Businesses will pay $61 per device for the first year, but no details yet on costs for individual customers. Credit: Microsoft / Gerd Altmann Microsoft has announced prices for additional security updates after Windows 10 reaches end of support late next year. Businesses that continue to run Windows 10 on devices past the Oct. 14, 2025 deadline will have to pay a yearly fee for access to Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates (ESU) program or miss out on important security fixes. Access to the ESU costs $61 per device for the first year, Microsoft said in a blog post Tuesday; the access is available for a maximum of three years. The price will double annually after year one, Microsoft said, rising to $122 per device in the second year, and $244 in year three. Missing a year isn’t an option: those that join the program in year two will also pay for the first year, for example. Businesses that use one of Microsoft’s update management tools — namely Intune or Windows Autopatch — will receive a 25% discount on ESU licenses. This reduces the cost to $45 per device for the first year, for up to five devices. Customers in the education sector will pay significantly less: $1 per ESU license in the first year, $2 in second, and $4 in the third year, according to a post on Microsoft’s Education Blog. The prices announced this week are for business customers only. For the first time, Microsoft will also offer consumers the option to join the ESU program and receive security updates after Windows 10 support ends. However, prices for individual users were not immediately available; they will be shared “at a later date,” Microsoft said. Adoption of Windows 10 remains far ahead of its successor, Windows 11, according to StatCounter’s data. Windows 10 accounted for 67.6% of desktop Windows usage in the US, compared to 29.2% for Windows 11. Related content news analysis The EU has decided to open up iPadOS 'Our market investigation showed that despite not meeting the thresholds, iPadOS constitutes an important gateway on which many companies rely to reach their customers,' said the EU’s lead anti-competition regulator, Margrethe Vestige By Jonny Evans Apr 29, 2024 4 mins Apple Apple App Store iPad how-to A new Windows 11 backup and recovery paradigm? If used properly, new features built into Windows 11 offer safe, nearly complete backup, restore, repair, and recovery operations without third-party tools — but there are some caveats worth knowing. By Ed Tittel Apr 29, 2024 17 mins Windows 11 Backup and Recovery Windows feature Q&A: Georgia Tech dean details why the school needed a new AI supercomputer Georgia Tech partnered with Nvidia to roll out its first supercomputer so students can experiment with AI and machine learning to better prepare for a job market where those skills are now critical to success. By Lucas Mearian Apr 29, 2024 12 mins CPUs and Processors Education Industry Generative AI feature Windows 11 Insider Previews: What’s in the latest build? Get the latest info on new preview builds of Windows 11 as they roll out to Windows Insiders. Now updated for Build 22635.3566 for the Beta Channel, released on April 26, 2024. By Preston Gralla Apr 26, 2024 251 mins Small and Medium Business Microsoft Windows 11 Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe