Why People Keep Flocking To Linux In 2025 (and It's Not Just To Escape Windows)

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ZDNET cardinal takeaways

• The Linux desktop has continued its slow growth.
• Linux has been making gains successful nary mini portion because of Microsoft Windows' blunders.
• Users and governments person been losing spot successful Windows and Microsoft.

My workfellow Jack Wallen and I person been telling you for a while now that you should move from Windows to nan Linux desktop. Sounds for illustration immoderate of you person been listening.

The impervious of nan pudding comes from various sources. First, pinch Windows 10 nearing nan extremity of its supported life, we told you to see switching from Windows to Linux Mint aliases different Windows-like Linux distribution. What do we find now? 

Also: The astir beautiful Linux distributions for 2025

Zorin OS, an excellent Linux desktop, reports that its latest release, "Zorin OS 18 has amassed 1 cardinal downloads successful conscionable complete a period since its release." What makes it particularly absorbing is that complete "78% of these downloads came from Windows" users.

Now, that's sewage my attention... 780,000 Windows users don't download a 3.5 Gigabyte Linux desktop distribution if they're not giving it superior consideration. Linux desktop fans download different distros each nan time. For them, it's a hobby. 

For Windows users? You person to deliberation they are considering making nan Linux switch.

The existent apical canine operating system

Many person already been making nan leap. By May 2025, StatCounter information showed nan Linux desktop had grown from a infinitesimal 1.5% world desktop stock successful 2020 to supra 4% successful 2024, and was astatine a caller American precocious of supra 5% by 2025.

In StatCounter's latest US numbers, which screen done October, Linux shows up arsenic only 3.49%. But if you look closer, "unknown" accounts for 4.21%. Allow maine to make an knowledgeable conjecture here: I fishy those chartless desktops are really moving Linux. What other could it be? FreeBSD? Unix? OS/2? Unlikely.

Also: What Linus Torvalds really thinks astir AI and package improvement mightiness astonishment you

In addition, ChromeOS comes successful astatine 3.67%, which strikes maine arsenic overmuch excessively low. Leaving that aside, ChromeOS is simply a Linux variant. It conscionable uses nan Chrome web browser for its interface alternatively than KDE Plasma, Cinnamon, aliases different Linux desktop environment. Put each these together, and you get a Linux desktop marketplace stock of 11.37%. Now we're talking.

If you want to look astatine nan broader world of end-user operating systems, including phones and tablets, Linux comes retired moreover better. In nan US, wherever we emotion our Apple iPhones, Android -- yes, different Linux distro -- boasts 41.71% of nan marketplace share, according to StatCounter's latest numbers. Globally, however, Android rules pinch 72.55% of nan market.

Yes, that's right, if you widen nan Linux end-user operating strategy metric to see PC, tablets, and smartphones, you tin make a reasonable statement that Linux, and not Windows, is already nan apical canine operating system. Take that, Redmond!

The position from DAP

Now, of course, StatCounter's numbers, arsenic Ed Bott has pointed out, person their problems. So I besides looked astatine my preferred information root for operating strategy numbers: nan US national government's Digital Analytics Program (DAP).

Also: Inside Canonical's scheme to make Ubuntu 26.04 nan Linux desktop that yet goes mainstream

This tract gives a running count of US authorities website visits and an analysis. On average, location are 1.6 cardinal sessions complete nan past 30 days, pinch millions of users per day. In short, DAP gives a elaborate position of what group usage without massaging nan data. 

DAP gets its earthy information from a Google Analytics account. DAP has open-sourced nan code, which displays nan information connected nan web, and its data-collection code. You tin download its information successful JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format truthful you tin analyse nan earthy numbers yourself.

By DAP's count, nan Linux desktop now has a 5.8% marketplace share. That whitethorn not sound impressive, but erstwhile I started looking astatine DAP's numbers a decade ago, nan Linux desktop had a specified 0.67% share. We've travel a agelong way.

If you adhd Chrome OS (1.7%) and Android (15.8%), 23.3% of each group accessing nan US government's websites are Linux users. The Linux kernel's user-facing footprint is overmuch larger than nan "desktop Linux" explanation suggests.

Also: 5 factors steadily fueling Linux's desktop rise

I'll besides statement that though Windows 10 should beryllium heading into status by now, DAP numbers show it's still nan astir celebrated type of Windows, pinch 16.9% compared to Windows 11's 13.5%. StatCounter, however, has Windows 11 starring successful nan US, pinch 64.83% of each Windows users, while Windows 10 is good down pinch 31.92%. 

That's still measurement excessively galore Windows 10 users taking chances pinch their security.

But wait, there's much data. According to Lansweeper, an IT plus find and inventory company, successful its study of complete 15 cardinal identified user desktop operating systems, Linux desktops presently relationship for conscionable complete 6% of PC marketplace share.

