Windows 10 support ended in October 2025. Microsoft’s Extended Security Update programme lets you keep receiving security patches — for a fee that doubles every year, covering only critical vulnerabilities, with no features, no bug fixes, and no technical support. Windows 11 costs £34. The decision isn’t complicated.
Upgrade to Windows 11 Today
One-time purchase. Full OS. Ongoing updates included. No annual renewal.
What ESU Actually Gives You
The ESU programme is a narrow thing. Microsoft’s own page is clear about what’s included: critical and important security patches only, as classified by the Microsoft Security Response Centre. That’s it. No performance improvements. No bug fixes unless the bug is a security vulnerability. No new features. And critically — no technical support. If something breaks, you’re on your own.
The consumer programme runs until 13 October 2026 — one year only. You can enrol any time before that date, but your device needs to be running Windows 10 version 22H2 and have the latest updates already installed. It’s also strictly for personal devices. Domain-joined machines, Intune-managed devices, and anything in a commercial management environment doesn’t qualify for the consumer tier.
ESU is not extended support. It doesn’t restart the Windows 10 lifecycle. You’re buying security patches for a platform Microsoft has already walked away from. The rest of the operating system — app compatibility, performance, non-security bugs — gets no attention whatsoever.
What It Costs
For consumers, the Year 1 ESU costs $30 USD (roughly £22 at time of publishing), covers a single Microsoft account across up to 10 devices, and expires October 2026. There’s also a route in via 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, or for free if you’re already syncing PC settings to your Microsoft account — though the latter is being rolled out gradually and isn’t guaranteed on every device.
That’s the consumer picture. For businesses, the structure is sharply different. Commercial ESU is priced per device through volume licensing — and it doubles every year by design:
| Period | Coverage | Cost per device (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Nov 2025 – Oct 2026 | $61 |
| Year 2 | Nov 2026 – Oct 2027 | $122 |
| Year 3 | Nov 2027 – Oct 2028 | $244 |
| Total (all 3 years, per device) | $427 | |
The doubling is intentional. Microsoft is pricing organisations off the platform, not supporting them on it. There’s also a cumulative catch: skip Year 1 and decide to enrol in Year 2, you pay for both. You cannot buy your way in from Year 2 alone.
The Maths Against Upgrading
Windows 11 Home is £34. One purchase. Full operating system. Security updates, feature updates, and Microsoft’s ongoing development — included, indefinitely, at no additional cost.
Against the consumer ESU at ~£22 for a single year of security-only patches on an abandoned platform, the upgrade pays for itself in under 18 months even if you never factor in the productivity and compatibility gains. For businesses running multiple machines, the numbers against commercial ESU are starker still — $427 per device over three years versus a one-time Windows 11 Pro licence.
Commercial ESU pricing in USD per device ($61 / $122 / $244). Windows 11 Pro shown as one-time purchase. Consumer ESU ($30 USD / ~£22) shown as flat single-year cost.
The chart assumes you stay on ESU for the full three years — the only scenario in which it makes any financial sense to run it at all. Most users and small businesses will hit Year 2 pricing and upgrade anyway. You’ve just paid $61 for a delay.
When ESU Does Make Sense
There are genuine use cases. They’re narrower than most people assume.
Legacy application dependency is the main one. If a business-critical application hasn’t been validated on Windows 11 and the vendor has no timeline for a compatible release, staying on Windows 10 with ESU buys time for that conversation. It’s not comfortable, but it’s defensible.
Hardware that won’t run Windows 11 is the other. Windows 11 requires TPM 2.0 and a compatible CPU — some machines from 2017 and earlier don’t qualify. ESU keeps those devices patched while a hardware refresh is planned and budgeted.
That’s largely it. If neither applies, ESU is a cost you’re incurring to avoid a decision. Windows 11 is a mature, stable platform now — the early adoption friction of 2021 is long gone. If you’re still running Windows 10 in 2026, the case for staying is weaker than it’s ever been.
Just Upgrade
Windows 11 Home covers the vast majority of home users, students, and individuals. Windows 11 Pro adds BitLocker encryption, Remote Desktop, and the Group Policy editor — relevant if you’re managing a small business machine, running a home lab, or need domain join capability. The full breakdown is in our Windows 11 Home vs Pro guide.
Windows 11 Home
- Full Windows 11 — not a security patch
- Ongoing security and feature updates included
- Works on any TPM 2.0 compatible PC
- Suitable for home, students, personal use
- Digital activation key — no disc, no wait
Windows 11 Pro
- Everything in Home, plus:
- BitLocker drive encryption
- Remote Desktop (host)
- Group Policy editor
- Correct choice for business machines
Frequently Asked Questions
For consumers, the Windows 10 ESU programme costs $30 USD (roughly £22 at the time of publishing) for Year 1, which runs until October 2026. It covers one Microsoft account across up to 10 personal devices. You can also enrol at no cost if you’re syncing PC settings to a Microsoft account, or by redeeming 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points. The consumer programme is Year 1 only — there is no Year 2 option for personal devices. Commercial pricing for businesses is higher, starting at $61 USD per device for Year 1 and doubling each subsequent year.
For most users, no. ESU provides security patches only — no features, no bug fixes, no technical support — for a platform Microsoft has ended development on. Windows 11 Home costs £34 as a one-time purchase and includes full ongoing support. Unless you have a specific dependency on Windows 10 (a legacy application that won’t run on Windows 11, or hardware that fails the TPM 2.0 requirement), upgrading is the more cost-effective and more secure path.
Microsoft’s free upgrade path from Windows 10 to Windows 11 — available since 2021 for eligible hardware — has ended. Purchasing a Windows 11 licence is now the standard route. At £34 for Home and £38 for Pro, it remains a straightforward one-time cost that covers the full operating system with all future updates included.
Your PC continues to work, but it receives no further security updates from Microsoft. Newly discovered vulnerabilities go unpatched, leaving the device increasingly exposed over time. Microsoft is clear that ESU is the only mechanism for continued security coverage after October 2025. Running an unpatched Windows 10 machine on an internet-connected network — particularly in a business context — is a security and compliance risk that grows with every month that passes.
Most PCs from 2018 onwards will meet the Windows 11 hardware requirements, which include a TPM 2.0 chip and a compatible 64-bit processor. The quickest way to check is via the PC Health Check tool from Microsoft. If your machine passes, upgrading is a straightforward process. If it doesn’t — typically older hardware without TPM 2.0 — ESU buys time for a hardware refresh rather than a long-term fix.
Gary Walsh is the Head of Tech Support at Software Supplies, with more than 20 years in the IT industry. Fully Microsoft-certified and experienced across the full business software stack — from Windows and Office to cloud infrastructure and device management — Gary delivers practical, no-nonsense advice that helps users and businesses get the most from their technology.
