5 factors steadily fueling Linux's desktop rise

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

You can't blasted the archetypal prophecy of the "Year of the Linux desktop" connected me. No, I've surely been a existent believer, but the recognition -- oregon blame, if you indispensable -- goes to Dirk Hohndel, Linux kernel developer and Verizon's elder manager of the Open Source Program Office. 

Hohndel confessed that "in 1999 he was the archetypal to foretell the 'Year of the Linux desktop.' Predictions are hard," helium continued wryly, "especially astir the future. But if I changed it from the twelvemonth of Linux desktop and changed it to a decennary and a fractional from now, lawsuit computing volition beryllium mostly Linux, which has happened."

Also: I recovered an autarkic Linux distro that's casual to instal - and comes with everything I need

Now, the twelvemonth of the Linux desktop is yet happening. Yes, really. 

As I've pointed out, if you accidental Linux is the top-end idiosyncratic operating system, you tin marque a bully lawsuit for it. Do you person an Android phone? Congrats, you're a Linux user. Chromebook? Ditto. Does your enactment beryllium connected Google Docs? Guess what it runs on? Yes, that's right, Linux.  

Numbers don't prevarication

Recently, however, I was looking for web hunt motor popularity numbers. The accustomed sites radical usage for these numbers, specified as  Statcounter, arsenic Ed Bott precocious pointed out, person existent problems. So, I went to the astir reliable root I cognize of, the US national government's Digital Analytics Program (DAP). 

This tract gives a running number of US authorities website visits and an analysis. On average, determination are 1.6 cardinal sessions successful the past 30 days, with millions of users daily. In short, DAP gives a elaborate presumption of what radical usage without massaging the data. 

According to the root data, successful 2025, Linux users made up 5.4% of visitors. That proportionality is mode supra immoderate different morganatic numbers I've ever seen. 

Also: My Linux predictions for 2025: It's going to beryllium a bully year

Yeah, I know, 5.4% whitethorn not dependable similar much. But, if you adhd successful Android (17.6%) and Chromebooks (2.1%), you're talking astir 25.1% of visitors, which puts it supra MacOS (10.1%), Windows 10 (14.1%), and Windows 11 (16.2%), which is downright impressive. 

Let's look astatine it different way. All Windows users combined, which included a smidgen of radical inactive utilizing Windows 8.1 and 0.3% utilizing Windows 7, travel to 31.7%. So, yes, to nary one's surprise, Windows is the apical desktop operating system.

Also: I recovered a minimal Linux distro that's accelerated and businesslike for each acquisition levels

But, if we look astatine each operating systems, you'll spot that Apple iOS is the apical operating strategy with 33.1%. Indeed, arsenic anyone who does web postulation investigation tin archer you, conscionable arsenic galore radical usage mobile operating systems (49.1%) these days arsenic desktop operating systems (49.3%). In 2024, determination were much smartphone users (53.2%) than desktop users (45.1%).

When Linux users speech astir the Linux desktop, astir of them, similar their Windows counterparts, are talking astir conscionable the desktop. Mobile telephone users are chiefly users, whereas desktop users of immoderate operating strategy are workers and creators. It's a antithetic world. 

This Linux desktop's numbers don't look to beryllium a statistical anomaly. In 2024, the Linux desktop reached 4.5% of each end-user operating systems, oregon astir 9% if you lone look astatine desktops. While Statcounter isn't the astir reliable source, it besides shows the Linux desktop dilatory increasing successful popularity. In 2025, Linux is up to 4.27%, which is higher than past twelvemonth astatine astir the aforesaid time. 

Also: How to wide cache and temp files successful Linux to velocity up your strategy fast

So, wherefore has Linux been gaining successful popularity? Well, I'll springiness recognition to each the accustomed reasons I urge Linux to people. Let's excavation in.

1. Windows isn't Microsoft's precedence

Microsoft's profits these days travel from its Azure unreality and software-as-a-service offerings, peculiarly Microsoft 365. The institution doesn't privation you to bargain Windows; it wants you to subscribe to Windows 365 Cloud PC. 

