Windows 10: 13 October 2026 is your real deadline

The date everyone knows is 14 October 2025: that is when Microsoft stopped shipping regular security updates for Windows 10. The date that actually starts costing money is far less prominent: 13 October 2026. That is when the first year of the Extended Security Updates programme ends, and the rate doubles.

If you still run Windows 10 machines — and in the SMB segment that is more common than people admit — this is the moment to decide. Not in September, because by then every route that takes time will already be closed off.

What ESU is and is not

Extended Security Updates is a bridging programme. You pay per device to keep receiving security updates, for a maximum of three years. What you do *not* get:

• No new features
• No bug fixes outside of security
• No Microsoft technical support on the operating system itself

So it is not an extension of support, but a patch that lets you plan your migration. Microsoft is clear about this itself: ESU is a migration aid.

The pricing trap: the rate doubles, and it is cumulative

This is the part that catches organisations out. The commercial ESU rate per device doubles every year:

Running the full three years therefore costs $427 per device. But the real sting is the cumulative licensing structure: if you only enrol in year 2, you still have to purchase year 1. Waiting until after 13 October 2026 therefore means $61 + $122 = $183 per device — for protection you did not even use in the first year.

Translate that to an average SMB office with 25 lagging workstations: enrolling before 13 October costs roughly $1,525. Enrolling afterwards costs over $4,500 for the same coverage. "We will decide after the summer" is literally the most expensive option in this file.

Four routes — which one fits you?

Route 1: simply upgrade to Windows 11

The cleanest solution, and for modern hardware often just a matter of rolling it out. The blocker is usually the hardware requirements: TPM 2.0 and a supported processor. Start by inventorying how many machines can handle it at all — that outcome determines the rest of your plan.

Route 2: replace hardware

Devices that do not meet the requirements are usually due for replacement anyway. Do not just count the purchase price, but also what you save on ESU, incidents and administration hours. A six-year-old PC costs you more in lost time than it returns in depreciation.

Route 3: ESU as a deliberate bridge

If you run specialist software that is not (yet) Windows 11-ready, ESU is a legitimate choice — but with an end date in the calendar and the software vendor on the phone. ESU as policy is fine; ESU as procrastination is expensive.

Route 4: move the workspace to the cloud

The route where the problem disappears instead of shifting. With an online workspace the desktop runs in our data centre and the device on your desk becomes largely irrelevant: an older laptop is then a window, not a workstation. The operating system your software runs on is managed by us — updates included.

If you work with Windows 365 Cloud PC or Azure Virtual Desktop, there is one more detail many organisations miss. Windows 10 machines in those services are automatically entitled to ESU, without a separate licence and without activation. Better still: with an active Windows 365 subscription that entitlement also covers the local Windows 10 device you use to sign in to your Cloud PC — for up to three years.

That is a calculation many SMBs have not yet made. For anyone already considering a cloud workspace, the ESU line disappears from the business case entirely: you pay for a workspace you wanted anyway, and the security updates for your older devices come with it.

The inventory to run this week

Before deciding anything, you want to know three numbers. This takes half a day:

1. How many Windows 10 devices do you still have? Including the forgotten PC in the workshop, the point-of-sale PC and the laptop in accounts.
2. How many of those can move to Windows 11? Check TPM 2.0 and processor support.
3. Which software is holding you back? Almost always it is one specific application that determines the whole plan.

With those three numbers the choice is usually made within ten minutes — and otherwise we work it out together.

Why this is more than a licensing question

A workstation without security updates is not only a risk to yourself. Under the Dutch Cybersecurity Act and in the supplier requirements of larger clients, "we still run an unsupported operating system" is an answer that fails the test. Your insurer increasingly asks the same question. The fine is not the problem; the contract you lose is.

Shall we work it out together?

We map out free of charge how many Windows 10 devices you still have, what ESU would cost you and what the alternatives are — including for non-customers. Take the free IT check or book a consultation. Already know you want a cloud workspace? Request a quote directly.

*The ESU rates mentioned are the published commercial list prices per device per year, excluding VAT and in US dollars as Microsoft quotes them. The cumulative rule — enrolling later means purchasing prior years anyway — applies to the entire programme.*