Usage share of operating systems

The usage share of an operating system is the percentage of computers running that operating system (OS). These statistics are estimates because it is hard to know exactly how many devices use each OS. We usually learn about this by looking at data from devices connected to the internet.

As of December 2025, Android, which uses the Linux kernel, was the most popular operating system in the world, used by about 39% of all devices. Next was Windows with about 30%, followed by iOS with about 16%, and macOS with about 2%. The rest of the devices used other operating systems.

For smartphones, Android was used by 72% of people, while Apple's iOS was used by 28%. On desktop computers and laptops, most people used Windows (about 61%), followed by Mac OS and a small number using desktop Linux or ChromeOS. For tablets, Apple's iPadOS was the most common, used by about half of all tablets, with Android making up the other half.

Linux was used by all of the top 500 most powerful supercomputers since 2017 and was also the most common operating system for web servers and servers around the world. Many devices, such as modern cars and gadgets, use special operating systems that are hard to measure, but they are also very common.

Worldwide device shipments

Shipments to stores don’t always mean sales to people, so these numbers might not show real usage. Smartphones sell more than PCs and cost more, with the gap growing over time.

According to Gartner, here are the worldwide device shipments by operating system from 2012 to 2016, including smartphones, tablets, laptops and PCs together.

In 2018, Apple stopped sharing unit sales in its reports. Since then, the company has only shared revenues per device, which analysts use to estimate unit sales by applying wholesale device prices. Other hardware makers usually don’t report unit sales.

For 2015 and earlier, Gartner reported that worldwide PC shipments fell for the fourth year in a row, starting in 2012 when tablets were introduced, with an 8% drop in PC sales for 2015.

Microsoft moved away from their goal of one billion Windows 10 devices in three years and reported on 26 September 2016 that Windows 10 was running on over 400 million devices, and in March 2019, on more than 800 million.

In May 2020, Gartner predicted a further decline in all device markets for 2020 due to COVID-19, predicting a 13.6% drop for all devices, but the "Work from Home Trend Saved PC Market from Collapse", with only a 10.5% decline predicted for PCs. However, PC shipments grew 10.7% in the fourth quarter of 2020 and reached 275 million units in 2020, a 4.8% increase from 2019.

In 2024 and 2025, due to lower adoption of Windows 11 and Microsoft ending support for Windows 10, the number of PCs shipped with Windows dropped. Pundits linked the low Windows 11 acceptance to its high hardware requirements and the 2024 CrowdStrike-related IT outages. Meanwhile, the macOS market share in PC shipments rose, with Linux also seeing improved numbers.

In November 2024, a new competitor to Android and iOS appeared when sales of the Huawei Mate 70 began with the all-new HarmonyOS NEXT operating system. Since 2025 all new Huawei devices have been sold exclusively with HarmonyOS NEXT, creating a third player in the smartphone operating system market.

In the first quarter of 2026, Huawei overtook Xiaomi to become the best-selling smartphone brand in China, with a 19% market share. Rising RAM prices at the end of 2025 caused Gartner to predict lower PC and smartphone sales, which happened in the first quarter of 2026.

Web clients

Different sources collected data about operating systems used on the internet between 2021 and 2022. These sources looked at many websites, not just one.

Right now, Android is the most used operating system, even more than Microsoft Windows. Windows Phone made up a small part of usage at 0.51% before it stopped being made.

When we look only at personal computers, Microsoft Windows is used by less than half of people everywhere. In the US, it's around 30%, and in some places like China and India, it's even lower.

Worldwide, Android is used by about 45% of people, more than Windows at about 25%, with iOS third at about 18%.

In Africa, Android is used by over half the people, while in Asia, Android has been the most popular since 2016.

The use of operating systems based on Linux kernel (like Android and ChromeOS) is now more than Windows.

