Windows 11 had a rocky begin, but it surely’s been getting higher recently — good enough that PCWorld’s March Hachman can finally bear it, in truth. But there are nonetheless loads of good causes to remain on Windows 10 for those who’re comfy with it. Unfortunately, safety isn’t certainly one of them. The OS will cease getting up to date in 2025…until you pay for prolonged safety updates. And pay rather a lot.

Late final yr we realized Microsoft will offer paid security updates previous the top of full help on October 14th, 2025. But the corporate didn’t point out any costs. Now it has, and also you would possibly need to brace your self. For customers and companies who need Extended Security Updates (ESU) on Windows 10, they’ll must buy a license much like a typical Windows key, which can then unlock the updates.

The worth: $61. A yr. And that’s just for the primary yr. “The price will double every consecutive year, for a maximum of three years,” says Microsoft’s information post. That would make yr two (beginning in October 2026) $122, and yr three (October 2027) a whopping $244.

What’s extra, you possibly can’t simply hop on the prepare later to avoid wasting dough. If you determine to enroll within the ESU program after October 2026 you’ll be charged for the primary yr, enroll after October 2027 you’ll be charged for the primary and second yr. Whenever you get the replace, you’ll be paying a complete of $427 for safety help by means of the top of this system. Ouch.

Licenses might be redeemed on-line in a browser, by means of Windows 365, or with an old school 25-digit code. Businesses can get a 25 p.c low cost in the event that they purchase quantity ESU licenses by means of the Windows Autopatch system, bringing the per-PC worth right down to $45 for yr one. But it’s nonetheless an costly proposition, particularly if you wish to hold a community of tons of of PCs ticking over properly.

Needless to say, Windows 11 customers will proceed to obtain free safety updates together with the common upkeep and have patches they’re used to. And Microsoft is actually hoping you’ll improve for those who haven’t already. Though previous patch versions of Windows 11 have gone out of help, there’s no end-of-life date set for the OS as of but. Windows 12 (or no matter Microsoft calls it) continues to be on the horizon.