Free vs paid: making sense of Microsoft's Windows 10 ESU maze
Windows 10 ESU explained: free for home PCs until October 2027, but business PCs pay US$61 each for year one, doubling every year to 2028. Here's what to do.
Microsoft has quietly given home users free Windows 10 security updates out to 2027 — but business machines are on a different, paid clock. Here's the whole maze, mapped.
Windows 10 support officially ended on 14 October 2025, but "ended" turned out to have an asterisk. Extended Security Updates (ESU) keep patches flowing — on terms that differ wildly depending on whether a machine is personal or business. The result is genuinely confusing, and we keep meeting Melbourne businesses who think they are covered when they are not.
Windows 10 ESU explained: what is free and what is paid?
Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) are free for personal home PCs until 12 October 2027, but most business PCs need paid commercial ESU: US$61 per device for year one, doubling each year until the program ends in October 2028. Key IT's advice to Melbourne businesses is simple — treat any domain-joined or centrally managed work PC as being on the paid clock.
- Consumer ESU (free): personal home PCs only, enrolled through Windows Update.
- Commercial ESU (paid): business PCs, licensed per device, per year, for up to three years.
- Cloud-included ESU (no extra cost): Windows 10 virtual machines in Windows 365 or Azure Virtual Desktop.
Who gets the free Windows 10 ESU to 2027?
The free consumer ESU covers personal Windows 10 devices — and after a quiet extension by Microsoft, it now runs to 12 October 2027. Enrolment is built into Windows Update on eligible PCs running Windows 10 version 22H2: it is free if you sync your settings to a Microsoft account, or you can redeem Microsoft Rewards points or pay a one-off fee instead. It sounds generous, and for a home laptop it is.
The catch for business is in the fine print: consumer ESU is not available for devices joined to a company domain or managed through business tooling. The machines your staff actually work on are almost certainly excluded.
How much does Windows 10 ESU cost for a business?
Commercial Windows 10 extended security updates cost US$61 per device for year one, and Microsoft doubles the price every year — deliberately, to push migration. Year one ran to 13 October 2026; year two is roughly US$122 per device and year three roughly US$244, with coverage ending entirely in October 2028. ESU is also cumulative, so a device that joins late pays for the years it missed. Ten Windows 10 machines kept on ESU for all three years add up to roughly US$4,270 at list price — money that buys you nothing except time.
Is there any free Windows 10 ESU for business?
Only through Microsoft's cloud. ESU comes at no additional cost for Windows 10 virtual machines in Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop, and Windows 10 PCs that connect to Windows 365 Cloud PCs are covered for up to three years while the subscription is active. If a few staff depend on a legacy application, running it on a cloud desktop is worth pricing against three years of doubling ESU fees — and it gets that software off ageing hardware.
Which option should your business take?
For most Melbourne businesses the answer is: neither, for long. ESU buys patches, not features, performance or compatibility — and the money compounds. The sensible sequence is:
Audit the fleet.
Know exactly how many Windows 10 devices remain and which ones can take Windows 11.
Upgrade what qualifies.
Machines that meet the Windows 11 hardware bar should move now — the upgrade is free.
Replace what doesn't.
Hardware too old for Windows 11 is typically 6+ years old and due anyway. Our procurement team can plan a staged replacement so it lands as a schedule, not a shock.
Use ESU only as a bridge
for the handful of machines tied to legacy software, with a dated exit plan.
Frequently asked questions
Can we just enrol our work PCs in the free consumer ESU?
No. Devices joined to a business domain or managed by business tooling are excluded from the consumer program — they need paid ESU or an upgrade.
Is running Windows 10 without ESU really that risky?
Yes. Every month, patches are published for Windows 11 that map to flaws also present in Windows 10 — attackers reverse-engineer them and aim at the unpatched. An unpatched, internet-connected Windows 10 machine gets riskier every single month, and missing patches like these are exactly what vulnerability scanning is built to flag.
Will our line-of-business software run on Windows 11?
Almost everything that runs on Windows 10 runs on Windows 11, but "almost" is not a plan. We test your critical applications first, then migrate — that is part of any managed IT engagement with us.
What happens after October 2028?
ESU ends entirely — there is no year four. Any Windows 10 machine still running then is permanently unpatched, which is not a place any business should be.
If we buy ESU now, do we still pay for year one?
Yes. Microsoft's commercial ESU is cumulative: a business device enrolled in year two must also be licensed for year one. Enrolling during year two, which runs to October 2027, means paying for both years at once — roughly US$183 per device at list price.
Does ESU include support or new features?
No. ESU delivers critical and important security updates only — no new features, no non-security fixes on request and no general Microsoft technical support. Application glitches and driver problems on Windows 10 stay yours, or your IT provider's, to solve.
What does a PC need to receive ESU?
It must be running Windows 10 version 22H2, the final release, with the latest updates installed. Machines still on an older version such as 21H2 have to move to 22H2 first — one more thing a fleet audit should check before anyone buys licences.
Where to start
Read the companion piece on the October 2026 deadline if you are already on paid ESU, or talk to us about a fleet audit — it takes days, not weeks, and turns the maze into a dated plan.
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