Source	Date	Microsoft Windows (kernel):							Apple Darwin:		Linux kernel:			Others
		10	8/8.1	7	Vista	XP	WP&RT	Other	macOS	iOS	Linux	Android	Other
W3Counter	Oct 2025	31.49%	—N/a	7.37%	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	7.98%	14.70%	2.51%	25.66%	—N/a	10.29%
W3Counter	Sept 2025	29.01%	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	9.18%	13.35%	2.85%	33.51%	—N/a	12.1%
W3Counter	Feb 2025	20.95%	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	4.45%	11.71%	2.56%	43.09%	—N/a	16.24%
W3Counter	Dec 2024	22.28%	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	3.34%	13.73%	2.71%	46.42%	—N/a	11.52%
W3Counter	Oct 2022	19.23%	—N/a	3.4%	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	4.03%	19.23%	—N/a	45.18%	—N/a	—N/a
W3Counter	Oct 2020	20.55%	—N/a	6.74%	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	8.06%	13.67%	—N/a	37.44%	—N/a	—N/a
W3Counter	Jun 2019	16.23%	—N/a	14.32%	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	3.58%	13.54%	—N/a	38.76%	—N/a	—N/a
W3Counter	Jun 2018	11.14%	—N/a	12.29%	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	2.80%	10.68%	—N/a	53.21%	—N/a	—N/a
W3Counter	Dec 2016	13.79%	4.54%	18.45%	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	4.45%	12.60%	3.8%	34.37%	—N/a	8%
StatCounter Global Stats	Mar 2017	12.98%	4.57%	17.84%	0.41%	2.07%	0%	0.06%	5.17%	13.09%	0.75%	37.93%	0.76%	7.21%
StatCounter Global Stats	Dec 2016	12.5%	4.79%	18%	0.46%	2.24%	0.64%	0.09%	4.92%	12.71%	0.86%	37.8%	0.72%	4.61%
StatCounter Global Stats	Oct 2016	12.08%	5.21%	18.97%	0.6%	2.44%	0.7%	0.05%	5.3%	12.04%	0.85%	34.46%	0.63%	6.67%
StatCounter Global Stats	May 2016	10.27%	6.68%	22.25%	0.73%	3.44%	0.83%	0.8%	5.05%	11.38%	0.91%	31.6%	0.64%	6.15%
StatCounter Global Stats	Dec 2015	6.67%	8.5%	26.66%	1.0%	4.75%	0.92%	0.2%	5.51%	10.82%	1.03%	27.01%	0.36%	6.57%
Wikimedia	Dec 2016	14.0%	4.65%	18.0%	0.43%	1.70%	0.93%	0.50%	5.4%	19.0%	0.80%	23.0%	0.30%	11.29%

Desktop and laptop computers

Windows is the most used operating system on desktop and laptop computers, but its share changes in different places. In some areas, like the US, the use of macOS has grown a lot over the years. As of March 2025, Windows is used on about 71.68% of desktops worldwide, macOS on 15.7%, Linux on 4.20%, and ChromeOS on 1.86%.

We don't know exactly how many desktop and laptop computers are sold because companies don't always share their methods for counting. One group, StatCounter, estimates usage by looking at web visits, but this might not be perfect. Most computers come with an operating system already installed, but some people change it or use more than one. Sometimes, people use copies of software that were not bought properly.

Since around 2020, more people have been using smartphones than desktop or laptop computers. For example, in Africa, about 72% of people use smartphones, while in Europe it's about 49%. In the US, smartphones are used more on weekends.

Mobile devices

Smartphones OS by usage

See also: Mobile operating system § Market share

By early 2018, the main operating systems for smartphones were Google's Android and Apple's iOS, together making up almost all smartphone use.

How much people use smartphones compared to desktop computers changes a lot from country to country. In places like Russia, only about 22% of all internet use is on smartphones, but in many western countries, smartphones make up about half of all internet use. This doesn't mean only half of people have smartphones; it just means other devices are used about as much. In developing countries, smartphone use is much higher – for example, in Bangladesh, Android smartphones made up around 84% of use, and in Mali, over 90% of smartphone use was on smartphones.

