Windows 11 Adoption Rises as Windows 10 Support Costs Grow

Windows 11 now accounts for 71.5% of Windows installations, according to the latest Statcounter figures cited by TechRadar. The figures cover September 2026, as more users move from Windows 10.

The increase follows a relatively flat year for Windows 11 adoption and comes after Windows 10 support ended in October 2025. TechRadar reports that rising prices for Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates (ESU) are also prompting companies to leave Windows 10. In 2025, organizations could pay $61 per device for ESU. The price is set to double to $122 per device this year, then double again to $244 in the third and final year. TechRadar gives the three-year per-device total as $427.

Some organizations may still be unable to upgrade: specialist hardware and older, unsupported devices can block the move to Windows 11. TechRadar expects Windows 10 to remain in use on some devices for a considerable time.

The article compares this with Windows 7. After support ended in 2020, Windows 7 still had 24.9% of installations. By the end of its third ESU year, its share had fallen to 9.6%; two months later, it was 3.7%. TechRadar says Windows 10 could remain on devices until at least October 2028.