Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share In USA

OSTechnix ^ | 15 July 2025 | Sk

[ShadowAce]

For the first time, Linux has officially broken the 5% desktop market share barrier in the United States of America! It's a huge milestone for open-source and our fantastic Linux community. While many might think of Linux as a niche choice, this new data shows a significant shift is happening.

The Numbers Are In: Linux at 5.03% in the USA!

According to the latest StatCounter Global Stats for June 2025, Linux now holds 5.03% of the desktop operating system market share in the United United States of America. This is fantastic news!

Figure 1: StatCounter - Desktop Operating System Market Share in United States Of America - June 2025

Figure 2: StatCounter - Desktop Operating System Market Share United States Of America (May 2024 - June 2025)

To put this into perspective, here's how the desktop market breaks down in the USA for the same period:

• Windows: Still dominant at 63.2%. However, Windows has seen its share drop by nearly 13% over the last decade.
• OS X: Holds 16.57%.
• macOS: Accounts for 7.72%. (It's worth noting that some data reporting issues mean OS X and macOS are sometimes split, even though macOS is the newer branding for OS X. When combined, Apple's desktop presence is around 24%).
• Linux: Our star, now at 5.03%.
• Unknown: Stands at 4.76%.
• Chrome OS: Represents 2.71%.

One truly satisfying detail for me? Linux has finally surpassed the "Unknown" category in the USA! It shows that our growth is clear and recognised.

Why Are More People Switching to Linux? My Take!

This isn't just a random bump; there are several clear reasons why Linux is seeing such a surge in popularity:

1. Windows' Woes

Many users are growing tired of Microsoft's approach.

• Windows 10's impending end-of-life is a major driver. People with perfectly good computers are looking for alternatives rather than upgrading their hardware just for Windows 11.
• Concerns about privacy invasions, adware, and forced updates in Windows are pushing users away. Many users are fed up with Microsoft "urging users to train their AI for free".

2. Gaming's New Frontier

The Steam Deck has been a game-changer! This popular handheld gaming device runs on a Linux-based system, introducing a whole new group of gamers to the power and flexibility of Linux. They're truly enjoying the experience!

3. Linux's Own Evolution

Linux itself has made huge strides:

• It's more user-friendly than ever before. Distributions like Ubuntu and Linux Mint have made significant improvements to their interfaces, making them intuitive and easy to use.
• Privacy is a top priority for many, and Linux offers a fantastic open-source alternative that addresses these growing concerns. Many Linux users actively use tools to protect their privacy, which might even affect how their usage is tracked.
• Linux can breathe new life into older hardware, letting you extend the useful life of your existing computers. If you have an older machine, Linux can make it feel fast again!
• The software ecosystem is constantly growing, with better compatibility for many popular applications thanks to tools like Wine.

The Real Story: Is Linux's Market Share Even Higher? I Think So!

While the 5.03% is exciting, I believe the actual number of Linux users could be much higher. Here's why:

• Tracking Limitations: These statistics are gathered using website trackers. Many Linux users, being privacy-focused, use tools that can obscure their operating system or switch their user agent. This means some Linux users might be misidentified.
• The "Unknown" Factor: The "Unknown" category currently accounts for 4.76% of the desktop market in the USA. It's highly probable that a significant portion of this "Unknown" share consists of Linux systems operating discreetly. Some of it could also be bots or crawlers.
• Chrome OS Connection: Let's not forget Chrome OS. While listed separately, it's actually derived from open-source ChromiumOS, which is itself based on the Linux kernel. If we combine the USA market shares of Linux (5.03%) and Chrome OS (2.71%), we get a combined "Linux family" market share of 7.74%! This means Linux has already comfortably passed the 5% mark when considering its broader ecosystem.

More Users are Switching to Linux

This 5% achievement is more than just bragging rights; it signals a significant shift and a growing interest in alternative operating systems.