There is a link between how wealthy a country is and which smartphone operating system people use. In richer countries, people are more likely to use Apple's iPhones, while Google's Android is more common elsewhere.

Tablet computers OS by usage

Tablet computers, or simply tablets, became an important part of the operating system market starting with Apple's iPad. By early 2018, iOS had about 65% of the market for tablets, and Android had about 35%. Some tablets running Windows might not be counted as tablets by some experts, and so they don't show up much in these numbers; for example, 2-in-1 PCs might be counted as "desktops" instead of tablets.

Since 2016, in South America (and Cuba in North America), Android tablets have become more common, and in Asia in 2017 Android was slightly more popular than the iPad, which had about 49% of the market in October 2015. In Africa, Android tablets are much more popular, while in other places the iPad still leads.

As of March 2015, Android had been growing steadily and became the most popular tablet operating system: this trend is happening in many countries, where it already is the most used in large countries (India at 63.25%, and in Indonesia at 62.22%) and in Africa, where Android reached 62.22% (first becoming the most used in late 2014), with steady growth from 20.98% in August 2012 (Egypt at 62.37%, Zimbabwe at 62.04%), and South America at 51.09% in July 2015. (Peru at 52.96%). Asia is at 46%. In Nepal, Android became the most used in November 2014 but fell to 41.35% with iOS at 56.51%. In Taiwan, as of October 2016, Android had been the most used but then started to lose ground. China is different in Asia (there Android phablets are more common than Android tablets, while similar devices are counted as smartphones) where the iPad/iOS had 82.84% in March 2015.

By 2025, iPadOS and Android tablets were about the same in how much they were used, as shown by StatCounter internet usage data in the following table.

Crossover to smartphones having majority share

See also: Usage share of web browsers § Crossover to smartphones having majority share

According to StatCounter web use statistics, smartphones are more popular than desktop computers around the world (and Android in particular is more popular than Windows). When you include tablets with mobiles/smartphones, as they also run mobile operating systems, even in the United States (and most countries) mobiles including tablets are more popular than older operating systems made for desktops (such as Windows and macOS). Windows in the US (at 33.42%) only has a small lead over iOS alone; with Android, mobile operating systems and iOS together make up over half of all use. Apple, with iOS plus their non-mobile macOS (9.33%), has more than 20% more share than Microsoft's Windows in the country where both companies started.

Although desktop computers are still used in many countries (while overall down to 44.9% in early 2017), smartphones are more popular even in many developed countries. A few countries on all continents have fewer people using desktops, with Android more popular than Windows; many, e.g. Poland in Europe, and about half of the countries in South America, and many in North America, e.g. Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti; up to most countries in Asia and Africa with smartphones being more popular, Poland and Turkey in Europe highest with over 50% and 60%, respectively. In Ireland, smartphone use at around 45% is more than desktop use and mobile as a whole becomes the most used when you include the tablet share at around 9%. Spain was also slightly more used for smartphones than desktops. By July 2019, Sweden had been using smartphones more than desktops for eight weeks in a row.

The amount of mobile web use varies a lot by country, and a StatCounter press release notes "India amongst world leaders in use of mobile to surf the internet" (of the big countries) where the share is around (or over) 80% and desktop is at less than 20%, with Russia trailing with around 18% mobile use (and the rest on desktops).

Smartphones (not counting tablets), first became more used than desktops in December 2016 (desktop use dropped the month before), and it wasn't just for Christmas-time, as smartphone use stayed higher in March 2017 too.

In the week of 7–13 November 2016, smartphones alone (without tablets) used more than desktops for the first time, even if just for a short period. Examples of countries where smartphones are more used than desktops include Paraguay in South America, Poland in Europe and Turkey and most of Asia and Africa. Some of the world is still more used for desktops, with for example the United States at around 55% (but not on all days). However, in some areas of the United States, such as Puerto Rico, desktop use is much lower, with Windows just under 25%, overtaken by Android.

