Windows 11 adoption surges as Windows 10 support costs escalate

Windows 11 market share has reached 71.5% as of September 2026, driven largely by the rising costs of Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 10. While the initial ESU program cost $61 per device in 2025, prices have doubled to $122 this year and are scheduled to double again for the final year, totaling $427 per machine over three years. This financial burden is forcing many organizations to prioritize upgrades to Windows 11. However, the transition remains complex for some, as legacy hardware limitations prevent many devices from supporting the newer OS. Drawing parallels to the Windows 7 lifecycle, analysts expect Windows 10 to maintain a residual market share until at least October 2028, as some users remain tethered to older systems due to technical constraints rather than a lack of willingness to migrate.