• It demonstrates that there's a real appetite for open-source solutions among desktop users.
• This increased visibility can create a wonderful "snowball effect" for the Linux community. As more people adopt Linux, more passionate users and skilled developers are drawn in, contributing to its ongoing improvement and making the ecosystem even stronger.
• I'm personally hopeful that this significant milestone will encourage more hardware vendors to acknowledge and support the Linux user base. Imagine a future where finding drivers for your fancy mouse or Wi-Fi printer is as straightforward on Linux as it is on other systems – that's something I'm truly looking forward to!

Looking Ahead

The journey of Linux has been one of slow but steady progress, accelerating in recent years. It took eight years to go from 1% to 2% (by April 2021), then just 2.2 years to reach 3% (June 2023), and a mere 0.7 years to hit 4% (February 2024). Now, here we are, at over 5% in the USA! This exponential growth suggests that we're on a promising upward trend.

It's truly an exciting time to be a Linux user, and I believe the best is yet to come.

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TOPICS: Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: linux

[ShadowAce]

[Wilderness Conservative]

I walked away from Windows after they rolled out that 365 bs. And that was before all the pedo vax geo engineering horrors were known about Gates. Linux has been as good if not better than Windows.

[crazycat]

About time.....put linux on a serious gamer machine and just watch it fly....

I have often run nearly 100 tabs on an Alienware....and seen no drop in speed.

[Wayne07]

Slow and steady. By 2100, could hit 8%.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

My upstairs computer is Windows 11 Pro.

My basement computer (the one I am using right now) is Linux Mint 22.1.

[rellic]

I have a degree in computer science. All my several computers are Linux based.
To me it is the difference between needing a calculator to do 2+2=4 and writing it out on paper and explaining it to teach someone.
Windows written by people like me, presumed y’all to be idiots.
Windows financial success proves that. We got richer and y’all didn’t learn a darned thing.

[JSM_Liberty]

Posted from Ubuntu 25.04

[Paladin2]

I’ve been desktop onboard for at least 7 years.

I still have some legacy boxen/laptops [dual boot for the laptops] for reasons, but am NOT going back.

Others in the household have gone to Apple [Me too for my hand-me-down phones and a hand-me-down tablet].

[kingu]

Well, let’s be fair here, that survey also hits a lot of IoS and IoT installations - raspberry pis, ESP32s, etc.

I’ve got two main Win11 computers running in my house, two macOs computers (really love how the Macbook Air and a MacMini can share a keyboard/mouse), and 4 raspberry pis - since the main raspberry pi handles most public traffic throughout the house, all 4 of those computers show up on the survey as Pis.

A second pi scrapes data for weather, a third handles most of the streaming traffic in and out of the house, and a 4th pi manages mostly local storage and the VPNs - which means each cell phone comes in as a Pi desktop as well (well, 3 instances of the same pi...)

An actual survey of users would provide much more useful data.

[WXRGina]

ping

[thinden]

Thanx for sharing your perspective

[algore]

I have always been a windows guy, but I have done some work with Linux Server.

at least I pretty much only run server skus which are much nicer and more private than the stupid win11 stuff

[algore]

“To me it is the difference between needing a calculator to do 2+2=4”

trying to use a calculator to do that always confuses me.

I always try to enter both numbers then do the desired operation.

I wonder what the share of RPN users is today

[sipow]

Has Netcraft confirmed it?

[Bikkuri]

Are you still using Pop!_OS?
If so, is it on a System76 computer, or your own?

[ShadowAce]

Are you still using Pop!_OS?

Yup. Pop!_OS 22.04 LTS

If so, is it on a System76 computer, or your own?

It's on a System76 Oryx Pro.

[for-q-clinton]

Thanks to SteamOS most likely.

[ducttape45]

There are still things that Linux cannot do that Windoze does, but Linux would suffice for many people if they would give it a chance. If someone would come out with an “actual” Linux desktop I bet it would take off.

[Wilderness Conservative]

I like that Linux has no subscription fee. It’s version of Word and Excel are all I really use for the most part. I dont see the diff.