On 22 October 2016 (and later weekends), mobile use showed it was more popular. Since 27 October, desktop use hasn't been the most used, even on weekdays. Smartphones alone have been the most used since 23 December to the end of the year, with the share reaching 58.22% on Christmas Day. To the "mobile"-most used share of smartphones, tablets could be added giving over 60% most used. While an unusually high top, a similar high also happened on Monday 17 April 2017, with the smartphone share slightly lower and tablet share slightly higher, combining to over 60% most used.

Previously, according to a StatCounter press release, the world turned to using desktops less; as of October 2016, at about 49% desktop use for that month, but mobile wasn't higher yet, tablet share had to be added to it to exceed desktop share.

For the Christmas season (i.e. temporarily, while desktop use is lower and smartphone use is higher on weekends), the last two weeks in December 2016, Australia (and Oceania in general) used desktops less for the first time for an extended period, i.e. every day from 23 December.

In South America, smartphones alone used more than desktops on Christmas Day, but for a full-week-average, desktop use is still at least around 58%.

The UK desktop use dropped down to around 44% on Christmas Day and for the eight days to the end of the year. Ireland joined some other European countries with smartphones being more used, for three days after Christmas, reaching over 55% that day.

In the US, desktop use was lower for three days around Christmas (while a longer four-day stretch happened in November, and happens frequently on weekends).

According to StatCounter web use statistics, in the week from 7–13 November 2016, "mobile" (meaning smartphones) alone (without tablets) used more than desktops, for the first time, with them highest ranked at over 50% (on 27 November 2016) or up to around 49% for a full week. Mobile-most used applies to countries such as Paraguay in South America, Poland in Europe and Turkey; and the continents Asia and Africa. Large regions of the rest of the world are still desktop-most used, while on some days, the United States, (and North America as a whole) isn't; the US is desktop-most used for up to four days in a row, and up to a five-day average. Other examples, of desktop use being lower on some days, include the UK, Ireland, Australia (and Oceania as a whole); in fact, at least one country on every continent has used desktops less (for at least a month). On 22 October 2016 (and subsequent weekends), mobile has shown it is more used.

Previously, according to a StatCounter press release, the world has turned desktop-use less; as of October 2016, at about 49% desktop use for that month, with desktop-use being lower for up to an 18-weeks/4-months period from 28 June to 31 October 2016, while whole of July, August or September 2016, showed desktop-most used (and many other long sub-periods in the long stretch showed desktop-use being lower; similarly only Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are desktop-use being lower). The biggest continents, Asia and Africa, have shown mobile-most used for a long time (any day of the week), as well as several individual countries elsewhere have also turned mobile-most used: Poland, Albania (and Turkey) in Europe and Paraguay and Bolivia in South America.

According to StatCounter's web use statistics, Saturday, 28 May 2016, was the day when smartphones ("mobile" at StatCounter, that now counts tablets separately) became the most used platform, ranking first, at about 47%, above desktops. The next day, desktops slightly used more than "mobile" (unless counting tablets: some experts count tablets with smartphones or separately while others with desktops – even when most tablets are iPad or Android, not Windows devices).

Since Sunday, 27 March 2016, the first day the world used desktops less, it has happened almost every week, and by week of 11–17 July 2016, the world was desktop-use less, followed by the next week, and thereon also for a three-week period. The trend is still stronger on weekends, with e.g. 17 July 2016 showed desktop at around 45%, "mobile" at around 50% plus tablets at around 6%. Recent weekly data shows a downward trend for desktops.

According to StatCounter web use statistics (a proxy for overall use), on weekends desktops worldwide lose about 5 percent points, e.g. down to around 51% on 15 August 2015, with the loss in (relative) web use going to mobile (and also a tiny increase for tablets), mostly because Windows 7, ranked 1st on workdays, declines in web use, with it shifting to Android and lesser degree to iOS.

