In this guide · 7 sections
Short answer
Commercial ESU costs US$61 per device for Year 1, and the price doubles each year (US$122 for Year 2, which runs to 12 October 2027). You must also pay for any year you skipped. Upgrading eligible PCs to Windows 11 is usually cheaper than a second year of ESU.
Windows 10 ESU dates and prices for businesses
Microsoft's Windows 10 ESU page for organisations states that ESU for businesses is bought through Microsoft volume licensing at US$61 per device for Year 1, and that the price doubles every consecutive year for a maximum of three years. ESU must be bought by the year, with a minimum of one licence. The ESU lifecycle FAQ lists the coverage dates.
| ESU year | Coverage ends | Price per device (commercial) |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 13 October 2026 | US$61 |
| Year 2 | 12 October 2027 | US$122 (double Year 1) |
| Year 3 | 10 October 2028 | US$244 (double Year 2) |
The catch for latecomers: ESU is cumulative. Microsoft says that if you buy in Year 2, you also have to pay for Year 1. A business joining now pays roughly US$183 per PC to be covered until October 2027, and the bill nearly triples again for Year 3.
Consumer ESU vs commercial ESU: what changed
Microsoft runs two separate programmes. The consumer ESU page now says consumer enrolment is open until the programme ends on 12 October 2027, and existing enrolments continue automatically. Consumers can enrol at no cost by syncing PC settings, by redeeming 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, or with a one-time US$30 purchase that covers up to 10 devices.
That sounds like a bargain for a small office, but Microsoft is explicit that the consumer programme cannot be used in commercial scenarios. Enrolment is not offered on devices joined to Active Directory or Microsoft Entra ID, devices enrolled in a mobile device management tool, or kiosks.
Commercial ESU
For company PCsUS$61 Y1, US$122 Y2
- Bought through volume licensing or a Microsoft partner
- Activated with a key on each PC
- Works on domain-joined and managed PCs
- Up to three years, to October 2028
Best for: Business PCs that genuinely cannot be upgraded yet.
Consumer ESU
Home useFree to US$30
- Tied to a personal Microsoft account
- Not offered on Entra-joined or MDM-managed PCs
- Microsoft says not for commercial scenarios
- Ends 12 October 2027
Best for: Personal and home PCs only.
If you run Windows 10 virtual desktops in Windows 365 or Azure Virtual Desktop, Microsoft includes ESU at no extra cost for those virtual machines.
Can your PCs run Windows 11? Check the hardware
Windows 11 is a free upgrade for eligible Windows 10 PCs. Eligibility depends on the hardware. Microsoft's Windows 11 specifications page lists these minimums:
| Requirement | Minimum for Windows 11 |
|---|---|
| Processor | 1 GHz or faster, 2+ cores, on the compatible 64-bit processor list |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Storage | 64 GB or larger |
| Firmware | UEFI, Secure Boot capable |
| TPM | Trusted Platform Module version 2.0 |
| Graphics | DirectX 12 compatible with WDDM 2.0 driver |
Older PCs most often fail on the processor list or the TPM 2.0 requirement. Open Settings, Windows Update on each PC: an eligible machine shows the Windows 11 upgrade offer. The PC Health Check app gives the reason when a PC fails. Note that 4 GB of RAM is the bare minimum; office PCs running Outlook, Teams and a browser are noticeably slow below 8 GB.
A Windows 11 upgrade plan for a small office
A small business can usually finish this in two to four weeks.
List every Windows PC and laptop
Record the user, Windows version, model, age and whether it passes the Windows 11 check. Include reception PCs and machines that run one old program.
Upgrade the eligible PCs first
Back up, then upgrade through Windows Update. Do one PC first and check the business apps, printers and scanners still work.
Replace the ones that fail
Budget for new PCs that meet the Windows 11 minimums with at least 8 GB RAM and an SSD. Old hardware past five years is rarely worth patching.
Buy ESU only for PCs you cannot move yet
For a PC tied to a machine controller or old software, buy commercial ESU (Years 1 and 2) through a partner and plan its replacement before October 2027.
Isolate anything left unpatched
A Windows 10 PC without ESU should not browse the web or read email. Move it to its own network segment or take it offline.
Turn on management and protection
Enrol the new Windows 11 PCs in Intune or your MDM, turn on BitLocker and endpoint protection, and record the result in your asset list.
Office 2021 also lost support on 13 October 2026, so many PCs need both upgrades. Our Office 2021 end of support guide explains the options; do both on the same visit so each user is disturbed once.
Why unsupported Windows is a real business risk
Without ESU, a Windows 10 PC has received no security fixes since October 2025. Every new Windows flaw published since then stays open. Browsers and antivirus can lower the risk, but they cannot patch the operating system itself.
Unsupported software also matters for certification. CSA's Cyber Essentials mark expects you to keep an asset inventory and remove or replace unsupported software. Our Cyber Essentials checklist explains how assessors look at this.
Do it yourself or get help?
A two- or three-PC office can upgrade through Windows Update in an afternoon, provided backups are done first. It gets harder with ten or more PCs, line-of-business software, or when you also want the new PCs encrypted, managed and protected from day one.
Windows 10 exit checklist
Our Device Encryption and Management package (S$490) enrols your PCs in management, turns on encryption and keeps an up-to-date inventory. The Antivirus and Endpoint Protection Rollout (S$390) covers up to 10 devices. If you are deciding whether Intune and Defender are worth paying for, read whether Business Premium is worth it.
Frequently asked questions
Microsoft prices commercial ESU at US$61 per device for Year 1 and doubles the price each following year, so Year 2 is US$122 per device. Year 2 covers updates until 12 October 2027. Because ESU is cumulative, a business buying now must also pay for Year 1. Prices are before GST and are sold through volume licensing or Microsoft partners.
Microsoft says the consumer ESU programme cannot be used in commercial scenarios. It is not offered on PCs joined to Active Directory or Microsoft Entra ID, PCs enrolled in mobile device management, or kiosks. For company PCs, the supported route is commercial ESU or upgrading to Windows 11.
No. Microsoft confirms Windows 10 PCs keep working. What stops is technical support, feature updates and quality updates, including security fixes. An unpatched Windows 10 PC becomes steadily easier to attack, especially when used for email and web browsing, so treat it as a short-term exception.
For eligible Windows 10 PCs, yes. The upgrade is offered through Windows Update when the PC meets Microsoft's minimum requirements, including TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage and a processor on Microsoft's compatible list. PCs that fail these checks need replacing or ESU.
Up to three years after end of support. Microsoft's lifecycle FAQ lists ESU Year 3 ending on 10 October 2028, after which no further Windows 10 security updates are offered. With the price doubling every year, most small businesses are better off using ESU only for the few PCs that genuinely cannot be replaced yet.