Keeping your copy of Windows up-to-date with security fixes is critical, and for Windows 10 users it will soon be optional. Microsoft wants $30 to keep you secure.

Microsoft has announced plans to offer paid security updates for home users who choose to keep using Windows 10 beyond the official end of support date on

But Microsoft announced today that end users would only be able to buy a single year of extended security updates for their Windows 10 PCs at the price of $30 per PC. The company confirmed to us that the second and third years of security updates would be exclusive to businesses and schools.

Microsoft is officially ending mainstream support for Windows 10 in October, 2025. And the company really wants users to migrate to Windows 11 – either by updating the operating system on an existing PC or buy purchasing a new PC if their current computer doesn’t meet the minimum system requirements (and a lot of fairly recent models don’t ).

If you’re running Windows 10 and want to use it beyond the bitter end of support next fall, Microsoft has a deal for you: $30 for a year of updates. The software giant announced that, closer to the October 14, 2025 end of Windows 10’s official lifespan, it will begin selling access to its Extended Security Updates program.

Microsoft revealed today how much consumers still using Windows 10 will need to pay to receive one additional year of security updates after October 2025.

And so, whether it’s to grab a deal or to bolster the security of your home setup, it does look like 2025 could be the year to buy a new Windows PC.

Microsoft offers consumers an option to keep using Windows 10 with security updates after support expires: an Extended Security Updates subscription for $30 per year.

Microsoft is modernizing how its Windows Hello authentication, which includes facial and fingerprint recognition, works in Windows 11. The revamp to the Windows Hello experience is now in beta testing with Windows Insiders,