Windows 11 lifecycle for Home and Pro

Windows 11 (similar to other versions of the operating system) has a lifecycle for each release (feature update), which starts when a new version becomes officially available and ends according to the version and edition policy applied by Microsoft.

Usually, the software giant provides a lifecycle of at least 18 months for each release of the Home and Pro editions of Windows 11. On the other hand, the Enterprise and Education editions typically receive at least 36 months of support.

The lifecycle refers to the period of time during which a specific version of the operating system will receive security and maintenance updates as well as new features. Also, as long as you use the current version with a genuine license during the lifecycle, you can contact technical support.

Lifecycle for consumers

The following information applies to Windows 11 Home, Pro, Pro Education, Pro for Workstations, and SE.

Lifecycle for businesses

The following information applies to Windows 11 Education, Enterprise, Enterprise multi-session, and Windows 11 IoT Enterprise.

Typically, you want to upgrade to the latest version before the device’s feature update reaches its end of service. Although this is a manual process, if you don’t upgrade ahead of time, eventually, your computer will try to upgrade manually to prevent going out of support. This happens as the version installed on your computer nears the end of service.

The lifecycle is different if you use the Windows 11 Long Term Servicing Branch (LTSB) editions. Windows 11 LTSB is the best edition if you’re not into feature updates. This edition is supported for up to 10 years, there’s no bloatware, and they don’t get feature updates.

Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC 2024 was released on October 1, 2024, and it’ll be supported until October 1, 2034.

However, Windows 11 LTSB is only available for Volume License customers or with an MSDN subscription, and this variant is usually designed for environments that require long-term stability and predictability, with a focus on security and reliability rather than frequent feature updates—for example, medical equipment, industrial control systems, and point-of-sale terminals.

Windows 10 has a slightly different lifecycle, but Microsoft plans to retire the operating system completely on October 14, 2025.