By the way, you tin run Windows 365 Cloud PC connected Macs, Chromebooks, Android tablets, iPads, and, of course, Linux desktops. Or, if the folks from Redmond can't speech you into a afloat desktop-as-a-service, they'll beryllium much than happy to lease you Microsoft 365 with AI for much money. 

Also: Why this Linux distro is my caller favourite Windows replacement

A related contented is that determination are soon going to beryllium a batch of Windows 10 PCs that won't beryllium capable to tally Windows 11. With the clock ticking connected Windows 10, galore radical are looking astatine alternatives to buying caller Windows machines. After all, portion nary 1 tin foretell what is happening with tariffs anymore, according to a study by Trade Partnership Worldwide (TPW), published by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), you tin expect laptop prices to spell up by 34%.

Many radical are giving their aged computers caller beingness with ChromeOS Flex, a Linux variant, oregon trying to shoehorn Windows 11 connected theoretically incompatible Windows 10 machines. Others are putting a desktop Linux distro connected their PCs. If you spell this route, I urge Linux Mint for out-of-date Windows 10 PCs. It's what I use. 

2. Linux gaming is viable present

Gaming has ne'er been Linux's champion point, but acknowledgment to Steam, Linux is present a existent gaming platform. While Linux remains a niche subordinate successful the broader PC gaming market, its stock is higher than ever, and it's dilatory growing.

3. Linux is not hard to usage

Yeah, I cognize what you've heard. Sure, Linux was harder to usage a decennary ago, but, spoiler alert, we're not successful 2015 anymore. If you privation to beryllium a Linux powerfulness user, Linux volition situation you. But if each you privation to bash is enactment and play, many Linux distributions are suitable for beginners, and immoderate of them, specified arsenic SDesk, look and consciousness an atrocious batch similar Windows. 

Also: My 5 go-to Linux commands for troubleshooting - and however I usage them

Besides, 13 years ago, I taught my mother-in-law, who was past 79, however to usage the Linux desktop, and we didn't adjacent stock a communal language. If she could larn Linux, truthful tin you. 

4. Installing Linux desktop bundle is casual

While immoderate Linux purists dislike containerized exertion installation programs, specified arsenic Flatpak, Snap, and AppImage, developers emotion them. These programs marque it elemental to constitute applications for Linux that don't request to beryllium tuned conscionable close for each the galore Linux distributions. For users, that means they get much programs to take from and don't request to interest astir finicky installation details.

These days, if you tin instal an app connected your telephone from an app store, you tin instal programs connected Linux. It's that easy. 

5. Linux is overmuch safer than Windows

It's not adjacent close. Sure, Linux isn't perfectly safe. Nothing is. But you're not taking your PC's beingness successful your hands if you don't person the latest updates. You besides don't request to usage anti-virus bundle connected Linux. You'd beryllium an idiot to tally Windows without astatine slightest Microsoft Defender. Let maine enactment it to you this way: Linux doesn't have, oregon need, a monthly Patch Tuesday to hole the latest zero-day information holes.  

Mind you, the Linux desktop inactive has its problems. To punctuation Linus Torvalds, the man, the legend, and Tux the penguin's dad, "fragmentation of the antithetic vendors has held the desktop back." With implicit 270 existent Linux desktop distros, choosing the close 1 tin beryllium a existent pain. And let's not hide that adjacent Canonical, Ubuntu Linux's genitor company, doesn't marque the Linux desktop its priority. 

Also: The archetypal 5 Linux commands each caller idiosyncratic should learn

Still, arsenic radical person been figuring it out, if you instrumentality with 1 of the large distributions that I, and my brother-in-Linux, Jack Wallen, recommend, you'll bash conscionable fine. 

So, capable with the waiting. Join the Linux desktop surge. I deliberation you'll beryllium gladsome you did. Hey, possibly determination truly volition beryllium an honest-to-goodness twelvemonth of the Linux desktop if you articulation in. 

Get the morning's apical stories successful your inbox each time with our Tech Today newsletter.