usage share of operating systems

{{Update section|date=November 2024|reason=Some statistics have not been updated in nearly a decade.}}{{bar box

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|title=Device shipments, 2015

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|bars={{bar percent|Android/Linux|Green|54.16|54.16%}}

{{bar percent|iOS/macOS|Silver|12.37|12.37%}}

{{bar percent|Windows|Blue|11.79|11.79%}}

{{bar percent|Other|Red|21.66|21.66%}}

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|caption=OS Device Shipments, Gartner

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According to Gartner, the following is the worldwide device shipments (referring to wholesale) by operating system, which includes smartphones, tablets, laptops and PCs together.

Shipments (to stores) do not necessarily translate to sales to consumers, therefore suggesting the numbers indicate popularity and/or usage could be misleading. Not only do smartphones sell in higher numbers than PCs, but also a lot more by dollar value, with the gap only projected to widen, to well over double.{{Cite news|url=https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2017-04-06-gartner-says-worldwide-end-user-spending-on-devices-will-grow-2-percent-in-2017-while-unit-shipments-remain-flat|title=Gartner Says Worldwide End-User Spending on Devices Will Grow 2 Percent in 2017, While Unit Shipments Remain Flat|access-date=2017-12-07|language=en}}

On 27 January 2016, Paul Thurrott summarized the operating system market, the day after Apple announced "one billion devices":

{{blockquote|Apple's "active installed base" is now one billion devices. [..] Granted, some of those Apple devices were probably sold into the marketplace years ago. But that 1 billion figure can and should be compared to the numbers Microsoft touts for Windows 10 (200 million, most recently) or Windows more generally (1.5 billion active users, a number that hasn’t moved, magically, in years), and that Google touts for Android (over 1.4 billion, as of September).

My understanding of iOS is that the user base was previously thought to be around 800 million strong, and when you factor out Macs and other non-iOS Apple devices, that's probably about right. But as you can see, there are three big personal computing platforms.|source=Paul Thurrott{{cite news |title=Apple's active installed base is now over 1 billion strong |url=https://www.thurrott.com/mobile/ios/64193/apples-active-installed-base-in-now-over-1-billion-strong |first=Paul |last=Thurrott |newspaper=Thurrott.com |date=27 January 2016 |quote=there are three big personal computing platforms. And only one of them is actually declining. We’ll see how Windows 10 fares over the long term, but even if Microsoft hits the 1 billion figure in 1-2 years as promised, it will by then still be the smallest of those three platforms.|access-date=16 August 2016}}}}

For 2015 (and earlier), Gartner reports for "the year, worldwide PC shipments declined for the fourth consecutive year, which started in 2012 with the launch of tablets" with an 8% decline in PC sales for 2015 (not including cumulative decline in sales over the previous years).{{cite press release|url=https://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3185224 |title=Gartner Says Worldwide PC Shipments Declined 8.3 Percent in Fourth Quarter of 2015: Holiday Sales Provided Little Cheer to PC Vendors in 2015 |date=12 January 2016 |access-date=15 March 2016}}

Microsoft backed away from their goal of one billion Windows 10 devices in three years (or "by the middle of 2018"){{cite web|url=http://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets/071816/microsoft-backs-away-windows-10-goal-msft.asp|title=Microsoft Backs Away From Windows 10 Goal (MSFT)|first=Donna|last=Fuscaldo|date=18 July 2016|work=investopedia.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} and reported on 26 September 2016 that Windows 10 was running on over 400 million devices,{{Cite web|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-windows-10-now-on-400-million-devices/|title=Microsoft: Windows 10 now on 400 million devices|first=Mary Jo|last=Foley|website=ZDNet}} and in March 2019 on more than 800 million.{{Cite web|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-says-windows-10-is-now-on-more-than-800-million-devices/|title=Microsoft says Windows 10 is now on more than 800 million devices|last=Foley|first=Mary Jo|website=ZDNet|language=en|access-date=2019-03-11}}