Why is Linux growing? 

Earlier this year, I identified five drivers for group switching from Windows to Linux. These are: Microsoft's displacement of attraction from Windows arsenic a merchandise to Microsoft 365 and unreality services, nan accrued viability of gaming via Steam and Proton, drastically improved easiness of usage successful mainstream distros, broader hardware support, and rising interest astir privateness and information control.

Three others person emerged since then. One is that galore companies and users still person perfectly bully Windows 10 machines that can't "upgrade" to Windows 11. ControlUp, a institution that would emotion to thief you move to Windows 11, has recovered that about 25% of user and business Windows 10 PCs can't beryllium moved to Windows 11.

Also: How to upgrade your 'incompatible' Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 for free - today

This hardware lockout is simply a cardinal logic galore users scheme to thrust Windows 10 beyond nan extremity of support alternatively of paying for a caller instrumentality conscionable to meet Microsoft's specs.

Another is that galore group really, really don't want to move to Windows 11. A UK study by user group Which? successful September 2025 recovered that 26% of respondents intended to support utilizing Windows 10 moreover aft updates stopped. Interestingly, 6% scheme to spell to an replacement operating strategy specified arsenic Linux.

Why truthful stubborn? Well, too wanting to prevention money, surveys and vendor analyses consistently mention 3 main reasons users hesitate: Windows 10 is "good enough," Windows 11 is not seen arsenic meaningfully better, and they don't for illustration nan forced interface changes (e.g., nan centered Start menu, discourse menus, default app behavior, and Copilot integration).

Also: Linux's singular travel from 1 dev's hobby to 40 cardinal lines of codification - and counting

Gaming users are besides acrophobic that Windows 11 will slow down their games aliases travel pinch compatibility bugs. For example, Windows 11's October update came pinch a bug that hurt gaming capacity connected immoderate NVIDIA-equipped gaming PCs.

Finally, not everyone is thrilled pinch Windows 11 being turned into an AI-agentic operating system. Despite each nan AI hype, immoderate group don't want AI second-guessing their each move aliases reporting connected their activity to Microsoft.

After Microsoft president Pavan Davulur tweeted connected Nov. 10 that "Windows is evolving into an agentic OS, connecting devices, cloud, and AI to unlock intelligent productivity and unafraid activity anywhere," he astir apt expected Windows users to beryllium happy pinch this vision. They weren't.

Also: Can't upgrade to Windows 11? This Linux distro is nan champion replacement for your Windows 10 PC

Instead, nan apical consequence from 1 personification connected X was "It's evolving into a merchandise that's driving group to Mac and Linux." Exactly so. If you want a accepted desktop wherever you power what's what connected your PC without an AI Big Brother looking complete your shoulder, Linux will beryllium almost your only prime going forward.

Don't hide integer sovereignty

My past logic for group looking to Linux from Windows doesn't matter overmuch to users successful nan US, but it matters a batch to group extracurricular nan US. You see, nan European Union (EU) governments don't spot Microsoft to present connected its work promises nether imaginable US governmental pressure.

This has resulted successful nan emergence of Digital Sovereignty initiatives, wherever EU companies and not American tech giants are seen arsenic overmuch much trustworthy. As a result, many EU states person dropped Microsoft programs and person switched to open-source software.

Also: Yet different European authorities is ditching Microsoft for Linux - here's why

That includes nan desktop. Indeed, one EU group has created EU OS. This is simply a proof-of-concept Linux desktop for a Fedora-based distro that uses nan KDE Plasma desktop environment.

It's not conscionable nan EU. The UK besides nary longer trusts Microsoft pinch its data. A 2024 Computer Weekly report revealed that Microsoft told Scottish constabulary it could not guarantee that information successful Microsoft 365 and Azure would stay successful nan UK.

Nicky Stewart, erstwhile UK Cabinet Office ICT chief, told Computer Weekly astatine nan time: "You've sewage Microsoft touting what they picture arsenic sovereign cloud, but what do they mean by sovereign...because genuinely sovereign information would not beryllium offshored nether immoderate circumstances." 

With Windows 11 information perchance being sent backmost and distant to US information centers, much and much governments will beryllium wary astir trusting Windows.

Also: Another European agency shifts disconnected Big Tech, arsenic integer sovereignty activity gains steam

Taken together, each these shifts make Linux little of a tinker's typical and much of a pragmatic action for group who want retired of nan Windows upgrade treadmill aliases subscription model.

Desktop Linux is moving from perennial underdog to a mini but meaningful portion of mundane computing, particularly among technically inclined users, non-American public-sector agencies, and mean user and business users who want a cheaper, much trustworthy desktop.