By Milcah Tanimu
Rumors about “Windows 12” adopting a subscription-based model have been circulating recently. However, it’s important to clarify that these rumors are likely tied to the “IoT Enterprise Subscription” edition of Windows 11 and not the client version of the upcoming Windows.
It’s not entirely improbable that the next version of Windows might introduce new capabilities that are subscription-based, particularly in the context of deeper integration with Windows 365, a service that already charges a monthly fee to access Windows 11 in the cloud.
Microsoft appears to be focusing on hybrid computing experiences in the next Windows iterations. These experiences could allow users to install apps locally or in the cloud, which can then be streamed to any PC where they log in with their Microsoft account. This approach will be important for Microsoft’s Chrome OS competitor, which is expected to rely on Windows 365 for app support.
While some of these hybrid experiences might indeed require a subscription, it’s highly unlikely that the entire operating system will move to a subscription model. Charging a monthly fee for the core OS would likely alienate a significant portion of the user base, making it an unfeasible business model.
Comparatively, Apple doesn’t charge for macOS or iPadOS, and Google offers Chrome OS and Android for free. Microsoft would stand out as an outlier if it attempted to impose a monthly fee for the entire Windows OS. Therefore, it’s safe to assume that the core OS, used on personal PCs, will remain free.
However, there could be certain features or services within the OS that require a subscription to access. Nevertheless, users who are uninterested in these additional features will likely continue to use the next version of Windows on their personal computers without any mandatory monthly fees.
