I think we’ve all thought ‘Do I Have to Pay for Windows?’ when planning out a new computer build. The cost has barely changed in the past decade, and the operating system is spying on your more than ever.
So if you want to know how to not pay full price for Windows, read on and you might find a good workaround for you.
You can also read this on Medium.com!
Disclaimer
First of all, I would avoid some of the methods in the article completely. Such as purchasing licenses from third party sites like G2A. These licenses are often counterfeit, purchased using ill-gotten-gains or not fit for purpose.
I would also say that pirating Windows, or any other software for that matter shouldn’t be done. This is not legal advice, just common sense!

So to avoid paying full price for Windows, maybe stick with the workarounds that sound more plausible to you. Alternatively, you could use Linux based operating systems that offer a similar experience to Windows, such as PopOS or ZorinOS.
Do I Have to Pay for Windows?
No, it’s as simple as that. You can download, install and use Windows indefinitely without having to pay a penny. I’ll cover this method later on.
Direct from Windows
Let’s start direct at the source first, and check with Microsoft has any special offers on purchasing a license directly from them.
The typical cost for Windows directly from Microsoft hovers just over £100. It’s a steep price to pay, especially if you are building a system on a budget.
Funny enough, if you NEED a Windows license this cost can often make prebuilt systems a better investment versus purchasing parts!
Retailers
In the UK, you can purchase Windows 11 right now from Curry’s for around £96. Although it’s worth noting that this is for the Home version, so if you need any Pro features you’re out of luck.
I would also recommend purchasing the license from a trusted retailer even if it costs more. You know exactly what you’re getting, and the mark up is often well worth it if the shady online store with 5 reviews provide a fake license key.
It’s sad how much that happens and there’s almost always nothing you can do after handing over your money!
System Builder Licenses
These licenses are bound to a single system and cannot be migrated. Unlike Retail licenses that can be migrated from system to system.
This is why OEM licenses often come with a small discount, but that has slowly been shrinking as they become less popular.
Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if the next version of Windows has a completely free tier. Microsoft already cram enough ads into the paid version, so I doubt it would hit their bank balance too much.
It’s worth noting though, that if you did use this type of code, you would be solely responsible for the deployment of Windows on your system. No more calling Microsoft when something breaks!
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Pre-existing Licenses
Funny loophole, is that anyone with a pre-existing license key on any version of Windows going all the way back to Windows 7 can upgrade to Windows 11 for free.
I’ve heard of people purchases really old systems, or even just getting them for free, only to upgrade the OS and migrate it to another machine. If you can pickup a super cheap, almost broken machine for cheap then it’s fairly easy to migrate the install to another system, keep the license and then upgrade to Windows 11.
You might have some issues with the license still being held by the previous system. In that case, I would recommend noting the activation old, forcefully removing the activation and then trying to reapply on the new hardware.
Keep this in mind you throw away your old system, you might be throwing away a perfectly good licensed copy of Windows that can be migrated to new hardware.
Windows is Free Anyway!
Creating an install USB for Windows is super easy, visit the Media Creation Tool website and download the version you want. Then install a blank USB and use the tool to turn the USB into a bootable Windows installer.
After this, just install Windows as normal and when the license part of the Windows setup comes, just click I don’t have a product key. Install Windows, and you can use it indefinitely.
With this method, you will be missing some of the customization features, and you will get an Activate Windows watermark
I’d recommend this method to most people, as it’s the simplest and completely free. If you plan to use Windows long term and want to have easy access to the now locked customisation, then pay for a full license. But if you have a machine that you simply was to test on, then don’t pay and use this completely free version.
Shady PowerShell Scripts
Please please please, don’t actually use this option if you value your system and the data it may hold.
But, if you want a shady way to activate Windows completely for free, then open a PowerShell window as Administrator and run this command:
irm https://get.activated.win | iex
And that’s it!
This could be illegal depending on where you live, and most certainly strips any warranty you might have on the install. So if something did happen to your machine, I doubt Microsoft would be too helpful
Conclusion
Now that’s I’ve covered the most common ways you can avoid paying full price for Windows, I think you have everything you need to make an informed decision.
Tread carefully, and if you use any of the slightly dodgy options on the list above, please know that I’m not liable and this is not advice!
Let me know in the comments if you need anything from me!