Official support for Windows 10 was supposed to end in October 2025, but Microsoft shifted plans and continued to provide security updates for another year via the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program. It’s free for private users and protects against malware and other security threats until at least October 2026. Businesses, on the other hand, can keep getting security updates for a fee for three years.
In a recent Windows IT Pro blog post, Microsoft said that it will extend the ESU program to include additional Windows versions. This means that other operating systems that are approaching the end of their support will receive updates for longer than originally planned.
Which additional Windows versions? Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 2016, Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2016 LTSB, and Windows Server 2016.
The lifecycles of the first two were supposed to end on October 13th, 2026, but will now receive updates for three years longer. As for Windows Server 2016, it was scheduled to end support in January 2027 but will also receive support for another three years.
Participation in the ESU program is voluntary and subject to a fee, as these are primarily versions for businesses. As with the extended security updates for Windows 10 22H2, continued use for business customers is associated with increased costs year over year.
In the first year, it will cost $61 per device. Afterwards, it will double in price every subsequent year: $122 for the second year and $244 for the third year. However, corporations will receive a discount if their devices are managed via Microsoft’s own cloud solutions (Intune or Autopatch). In this case, the first year costs only $45.
The offer is aimed explicitly at companies and servers that are unable to upgrade to a newer version immediately. These upgrades are often costly, complex, and time-consuming to make. In addition, certain systems that run on Windows must remain stable and reliable—outages due to sudden updates are often not an option.
Microsoft emphasizes that the ESU program is not a long-term solution, even for businesses. Although the three-year grace period is useful for continuing to receive security updates, the extended security updates do not include new features.
Microsoft therefore recommends switching to the latest versions (either Windows 11 25H2, Windows Server 2025, or Windows Enterprise LTSC 2024) as soon as possible.
Depending on the size of a company, the ongoing license costs for the ESU program may well be more expensive than a complete switch to a newer version. For companies that continue into the second year of the ESU, they’ll have to pay $122 per device.
Author: Laura Pippig
Source: PCWorld
Reviewed By: Editorial Team
