of new OS, the company highlights enhanced security, speed and efficiency improvements, and better multitasking with features like Snap Layouts.

But if you don't really care about any of that, Microsoft is also finally providing some information on the extended security update (ESU) program for consumers, which is quite a bit different from the business-oriented program outlined earlier this year.

You can pay for one extra year of updates

If you're a regular consumer, the ESU program for Windows 10 is very simple. For a $30 fee, you can get one extra year of security updates for Windows 10, so you're not left out in the cold if you stick with your old PC. Security updates exclusively address potential vulnerabilities and security issues, but no new features will be added to Windows 10 during this extended update period.

This is the first time Microsoft is offering an ESU program for consumers, which is very notable. You may recall than an ESU program also existed for Windows 7, but it was only available for business customers.

Windows 10 was a massively popular operating system, mainly because it was a free upgrade for both Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, and it brought things much closer to the desktop experience users expected after the fiasco that was Windows 8. With Windows 11 being significantly different in a few ways, many users aren't ready to upgrade, so Microsoft is throwing those users a lifeline, even if it's only for an extra year.

The ESU program for businesses is very different

While consumers can get one extra year of updates for $30, the ESU program for business customers that was outlined earlier this year was very different. If you're a business, you can extend Windows 10 security updates for up to three years, rather than just one.

However, extended security updates for businesses are also much more expensive as time goes on. The standard pricing for the first year of updates is $61 per user, with some discounts available to bring it to $45. However, that cost doubles every year for the two subsequent years, meaning the second year of updates costs $122 per user, and the final year will cost you $244 for each user you keep on Windows 10. Additionally, if you only pay for the ESU program after the first year, you still have to pay for that first year.

However, Windows 10 devices running Windows 365 with Windows 11 cloud PCs can keep getting updates for Windows 10 at no additional cost.

Moving to Windows 11 is the easier solution

Obviously, Microsoft wants the Windows 11 upgrade to be the easiest solution here. If your PC supports Windows 11, the upgrade is entirely free of charge, so there's no reason not to upgrade, especially considering how much the new version adds. The company also offers services for businesses, such as Microsoft App Assure, to help transition smoothly to the new OS.

If your PC isn't compatible with Windows 11, your best bet is to buy a new laptop or PC. Chances are if your PC doesn't support Windows 11, it's probably due for an upgrade at this point. In recent years, tremendous progress has been made in performance and efficiency, so you'll undoubtedly have a better experience with a new computer.