In May 2020, Gartner predicted further decline in all market segments for 2020 due to COVID-19, predicting a decline of 13.6% for all devices. while the "Work from Home Trend Saved PC Market from Collapse", with only a decline of 10.5% predicted for PCs. However, in the end, according to Gartner, PC shipments grew 10.7% in the fourth quarter of 2020 and reached 275 million units in 2020, a 4.8% increase from 2019 and the highest growth in ten years." Apple in 4th place for PCs had the largest growth in shipments for a company in Q4 of 31.3%, while "the fourth quarter of 2020 was another remarkable period of growth for Chromebooks, with shipments increasing around 200% year over year to reach 11.7 million units. In 2020, Chromebook shipments increased over 80% to total nearly 30 million units, largely due to demand from the North American education market." Chromebooks sold more (30 million) than Apple's Macs worldwide (22.5 million) in pandemic year 2020.{{Cite web |title=Gartner Says Worldwide PC Shipments Grew 10.7% in Fourth Quarter of 2020 and 4.8% for the Year |url=https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2021-01-11-gartner-says-worldwide-pc-shipments-grew-10-point-7-percent-in-the-fourth-quarter-of-2020-and-4-point-8-percent-for-the-year |access-date=2021-03-03 |website=Gartner |language=en}}

According to the Catalyst group, the year 2021 had record high PC shipments with total shipments of 341 million units (including Chromebooks), 15% higher than 2020 and 27% higher than 2019, while being the largest shipment total since 2012.{{Cite web |date=12 January 2022 |title=Global PC shipments pass 340 million in 2021 and 2022 is set to be even stronger |url=https://www.canalys.com/newsroom/global-pc-market-Q4-2021 |access-date=2023-07-29 |website=Catalyst}}

According to Gartner, worldwide PC shipments declined by 16.2% in 2022, the largest annual decrease since the mid-1990s, due to geopolitical, economic, and supply chain challenges. {{cite news |title=Gartner Says Worldwide PC Shipments Declined 28.5% in Fourth Quarter of 2022 and 16.2% for the Year |url=https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-01-11-gartner-says-worldwide-pc-shipments-declined-28-percent-in-fourth-quarter-of-2022-and-16-percent-for-the-year#:~:text=For%20the%20year%2C%20PC%20shipments,a%2016.2%25%20decrease%20from%202021. |access-date=29 December 2023 |work=Gartner |language=en}}

In 2015, eMarketer estimated at the beginning of the year that the tablet installed base would hit one billion{{cite web|url=http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Tablet-Users-Surpass-1-Billion-Worldwide-2015/1011806|title=Tablet Users to Surpass 1 Billion Worldwide in 2015 - eMarketer|work=emarketer.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} for the first time (with China's use at 328 million, which Google Play doesn't serve or track, and the United States's use second at 156 million). At the end of the year, because of cheap tablets{{snd}} not counted by all analysts{{snd}} that goal was met (even excluding cumulative sales of previous years) as:

{{blockquote|Sales quintupled to an expected 1 billion units worldwide this year, from 216 million units in 2014, according to projections from the Envisioneering Group.

While that number is far higher than the 200-plus million units globally projected by research firms IDC, Gartner and Forrester, Envisioneering analyst Richard Doherty says the rival estimates miss all the cheap Asian knockoff tablets that have been churning off assembly lines.[..]

Forrester says its definition of tablets "is relatively narrow" while IDC says it includes some tablets by Amazon — but not all.[..]

The top tech purchase of the year continued to be the smartphone, with an expected 1.5 billion sold worldwide, according to projections from researcher IDC. Last year saw some 1.2 billion sold.[..]

Computers didn’t fare as well, despite the introduction of Microsoft's latest software upgrade, Windows 10, and the expected but not realized bump it would provide for consumers looking to skip the upgrade and just get a new computer instead.

Some 281 million PCs were expected to be sold, according to IDC, down from 308 million in 2014. Folks tend to be happy with the older computers and keep them for longer, as more of our daily computing activities have moved to the smartphone.[..]

