Windows 11 gains ground as price hike looms for Windows 10 security updates
According to new figures from Statcounter , Windows 11 continues to gain users at the expense of Windows 10. The newer operating system is now estimated to account for 71.5% of all Windows computers globally, while Windows 10 has dropped to 27.8%, reports The Register . Microsoft itself does not publish any user figures. Statcounter’s estimates are based on tracking code installed on websites…
Recent statistics from Statcounter indicate that Windows 11 is rapidly gaining popularity over Windows 10. Now, Windows 11 holds 71.5% of the global Windows market, while Windows 10 trails behind at 27.8%, reports The Register. Microsoft refrains from releasing user data; instead, Statcounter utilizes tracking codes to gather global web-based information.
The breakdown of these figures does not differentiate between consumer and business applications. A significant migration to Windows 11 took place when mainstream support for Windows 10 ended on October 14, 2025. A month prior to this transition, approximately half of all PCs were still operating on Windows 10, as per Dell and HP executives.
Since then, both businesses and individual users have been able to continue receiving security updates through Microsoft's Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) program. Consumers can register for the program at no cost. However, Microsoft extended the consumer ESU program by an additional year, allowing users to receive updates until October 12, 2027.
On the other hand, business customers are required to pay for participation in the Windows 10 ESU program. The initial year of updates came with a price tag of $61 per device. As the second year began, the cost doubled to $122 per computer. The price is set to double once more, reaching $244 per device, for the third and final year. These escalating prices are anticipated to further expedite the shift towards Windows 11.
Written by urgent.news from Computerworld's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
