Windows 365 goes live: Cloud PC pricing and specs

Windows 365, the cloud-based PC experience, was launched a couple of weeks ago with all of the details you'd expect...except the plan and pricing details. Microsoft is back with an update about that today, revealing how much it'll cost for a user to access Windows 365, as well as the various options available.

As previously announced, Windows 365 went live for business and enterprise customers today, August 2. With the official availability of the cloud-based service comes the pricing and plan options. Depending on needs and plan, Windows 365 can be had for $20/month up to $162/month per user.

Microsoft offers Windows 365 under two different categories: Business and Enterprise. Business customers will save a bit on the monthly subscription price if they have the Windows Hybrid Benefit discount, taking, for example, the cheapest plan from $24/month to $20/month.

The $20/month plan gets the customer a cloud-based system with 64GB of storage, a 1 vCPU, and 2GB of RAM. The 2 vCPU plans start at $28/month, the 4 vCPU plans at $66/month, and the 8 vCPU plans at $132/month. The highest-tier plan at $158/month ($162 without the discount) offers 32GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.

The new plan options come amid a big change in how many people work, helping companies embrace the security needs that come with remote-working and hybrid-working environments. Because Windows 365 is cloud-based, users can access their PC on whatever device they want, including a MacBook or iPad.

Users get many of the benefits you'd expect from the Windows experience, including things like personalized settings and apps, while companies benefit from the management and security features. Businesses don't need to worry about the loss of a PC, for example, while cutting the costs associated with providing contractors and hybrid-work employees with their own work laptops.