While Windows 10 got good reviews from tech critics, only 11% of the 1-billion-plus Windows user base opted to do the upgrade, according to Microsoft. This suggests Microsoft has a ways to go before the software gets "hit" status. Apple's new operating system El Capitan has been downloaded by 25% of Apple's user base, according to Apple.

|source=USA Today{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/12/28/tablets-have-banner-2015/77851808/ |title=Tablets have banner 2015 |date=1 January 2016}}}}

This conflicts with statistics from IDC that say the tablet market contracted by 10% in 2015 with only Huawei, ranked fifth, with big gains, more than doubling their share; for fourth quarter 2015, the five biggest vendors were the same except that Amazon Fire tablets ranked third worldwide, new on the list, enabled by its not quite tripling of market share to 7.9%, with its Fire OS Android-derivative.{{cite web|url=https://www.androidheadlines.com/2016/02/idc-tablet-shipments-decline-fifth-straight-quarter.html|title=IDC: Tablet Shipments Decline For Fifth Straight Quarter - Androidheadlines.com|date=1 February 2016|work=androidheadlines.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}

Gartner excludes some devices from their tablet shipment statistic and includes them in a different category called "premium ultramobiles" with screen sizes of more than 10" inches.{{cite web|url=https://www.gartner.com/en/information-technology/glossary/ultramobiles|title=Ultramobiles|publisher=Gartner, Inc. |access-date=2022-10-09}}

There are more mobile phone owners than toothbrush owners,{{Cite web |title=Are there Really More Mobile Phone Owners than Toothbrush Owners? |url=https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/really-more-mobile-phone-owners-than-toothbrush-jamie-turner |access-date=2019-06-15 |website=www.linkedin.com |language=en}} with mobile phones the fastest growing technology in history.{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}} There are a billion more active mobile phones in the world than people (and many more than 10 billion sold so far with less than half still in use), explained by the fact that some people have more than one, such as an extra for work.{{Cite web |last=Turner |first=Ash |date=2018-07-10 |title=1 Billion More Phones Than People In The World! BankMyCell |url=https://www.bankmycell.com/blog/how-many-phones-are-in-the-world |access-date=2019-06-15 |website=BankMyCell |language=en-US}} All the phones have an operating system, but only a fraction of them are smartphones with an OS capable of running modern applications. In 2018, 3.1 billion smartphones and tablets were in use across the world (with tablets, a small fraction of the total, generally running the same operating systems, Android or iOS, the latter being more popular on tablets. In 2019, a variant of iOS called iPadOS built for iPad tablets was released).

On 28 May 2015, Google announced that there were 1.4 billion Android users and 1 billion Google play users active during that month.{{cite web |date=29 September 2015 |title=Android is now used by 1.4 billion people |url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/9/29/9409071/google-android-stats-users-downloads-sales |publisher=The Verge}}{{Cite web |title=Google I/O website: Keynote |url=https://events.google.com/io2015/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150618114753/https://events.google.com/io2015/ |archive-date=18 June 2015 |access-date=20 January 2016}} This changed to 2 billion monthly active users in May 2017.{{cite web |last=Protalinski |first=Emil |date=17 May 2017 |title=Android passes 2 billion monthly active devices |url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/05/17/android-passes-2-billion-monthly-active-devices/ |access-date=17 May 2017 |website=VentureBeat}}{{cite web |last=Ng |first=Alfred |date=17 May 2017 |title=Google's Android now powers more than 2 billion devices |url=https://www.cnet.com/au/news/google-boasts-2-billion-active-android-devices/ |access-date=17 May 2017 |website=CNET |publisher=CBS Interactive}}

By late 2016, Android had been said to be "killing" Apple's iOS market share (i.e. its declining sales of smartphones, not just relatively but also by number of units, when the whole market was increasing).{{Cite web |last=Parrack |first=Dave |date=2016-08-18 |title=Android Is Killing iOS, Uber Launches Self-Driving Cars... [Tech News Digest] |url=https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/android-is-killing-ios-uber-launches-self-driving-cars-tech-news-digest/ |access-date=2025-04-18 |website=MUO |language=en}} Gartner's press release stated: "Apple continued its downward trend with a decline of 7.7 percent in the second quarter of 2016",{{cite press release |url=https://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3415117 |title=Gartner Says Five of Top 10 Worldwide Mobile Phone Vendors Increased Sales in Second Quarter of 2016: Global Sales of Smartphones Grew 4.3 Percent Year on Year |publisher=Gartner |date=19 August 2016}} which is their decline, based on absolute number of units, that underestimates the relative decline (with the market increasing), along with the misleading "1.7 percent [point]" decline. That point decline means an 11.6% relative decline (from 14.6% down to 12.9%).

