Microsoft finally reveals that it will charge consumers $30 for a year of additional security updates for Windows 10. Support for Windows 10 will end on October 14, 2025, but consumers will be able to purchase just one year of updates. Extended Safety Update (ESU). for $30 for the first time.

While businesses will be charged $61 for a single year of ESU, they also have the option of paying $122 for a second year and then $244 for a third year of updates. Microsoft will only offer consumers one year if they are willing to pay the $30 fee. “Enrolled PCs will continue to receive critical and important security updates for Windows 10; however, new features, bug fixes, and technical support will no longer be available from Microsoft,” explains Yusuf Mehdiexecutive vice president and director of consumer marketing at Microsoft.

Consumers will be able to enroll in the ESU program “near the end of support in 2025.” Naturally, Microsoft is once again encouraging consumers to upgrade to Windows 11 instead of purchasing Extended Security Updates for Windows 10. “With Windows 10 ending support, now is the time to upgrade. Windows 11 with confidence,” says Mehdi.

This move to Windows 11 could involve purchasing a new PC. Millions of PCs cannot officially upgrade to Windows 11 due to stricter hardware requirements and Microsoft’s security efforts with its latest operating system. Windows 11 is only supported on processors released in 2018 and on devices that support TPM security chips.

Windows 11 adoption has lagged behind Windows 10 in recent years, but there are signs that people are starting to upgrade or refresh their hardware more. Windows 11 briefly became the most popular operating system for PC gaming among Steam users in August, before falling back behind Windows 10 in September. It is likely that Windows 10 usage will remain strong throughout 2025 and beyond.

After initially announcing that major Windows 10 updates would be completed in 2023, Microsoft changed its approach earlier this year in a confusing move that could help Windows 10 usage stay strong. The software giant took the unusual step of reopening its beta program for Windows 10 users in June to test new features and improvements to an operating system that it is supposed to end support for next year .