In our analysis of how to get Windows 10 for free (or almost free), we came to the conclusion that there are some different ways to get it, including free options. However, there are some caveats; you can get a genuine license, save money on Windows 10, and activate it for security updates and a free Windows 11 upgrade (as long as you meet the requirements) for a fraction of the MRSP.

Does Windows 10 Have to Be So Expensive? (Spoiler: No)

If you’re in the market for a brand new Windows 10 key, you might have already been to the official Microsoft Store. If you haven’t, long story short: it can be quite expensive to buy a Windows 10 activation key from their store.

However, the Microsoft Store is not your only option, as you can see by just querying Google about how to get a cheap copy of Windows 10. The downside, alas, is that the number of search results can be overwhelming, furthermore, you must pay particular attention to the vendors on marketplaces such as eBay or Amazon, and third-party sellers: sometimes they offer dirt-cheap prices for dubious keys that may happen to be stolen, forged, or cloned.

The gray market is the place where these transactions happen, where licenses and keys might even be purchased with stolen credit cards or crypto-wallets. In addition, many vendors do not offer enough guarantees in case of issues, to the point that refunds might be denied and other unpleasant situations might arise (your key might be withdrawn by the software owner and you might lose both your license and your money).

Here’s how to maximize your Microsoft Windows purchase experience.

How to Save Money on Windows 10

If you want to save money on Windows 10, there is a great—and legit—option out there: Mr Key Shop, one of the best and most reputable Windows 10 resellers in the market. As they have served over 350k customers worldwide for almost two decades, Mr Key Shop built for itself a strong reputation of professionalism and premium service, as witnessed by their average Excellent rating on TrustPilot, a third-party feedback website where people can rate products, services, and websites.

As a third-party reseller, Mr Key Shop’s catalog encompasses the best Microsoft Operating Systems, Office suites, Antivirus Brands, and business tools in the likes of Microsoft Windows Server, Windows Storage Server, and SQL Server. Here, you can save up to 70% over the MSRP, and buy 100% legit keys only, with secure SSL-encrypted payment methods (PayPal, Stripe, Credit/Debit Card, and more), with a full money-back warranty, and one of the best Technical Support teams ever.

Since the very first day of business, Mr Key Shop has chosen not to ship any physical goods and be compliant with a strict eco-friendly business model. 18 years ago, digital delivery outside the gaming ecosystem, was still a gamble, however, Mr Key Shop went all-in and its customers proved it right.

If you want to save the environment, save money, and get one of the best customer experiences ever, go to Mr Key Shop and buy Windows 10 for a low price, then upgrade to Windows 11 for free! With the spare money, you could buy Microsoft Office 2021, the latest productivity suite, and complete your software collection.

If you’re interested in Microsoft Office, we also covered a couple of interesting topics in our articles: How to Buy and Download Office for Mac Without an Office 365 Subscription, Buy Microsoft Office With the Best Discount: Here’s How, and Could You Use a Free Microsoft Office Download? Here's How to Get One.

That said, here are your options to buy Windows 10 at the best price.

How to Get Windows 10 for Free

If you want to know how to get Windows 10 for free, there are a couple of things you should factor in. Let’s start by saying that you can actually get Windows 10 for free and use it without a license.

You can grab your official Windows 10 ISO from Microsoft by following the guidance in our article: How to Download Windows 10 for Free: Your Step-by-Step Guide, and then install it without completing the activation procedure.

That said, there are downsides to consider: the first and foremost is that you won’t get any security updates from Microsoft, and won’t get any official assistance in case of issues. This is particularly concerning, because any non-addressed vulnerability may expose your system to online threats and exploits, like ransomware attacks, that can be devastating.

Furthermore, you’ll have an unpleasant watermark on your desktop, saying that your copy of Windows is not activated (and therefore not legit). Although it can be a minor annoyance, if you’re planning to record videos for YouTube or stream from your machine, it will look unprofessional.

Finally, you won’t be able to access personalization settings: no custom wallpapers, or slideshow backgrounds, and you can’t even change the color schemes. A real downside, especially if you care about these aspects.

How to Get Windows 10 at a Cheap Price

If you cannot accept the downsides of having a non-activated copy of Windows, here’s how to get Windows 10, cheaply.

As we mentioned earlier, your best option to get a Windows 10 key for cheap is Mr Key Shop: you’ll have 100% legit and guaranteed activation key, full access to an official ISO download link (safe and verified), some handy guidance to proceed with the download, installation, and activation of your new Windows system, and a full money-back warranty.

Mr Key Shop is also a Microsoft license reseller, this means that you can stay assured meaning you’ll always find cheap legal Windows 10 keys there, as well as many other products. In fact, they also work with trending overstock Microsoft Office licenses, going across the refurbished market, a practice that’s 100% legit and acknowledged by lawmakers across the world.

Just a couple of examples: right now you can buy Windows 10 Pro for $49.90 instead of $149.99 or you can purchase Windows 10 Home for $44.99 instead of $104.99.

Get Windows 10 at the Best Price With a Free Upgrade

There is a way to get the best price on Windows 10 by leveraging the free upgrade from older versions. It’s still possible to upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7 and 8.1, even if Microsoft said this program is over.

All you need is an activated instance of Windows 7 or 8 and the Media Creation Tool you can find on Microsoft’s Windows 10 official download page. The process is easy and straightforward.

If you want to spare even more cash, you can go to Mr Key Shop and get a license for Windows 7 or 8, costing even less than Windows 10.

Complete your purchase and follow the instructions attached to your order email to get things done in a couple of minutes. Once you have your activated Windows 10 instance, you can check your specs with PC Health Check and eventually proceed with your Windows 11 upgrade.

We covered how to benefit from this in our guide: Buy Windows 10 and Upgrade to Windows 11 for Free.

Another Method to Get a Free Windows 10 License

There’s another way to get a free Windows 10 license: if you have an older PC, maybe an obsolete laptop you’re not going to use anymore, or your previous desktop PC, you might be able to recover the license.

As long as your older machines were regularly activated, you can deactivate your licenses and reactivate them on a newer system. In case of issues, you’ll have to phone Microsoft and proceed with the automated registration process to activate your older licenses.

If you’re lucky enough to have an older legit license and if you manage to complete the automated telephone activation procedure, you might get your brand new Windows 10 license without shelling a dime!

Bonus – How to Get Windows Education for Free

Maybe you didn’t know how to get Windows Education for free, or perhaps you didn’t know that you can do it at all. If you’re a student, you should check with your university/college whether the tuition system includes a free license of Windows Education Edition or not.

Windows Education is a free version of Windows that’s not too different from other commercial versions and is often given to students for free. Some schools/universities also offer a license for Microsoft Office, therefore, if you’re eligible, you should apply for them as soon as you can. The best part is that licenses of this type never expire, even after you graduate. It’s really worth a try!

Takeaway

Windows 10 is a popular operating system that will be around until October 2025 before it reaches end of life. If you’re interested in getting your cheap Windows 10 key, we’ve just shared all the best methods you can follow to get Windows at the lowest price possible.

You may be tempted to go and try some shady tools to get a license without spending any money, however, we really want to discourage you from doing that. Firstly, it’s illegal, secondly, you may risk exposure to online threats like malware, ransomware, and other malicious tools that can damage you in a way that can be more expensive than one of the options we defined above.

Piracy is not an option, furthermore, legit and honest businesses like Mr Key Shop (your go-to Windows License reseller) deserve all our support, especially in times of uncertainty like these.