ESU meter starts running in January, unless you're on the IoT edition
Microsoft has dropped a reminder that Windows 10 LTSC 2021 will wheeze its last breath soon, and enterprises need to plan for the event.While free support for most editions of Windows 10 ended last year, Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 is still receiving updates. That support will end on January 12, 2027, with a final security update.The good news is that administrators can keep the security updates flowing via the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program. The bad news is the price: $61 per device for Year 1, doubling in each subsequent year until the three-year program ends on January 8, 2030. ESU sales begin on September 1, 2026, and licenses are cumulative, so an organization joining in Year 2 must also pay for Year 1.
The ESU offer doesn't apply to Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC, which remains in support until January 13, 2032.
Organizations using a Microsoft cloud-based update service such as Intune or Autopatch can score a 25 percent discount, bringing the Year 1 price down to $45 per device. Everyone else pays full price through Volume Licensing or a Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider.Windows 10 has become the cockroach of IT over the last year. Free support for many versions ended in 2025, but despite Microsoft's attempts to stamp it out, it still accounts for just under 30 percent of the market, according to Statcounter's sample.
