Windows 11 adoption surges as Windows 10 update costs double

Five years after its launch, Windows 11 has surpassed Windows 10 in adoption, now holding 71.5% of Microsoft operating system users, according to Statcounter. Windows 10’s share has dropped to 27.77%, as the cost of Extended Security Updates (ESUs) for the older OS continues to rise.

The price of ESUs doubles every year, with businesses paying $61 per device in the first year, $122 in the second, and $244 in the third, totaling $427 per device. This steep increase is pushing users and organizations toward Windows 11, which offers free updates to consumers through Microsoft Rewards or cloud syncing, extended until 2027.

Despite the shift, some users and businesses remain on Windows 10 due to legacy software dependencies or restrictive environments. Microsoft has promoted Autopatch as a solution for organizations, though complaints about Windows 11’s search functionality and Copilot integration persist.

Microsoft’s 2015 claim that Windows 10 would be the 'last Windows ever' now seems like a marketing ploy, as the transition to Windows 11 appears inevitable for most users.