If you go this route, you should only get Windows Pro keys. You can also buy with a credit card for some added protection. Customer service is often poor for these kinds of sites, too, leaving you high and dry.įans of this method say many people never run into issues, and in fact urge you to find the keys as cheap as possible (usually through eBay) to minimize problems. Critics of this method rightly point out that you can buy keys that don’t work, or eventually lose their activation status because of their unknown origins. In other words, the keys aren’t illegal, but they’re likely extras from a volume licensing agreement and not meant to be sold individually to home users. What makes the license keys so cheap is that they’re gray market at best. Some sites, like Kinguin, specialize in digital software sales-to buy Windows, you’ll find the listings for Windows 10 or 11 Home (or Windows 10 or 11 Pro), pick a seller from the list, then add their product to your cart and check out. Platforms like eBay and Kinguin allow buyers to purchase product keys from third-party sellers. For example, your school might offer a free Microsoft 365 account, or a heavily discounted Adobe Creative Cloud account (usually $20 per month, but we’ve seen it for as little as $80 per year). Note: If you use this method, also keep an eye out for other software deals through your school. In those cases, your main options are the OEM license (outlined above) or buying through a reseller (detailed below). Also, if the total cost of the class, administrative fees, and license fee adds up to more than the retail cost of a Windows Pro license, and you wouldn’t have otherwise taken the class, that negates this deal, too. Obviously, if your local community college doesn’t have an agreement with Microsoft in place, this strategy won’t work. We don’t encourage truancy, but there’s nothing saying you have to show up for class, so long as you’re comfortable with a failing grade on your record.

You’re essentially getting Windows Pro (and then some) for as much as 60 percent off and you get to learn something new.Įven if you aren’t interested in the classes, you’re still paying considerably less than what you would for even a Windows Pro OEM license. The Education edition of Windows, which is similar to the Enterprise edition, includes popular Windows Pro features like Bitlocker encryption and the Sandbox feature. If you were already planning on taking a class in one of these subjects, you’re getting an amazing deal. Typical options are usually of the physical education or dance variety (swim, ballet, jazz, boot camp workouts, etc.), but you can also find the occasional class on topics like Beginning Drawing, Intro to HTML & CSS, and Video for the Web. (Many community colleges use OnTheHub as their distributor, so you can use their lookup tool to begin research about your school’s options.) The storefront will require verification of your student status before you can “buy” Windows.Ī one-unit class usually counts though, and depending on your state, it can cost as little as $76 including administrative fees. To get access to the software, you’ll typically need to register for your class first, then find and register separately at whatever online store your campus uses for software purchases.

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