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.

[scouter]

The 365 bull was one of the final straws for me, too. I’ve decided to move both my wife’s old laptop, and my two year old 2-in-1 to Linux in the fall, when I have more time. I can’t wait. Now that I’m retired I don’t have any need to live in the Microsoft world.

[ducttape45]

I have only two IT systems now. One is a laptop dual boot with Windows 10 and Mint. The second is a desktop tri-boot with W7/W10 and Mint.
<p?
I cannot update either of them to W11, nor will I. After support for W10 runs out and it becomes increasingly difficult to secure them, then I turn to Linux for most functions.

[rellic]

I suppose that would be the guys and gals that understand what a “stack” is.

[minnesota_bound]

Windows is losing share because the interface is dull looking and you are restricted from making simple changes without getting 3rd party software or going into the registry to fix when it was lots easier in Windows 7 and earlier. It is getting more confusing with each version plus the treat of bitlocker encryption forced upon you and if corrupted causing the loss of all your files.
Adding ads to the OS does not help either.

[Bikkuri]

I was debating trying it out, but I heard it isn’t 100% compatible with non System76 PCs..

[ShadowAce]

I've not tried it on non-System76 boxes.

It's based on Ubuntu, so I would think it'd work fine.

[CatOwner]

My upstairs computer is Windows 11 Pro.

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

That's where I am headed from Windows 10 Pro and the occasional use of Linux Mint on a 2nd PC. I have too many applications to completely jettison Windows, so I am in the process of moving to Windows 11 Pro (new hardware).

But I have decided for most of my Internet activity (online accounts, email, downloads, some browsing) that I will use the Linux PC for that. Dual booting won't work for me. I flip back and forth between browser(s) and applications too often to make that work.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Microsoft Hyper-V is a Type 1 virtual machine, meaning it runs on the hardware and not from an emulator, so it is theoretically as fast running Linux as running standalone.

That is the best of both worlds, but I haven’t been able to get it to work.

[dennisw]

I just put Mint Cinnamon 22.2 on a Dell laptop. Dell sells this laptop with Windows or Linux. So this means laptop very Linux compatible. I tried Linux Mint a few years ago and found install of new apps/programs to be very difficult.

This time around installation is easy.
Mint Cinnamon PLUSES>>>

1-It has nightlight that turns down blue light part of spectrum at night. And does this as well as Windows 11.
2-Using Chrome and Edge is the same as using them on Windows 11
3-You can look up the whys. But Linux Mint and maybe other Linuxes, give you a brighter display than Windows 11. So now I can use this laptop outdoors in the shade. I tested this at 8AM. This Dell is rated at 250 NITS of brightness. With Linux the brightness is at least 300-330 NITS.
-4 No more Microsoft telemetry phoning home. I despise having to use a MS account to use Windows 11.
-5 Linux is more secure against hackers. Plus since the Linux desktop market is only 5%, too small for hackers to invent viruses and backdoors for. My bet is Android is the most hacked OS these days.
6- More secure Linux means I will feel better doing money transactions.
7- With Linux Mint the laptops display really pops out. I watched a few 4k you tube Japan travelogs in HDR, it looked other worldly. Yes the laptops display in only FHD/

The only slight negative is finding the fonts i like for Edge and Chrome. My go to Windows fonts are not there. It is all Linux fonts.

[ShadowAce]

Try the following command:

apt -y install ttf-mscorefonts-installer

[dennisw]

I will try that MS fonts installation when I get to my new (for me) Mint laptop. Were you aware that Linux makes laptops LED screens brighter?

[ShadowAce]

Were you aware that Linux makes laptops LED screens brighter?

I was not aware of that--however, I tend to start my workday around 5:00am, and it's dark when I start. So I keep the brightness down so my eyes don't hurt.