Desktop Linux Hits 10.65% North America Share as Windows 11 Frustrations Drive Switching
Updated
Updated · ZDNet · Aug 5
Desktop Linux Hits 10.65% North America Share as Windows 11 Frustrations Drive Switching
2 articles · Updated · ZDNet · Aug 5
Summary
StatCounter put desktop Linux at a record 10.65% share in North America, more than double the roughly 5% level cited for 2025.
Windows 11 dissatisfaction is a key driver: the report points to forced AI features, heavier monetization and upgrade barriers, with about 25% of Windows 10 PCs unable to move to Windows 11.
Windows 10 still retains a large base despite fading support, accounting for 22.16% of Windows users in StatCounter data; DAP separately shows Windows 10 at 25% versus Windows 11 at 14.6%.
DAP offers a more conservative read on Linux desktop adoption at 6.3%, but the report argues Linux is gaining because mainstream distributions are easier to use, run on older hardware and avoid Windows security and AI annoyances.