When is Windows 10 end of life? How to extend support

Windows 10 end of support: What IT teams should know

The official end of service -- also known as end of life -- for the Windows 10 operating system is October 14, 2025.

If an IT department manages devices that will not migrate to Windows 11 by the end of service (EOS) date, it should look into the extended support update (ESU) service to provide security updates after the EOS date. Organizations that have not finalized their Windows 10 migration strategy must evaluate whether to upgrade to Windows 11, extend support through ESU or retire unsupported devices.

To complicate things further, the increased hardware requirements of Windows 11 may prevent some laptops and desktops from even running the system. So, organizations may have to choose between retiring devices early and purchasing ESU licenses for the devices until they are due for replacement.

Because of hardware compatibility limitations, many enterprises are tying Windows 10 end-of-support planning to broader PC refresh and endpoint lifecycle management strategies to control cost, risk and operational disruption. In many cases, ESU is used as a short-term risk mitigation tool while organizations phase hardware refresh cycles and Windows 11 migration over multiple budget periods. 

What do organizations get with an ESU subscription?

IT managers and staff must understand what the ESU subscription is, how it is obtained and installed, and what it includes and does not include.

To begin, it is available for all editions of Windows 10. However, there are some prerequisites to get ESU. Organizations must meet Microsoft licensing and update prerequisites on supported Windows 10 versions, and eligibility can vary based on licensing channel and management model. Devices must run Windows 10 v22H2 or later, and ESU planning typically begins well in advance of the EOS date due to licensing, budgeting and deployment requirements.

The ESU will not provide business-as-usual update support that is present during Microsoft's support lifecycle. It does, however, include the following:

• Security updates.  
• Subscription service access.  
• Three years of support maximum.

The pricing can vary significantly from environment to environment, so IT administrators should be sure to budget out the cost of maintaining Windows desktops via ESU.

What is not included with ESU are new features, customer requested non-security updates and design change requests. This supports Microsoft's goal of making ESU a temporary fix and providing only necessary security updates to keep the devices safe and technically functional.

Pricing options for Windows 10 ESU

There are several pricing options for the ESU program that organizations should consider. It will benefit the organization to move to Windows 11 as soon as possible on as many devices as possible to reduce this additional cost for ESU subscriptions. It is generally more economical for organizations to migrate eligible devices to Windows 11 rather than rely on ESU as a long-term support strategy.

Baseline ESU pricing guidance has been published, though actual costs can vary based on licensing agreements, device volume and deployment model. Early guidance indicated starting ESU costs of about $61 per device for the first year, and organizations should confirm current pricing with Microsoft or their licensing provider because ESU terms and costs may evolve over time.

ESU pricing is also structured to increase each year of the program, reinforcing that it is intended as a temporary bridge rather than a long-term support strategy.

Published guidance and licensing documentation outline several ESU pricing structures and tiers, though availability and exact costs vary by agreement and region.

• ESU eligibility may be included with Windows 365 and certain cloud-managed environments, depending on licensing and deployment configuration.
• There are no minimum purchase requirements for Windows 10 ESU.
• Purchase is available in 12-month periods only. For example, a six-month license is not available.
• ESU enrollment timelines follow Microsoft lifecycle and licensing policies, so organizations should verify current eligibility and enrollment deadlines with Microsoft or their licensing provider.
• Early ESU guidance referenced discounted cloud-based activation pricing of around $45 per user for up to five devices in year one, though organizations should confirm current pricing with Microsoft.
• ESU pricing for Microsoft Education customers has historically included tiered rates such as:

• $1 per license for year one.

• $2 per license for year two.

• $4 per license for year three.

Organizations can't skip out on ESU for year one and then rejoin the program for year two -- so executives and IT leaders will need to decide early and adjust their device management strategy accordingly.

3 ways to set up ESU for Windows 10

Organizations will need to select their approach for receiving ESU on their desktops depending on how those desktops are managed.

1. The 5-by-5 activation method

Purchase activation keys that IT can apply to individual Windows 10 devices. Management options for this method include scripting, the Volume Activation Management Tool and Windows Server Update Services with Configuration Manager.

2. Windows 365 subscription

Windows 365 subscriptions currently include free access to the ESU program for all linked accounts. All Windows 365 deployments can run Windows 10 as long as ESU is still active.

3. Cloud-based activation via Intune or Windows Autopatch

IT administrators can apply ESU cloud activation licenses to Windows 10 devices for one year at this time. Note that no 5-by-5 key is necessary. Admins can manage them via Intune and Autopatch. No manual intervention is required with Autopatch, and a discounted price is available for this option.

Editor's note: This article was updated in 2026 to reflect current Windows 10 end-of-support timelines, ESU considerations and enterprise endpoint lifecycle planning.

Gary Olsen has worked in the IT industry since 1983 and holds a Master of Science in computer-aided manufacturing from Brigham Young University. He was on Microsoft's Windows 2000 beta support team for Active Directory from 1998 to 2000 and has written two books on Active Directory and numerous technical articles for magazines and websites.