Two continents have already crossed over to mobile-most used (because of Android), based on StatCounters web use statistics. In June 2015, Asia became the first continent where mobile used more than desktop (followed by Africa in August; while Nigeria had mobile most used in October 2011, because of Symbian – that later had 51% share, then Series 40 dominating, followed by Android as dominating operating system) and as far back as October 2014, they had reported this trend on a large scale in a press release: "Mobile usage has already overtaken desktop in several countries including India, South Africa and Saudi Arabia". In India, desktop use went from most used, in July 2012, down to around 32%. In Bangladesh desktop use went from most used, in May 2013, down to around 17%, with Android alone now accounting for most web use. Only a few African countries were still desktop-most used and many have a large mobile most used including Ethiopia and Kenya, where mobile usage is over 72%.

The popularity of mobile use worldwide has been driven by the huge popularity increase of Android in Asian countries, where Android is the highest ranked operating system statistically in virtually every south-east Asian country, while it also ranks most popular in almost every African country. Poland has used desktops less since April 2015, because of Android being vastly more popular there, and other European countries, such as Albania (and Turkey), have also crossed over. The South America continent is somewhat far from losing desktop-most used, but Paraguay had lost it as of March 2015. Android and mobile browsing in general has also become hugely popular in all other continents where desktop has a large desktop base and the trend to mobile is not as clear as a fraction of the total web use.

While some experts count tablets with desktops (as some of them run Windows), others count them with mobile phones (as the vast majority of tablets run so-called mobile operating systems, such as Android or iOS on the iPad). iPad has a clear lead globally, but has clearly lost the most used to Android in South America, and a number of Eastern European countries such as Poland; lost virtually all African countries and has lost the most used twice in Asia, but gained the most used back (while many individual countries, e.g. India and most of the middle East have clear Android most used on tablets). Android on tablets is thus second most popular after the iPad.

In March 2015, for the first time in the US, the number of adult internet users who only used mobile exceeded the number of desktop-only internet users with 11.6% of the digital population only using mobile compared to 10.6% only using desktop; this also means the majority, 78%, use both desktop and mobile to access the internet. A few smaller countries in North America, such as Haiti (because of Android) have gone mobile most used (mobile went to up to 72.35%, and is at 64.43% in February 2016).

Revenue

The region with the largest Android usage also has the largest mobile revenue.

Public servers on the Internet

Internet based servers' market share can be estimated by looking at public servers like web servers, mail servers, or DNS servers. We can find out what operating systems these servers use by checking the messages they send out. This helps us understand which operating systems are used on the internet, but only for servers that are open to the public.

The results can change based on how we collect our information. Usually, these surveys don't look at every single server but instead focus on servers found in other ways. Also, some websites might be hosted on the same server, while others might use multiple servers or addresses.

Note

When comparing money made from operating systems, we have to remember that Linux is free. This means that such comparisons might not show how popular Linux really is on servers, and might make other operating systems like Unix and Windows seem more popular than they are.

Mainframes

Mainframes are bigger and more powerful than most servers, but not as powerful as supercomputers. They help handle big amounts of data, like enterprise resource planning or credit card transactions.

The most common operating system for mainframes is IBM's special z/OS. Other operating systems for IBM Z machines include Linux on IBM Z, z/TPF, VSE, and z/VM.

Like the shift from personal computers to mobile devices today, in the 1980s and 1990s, many companies started using smaller servers instead of mainframes because they were cheaper and gave users more control. This led to fewer new mainframes being sold, mostly for important jobs in finance and government. Even though NASA stopped using its last mainframe in 2012, mainframes are still important for many big businesses around the world.

Supercomputers

The TOP500 project lists the 500 fastest supercomputers. Since the early 1990s, most supercomputers have used Unix or Unix-like operating systems. Starting in 2017, every top 500 supercomputer uses Linux.

The last supercomputer to be the fastest while using an operating system other than Linux was ASCI White, which ran AIX. It was the fastest from November 2000 to November 2001. In June 2017, two AIX computers were close to the top, but they soon left the list.

Market share by category

The usage share of an operating system shows what percentage of computers are using that system. These numbers are just estimates because it's very hard to get exact data on all the computers in the world. There aren't many reliable sources, and there isn't a standard way to collect this information.