Although by units sold Apple was declining in the late 2010s, the company was almost the only vendor making any profit in the smartphone sector from hardware sales alone. In Q3 2016 for example, they captured 103.6% of the market profits.{{cite news |last=Patrick |first=Seitz |date=3 November 2016 |title=Apple iPhone Grabs 104% Of Smartphone Industry Profit In Q3 |newspaper=Investor's Business Daily |url=http://www.investors.com/news/technology/click/apple-iphone-grabs-104-of-smartphone-industry-profit-in-q3/}}

In May 2019 the biggest smartphone companies (by market share) were Samsung, Huawei and Apple, respectively.Gadgets Now Bureau, [https://www.gadgetsnow.com/slideshows/worlds-5-biggest-smartphone-companies/Second-Huawei/photolist/65227379.cms "World's 5 biggest smartphone companies"], Gadgets Now, 1 Aug 2018, 02.51 PM IST

In November 2024, a new competitor to Android and iOS emerged, when sales of the Huawei Mate 70 started with the all-new operating system HarmonyOS NEXT installed{{Cite web |last=Kirton |first=David |date=2024-11-26 |title=Huawei launches Mate 70 smartphone as new US chip curbs loom |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/huawei-launches-mate-70-smartphone-2024-11-26/ |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=Reuters}} on the flagship device. Future Huawei devices are to be sold mainly with this operating system, creating a third player on the market for smartphone operating systems.{{Cite web |last=Enrico |first=Jose |date=2024-10-12 |title=HarmonyOS Next Could Be the Next iOS, Android OS Replacement: What's the Difference? |url=https://www.techtimes.com/articles/307836/20241012/harmonyos-next-could-next-ios-android-os-replacement-whats-difference.htm |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=Tech Times |language=en-US}}

The following table shows worldwide smartphone sales to end users by operating systems, as measured by Gartner, International Data Corporation (IDG) and others:

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File:World Wide Smartphone Sales.png

{{Update|section|Recent statistics from 2018 is needed for this section. |date=August 2018}}

{{bar box

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|title=Web clients' OS family statistics

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{{bar percent|Android|Green|45.49|45.49%}}

{{bar percent|Windows|Blue|25.35|25.35%}}

{{bar percent|iOS|Orange|18.26|18.26%}}

{{bar percent|macOS|Orange|5.67|5.67%}}

{{bar percent|Unknown|Black|2.97|2.97%}}

{{bar percent|Linux|Green|1.38|1.38%}}

{{bar gap|height=10}}

|caption=Web clients' OS family market share according to StatCounter for February 2025.{{Cite web |title=Operating System Market Share Worldwide |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share |access-date=2024-11-18 |website=StatCounter Global Stats |language=en}}

The information on web clients is obtained from user agent information obtained through JavaScript code run by web browsers supplied to web servers. "Unknown" is probably mostly Windows operating systems.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}} These figures have a large margin of error for a variety of reasons. For a discussion on the shortcomings see usage share of web browsers.

}}

Data from various sources published over the 2021/2022 period is summarized in the table below. All of these sources monitor a substantial number of websites, any statistics that relate to only one web site have been excluded.

Android currently ranks highest,{{cite press release | url=https://gs.statcounter.com/press/android-overtakes-windows-for-first-time |title=Android overtakes Windows for first time: "Milestone in technology history and end of an era" as Microsoft no longer owns dominant OS}} above Windows (incl. Xbox console) systems. Windows Phone accounted for 0.51% of the web usage, before it was discontinued.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-os-ww-monthly-201506-201703|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=19 April 2017}}

Considering all personal computers, Microsoft Windows is well below 50% usage share on every continent, and at 30% in the US (24% single-day low) and in many countries lower, e.g. China, and in India at 19% (12% some days) and Windows' lowest share globally was 29% in May 2022 (25% some days), and 29% in the US.{{Cite web|title=Operating System Market Share South America|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/all/south-america/#weekly-202013-202019|access-date=2020-10-01|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en}}

For a short time, iOS was slightly more popular than Windows in the US, but this is no longer the case. Worldwide, Android holds 45.49%, more than Windows at 25.35%, and iOS third at 18.26%.

