- Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 get ESU for up to three years, for a cost
- For Windows 10, it will be $61/year, doubling every year
- Critical and important security updates keep you safe
Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 will be eligible for three years of Extended Security Updates (ESU), as the company battles continued slow adoption of its latest platform.
Windows 11 hasn’t really taken off – it launched in October 2021, but it didn’t approach Windows 10’s market share until mid-2025.
As of February 2026, Windows 10 still accounts for 36% of all Windows installations (via Statcounter), compared to Windows 11 at 62% – with Windows 7 in third place with just over 1% share.
Windows 10 users get a paid lifeline
Windows 10 reached End of Service (EOS) in October 2025, and most users now can’t get security updates, but fixes or technical support, not to mention new features.
The ESU program aims to bridge the operating system migration gap by giving businesses access to critical and important security updates, but that’s about it. Still no new features.
This isn’t the first time Microsoft has offered a paid lifeline to slow or reluctant upgraders, but while the price hasn’t been confirmed yet, we at least expect it to be expensive. Windows Server 2012 previously received an ESU program costing 100% of its licensing cost per year.
As for Windows 10, eligible customers will pay $61 per device for the first year, or $45 if managed with Intune or Windows Autopatch. The price then doubles each year.
“If you decide to enroll devices in the ESU program in the second year, you will also need to pay the first year’s costs because ESUs are cumulative,” Microsoft added. “The more complex your environment, the more lifecycle events you have to juggle – we know that!
While the company is offering “the gift of time,” it urges users to seriously start thinking about upgrading to Windows Server 2025, Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC 2024, and Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024.
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