Is Windows 10 Via Extended Security Updates Feasible for a Business?

Windows 10 is rapidly reaching the end of its secure lifetime, with support scheduled to end on October 14, 2025. While this doesn’t mean that the OS will no longer be available to use, it does mean that it will no longer be able to be safely and securely used—a critically important distinction.

That is, however, unless you pay for the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates… but is this a feasible or maintainable strategy for businesses?

Spoiler alert: it is not. Let’s examine why.

What is the Extended Security Updates Program?

If, for whatever reason, you don’t want to upgrade your system to Windows 11, Microsoft is offering an alternative in the form of a subscription that enables a user to continue using the Windows 10 OS—albeit a limited version, but more on that later—past its original end-of-life date more securely as Microsoft will provide essential security updates.

Admittedly, this sounds pretty great… until you consider what you actually get from this subscription, and what Microsoft charges for the privilege.

The ESU Program is Extremely Limited (Especially for the Price)

Unfortunately, a computer that is enrolled in the Windows 10 ESU is ineligible to receive any new features, updates, or design changes that would come with Windows 11… and, as Microsoft states on their ESU page:

“General support won't be provided for Windows versions past the end of support date. Support will be available only to those organizations that purchase ESU for specific situations concerning the security updates. To get technical support, organizations must have an active support plan in place.”

Enrollment in the program is based on a yearly subscription with a few added twists:

• The Windows 10 ESU, purchased through the Microsoft Volume Licensing Program, will cost $61 per device for the first year.
• The program is only available in yearly increments and is cumulative. We’ll break down what this means in a moment.
• This price doubles each year.
• The ESU will only be an option for three years.

Windows 10 virtual machines in Windows 365 or Azure Virtual Desktop can take advantage of the program for no additional cost.

Why This Option Isn’t Great for Businesses

There are a few pieces of this plan that—while potentially reasonable for a private user in the short term—simply aren’t practical for a business to rely on. 

Let’s say that a business relies on 30 workstations each day, but only 15 of them meet the requirements of Windows 11. That means that the company either procures 15 new workstations simply to keep up with the requirements or puts off this inevitable outcome for a few years by signing up for the ESU.

Obviously, 15 new workstations will cost a pretty penny (especially considering the anticipated price hikes that computer hardware will be subject to in the coming months), but let’s crunch the numbers for a moment to see the alternative cost.

As per the aforementioned Microsoft page, each device will cost $61 dollars for the first year, doubling each year of the service. So, if you take advantage of the full three years of the ESU program, that’s $61 plus $122 plus $244, coming to a total of $427 per device. Multiply that by 15, and you’re signing up for $6,405 in costs.

These costs are also in addition to the price you’ll still need to pay at some point to replace the hardware and adopt Windows 11—if not Windows 12—by 2028, when the ESU program is scheduled to expire. So, tack that pretty penny we referenced before onto that $6,405 to understand the actual costs.

This also assumes that this option is even available, as a workstation will require version 22H2 of Windows 10 to be part of the program.

You’re Almost Certainly Better Off Acting as Proactively as Possible

We can help. Reach out to us to find out what we can do to help facilitate your business’ use of modern IT, including Windows 11. Give us a call at (972) 236-4690 to get started.