In Africa, Android is at 66.07%, Windows is 13.46 (and iOS third at 10.24%).{{Cite web |title=Operating System Market Share Africa |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/all/africa/#monthly-202106-202502 |access-date=2022-06-19 |website=StatCounter Global Stats |language=en}}

Before iOS became the most popular operating system in any independent country, it was most popular in Guam, an unincorporated territory of the United States, for four consecutive quarters in 2017–18,{{Cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/all/guam/#quarterly-201604-201903|title=Operating System Market Share Guam|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en|access-date=2019-12-04}}{{Cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/all/guam/#monthly-201605-201906|title=Operating System Market Share Guam|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en|access-date=2019-07-14}} although Android is now the most popular there.{{Cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/all/guam/#monthly-201909-201911|title=Operating System Market Share Guam|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en|access-date=2019-12-04}} iOS has been the highest ranked OS in Jersey (a British Crown dependency in Europe) for years, by a wide margin, and iOS was also highest ranked in Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory, for one quarter in 2019, before being overtaken by Android in the following quarter.{{Cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/all/falkland-islands-(malvinas)/#quarterly-201803-201902|title=Operating System Market Share Falkland Islands (malvinas): Q3 2018 - Q2 2019|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en|access-date=2019-07-14}}{{Cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/all/falkland-islands-(malvinas)/#monthly-201701-201906|title=Operating System Market Share Falkland Islands (malvinas)|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en|access-date=2019-07-14}} iOS is competitive with Windows in Sweden, where some days it is more used.{{Cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/all/sweden/#daily-20190613-20190712|title=Operating System Market Share Sweden|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en|access-date=2019-07-14}}

The designation of an "Unknown" operating system is strangely high in a few countries such as Madagascar where it was at 32.44% (no longer near as high).{{Cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/all/madagascar/#monthly-201709-201906|title=Operating System Market Share Madagascar|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en|access-date=2019-07-15}} This may be due to the fact that StatCounter uses browser detection to get OS statistics, and there the most common browsers are not often used. The version breakdown for browsers in Madagascar shows "Other" at 34.9%,{{Cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-version-market-share/all/madagascar/|title=Browser Version Market Share Madagascar|website=StatCounter Global Stats}} and Opera Mini 4.4 is the most popular known browser at 22.1% (plus e.g. 3.34% for Opera 7.6). However browser statistics without version-breakdown has Opera at 48.11% with the "Other" category very small.{{Cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share/all/madagascar/|title=Browser Market Share Madagascar|website=StatCounter Global Stats}}{{Clarify|reason=|date=August 2019}}

In China, Android became the highest ranked operating system in July 2016 (Windows has occasionally topped it since then, while since April 2016 it or all non-mobile operating systems haven't outranked mobile operating systems, meaning Android plus iOS).{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/all/china/#monthly-201509-201909|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=16 October 2019}} In the Asian continent as a whole, Android has been ranked highest since February 2016 and Android alone has the majority share,{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/all/asia/#monthly-201407-201909|title=Top 8 Operating Systems in Asia from July 2014 to September 2019|publisher=statcounter.com}} because of a large majority in all the most populous countries of the continent, up to 84% in Bangladesh, where it has had over 70% share for over four years.{{Cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/all/bangladesh/#monthly-201403-201909|title=Operating System Market Share Bangladesh|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en|access-date=2019-10-16}} Since August 2015, Android is ranked first, at 48.36% in May 2016, in the African continent{{snd}} when it took a big jump ahead of Windows 7,{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-os-af-monthly-201407-201604|title=Top 8 Operating Systems in Africa from July 2014 to Apr 2016|publisher=statcounter.com}} and thereby Africa joined Asia as a mobile-majority continent. China is no longer a desktop-majority country,{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share/all/china/#monthly-201505-201906|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} joining India, which has a mobile-majority of 71%, confirming Asia's significant mobile-majority.

Online usage of Linux kernel derivatives (Android + ChromeOS + other Linux) exceeds that of Windows. This has been true since some time between January and April 2016, according to W3Counter{{Cite web|url=https://www.w3counter.com/globalstats.php?year=2016&month=01 |title=Global stats |publisher=W3 Counter }} and StatCounter.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-os-ww-monthly-201604-201604-bar|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}

However, even before that, the figure for all Unix-like OSes, including those from Apple, was higher than that for Windows.

|-

| style="text-align: left;" | Wikimedia{{Cite web| url = https://analytics.wikimedia.org/dashboards/browsers/#all-sites-by-os/os-family-and-major-hierarchical-view | title = Wikimedia Traffic Analysis Report - Operating Systems, 28Nov2016-1Jan2017}}

| {{as of|2016|12|alt=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%

|}

{{Update|section|Recent statistics till 2018 is needed for some parts in this section.|date=October 2018}}

{{bar box

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|title=Desktop/Laptop operating system browsing statistics

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|bars={{bar percent|Windows|Blue|71.68|71.68%}}

{{bar percent|macOS|Orange|15.7|15.7%}}

{{bar percent|Unknown|Gray|6.78|6.78%}}

{{bar percent|Linux (excluding ChromeOS)|Yellow|4.20|4.20%}}

{{bar percent|ChromeOS|Green|1.86|1.86%}}

{{bar percent|FreeBSD|Red|0|0%}}

{{bar percent|Other|Red|0|0%}}

{{bar gap|height=11}}

|caption=Desktop OS market share according to StatCounter {{as of|2025|03|lc=y}}.{{Cite web|title=Desktop Operating System Market Share Worldwide|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/desktop/worldwide/#monthly-202502-202502-bar|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en}} ChromeOS is also based on the Linux kernel.}}

Windows is still the dominant desktop OS, but the dominance varies by region and it has gradually lost market share to other desktop operating systems (not just to mobile) with the slide very noticeable in the US, where macOS usage has more than quadrupled from Jan. 2009 to Dec. 2020 to 30.62% (i.e. in Christmas month; and 34.72% in April 2020 in the middle of COVID-19, and iOS was more popular overall that year;{{Cite web|title=Operating System Market Share United States Of America|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/all/united-states-of-america/#monthly-202001-202012-bar|access-date=2021-01-05|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en}} globally Windows lost to Android that year,{{Cite web|title=Operating System Market Share Worldwide|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share#monthly-202001-202012-bar|access-date=2021-01-05|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en}} as for the two years prior), with Windows down to 61.136% and ChromeOS at 5.46%, plus traditional Linux at 1.73%.{{Cite web|title=Desktop Operating System Market Share United States Of America|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/desktop/united-states-of-america/#monthly-200901-202012|access-date=2021-01-05|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en}}

There is little openly published information on the device shipments of desktop and laptop computers. Gartner publishes estimates, but the way the estimates are calculated is not openly published. Another source of market share of various operating systems is StatCounterhttps://gs.statcounter.com/#desktop-os-ww-monthly-201508-201508-bar StatCounter basing its estimate on web use (although this may not be very accurate). Also, sales may overstate usage. Most computers are sold with a pre-installed operating system, with some users replacing that OS with a different one due to personal preference, or installing another OS alongside it and using both. Conversely, sales underestimate usage by not counting unauthorized copies. For example, in 2009, approximately 80% of software sold in China consisted of illegitimate copies.{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/19/business/global/19iht-windows.html|title=Software Pirates in China Beat Microsoft to the Punch | work=The New York Times | date=19 October 2009}} In 2007, the statistics from an automated update of IE7 for registered Windows computers differed with the observed web browser share, leading one writer to estimate that 25–35% of all Windows XP installations were unlicensed.{{cite web|url=http://www.seopher.com/articles/around_25_35_of_windows_xp_systems_are_pirated_calculations_included_|title=Around 25–35% of Windows XP systems are pirated (calculations included)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304063513/http://www.seopher.com/articles/around_25_35_of_windows_xp_systems_are_pirated_calculations_included_|archive-date=2016-03-04}}

The usage share of Microsoft's (then latest operating system version) Windows 10 has slowly increased since July/August 2016, reaching around 27.15% (of all Windows versions, not all desktop or all operating systems) in December 2016. It eventually reached 79.79% on 5 October 2021, the same day on which its successor Windows 11 was released. In the United States, usage of Windows XP has dropped to 0.38% (of all Windows versions), and its global average to 0.59%, while in Africa it is still at 2.71%, and in Armenia it is more than 70%, as of 2017.{{Cite web |title=Desktop Windows Version Market Share Armenia |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/windows-version-market-share/desktop/armenia/#monthly-202010-202109 |access-date=2021-10-04 |website=StatCounter Global Stats |language=en}}

StatCounter web usage data of desktop or laptop operating systems varies significantly by country. For example, in 2017, macOS usage in North America was at 16.82%{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#desktop-os-na-monthly-201603-201608|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} (17.52% in the US{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#desktop-os-US-monthly-201603-201608|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}) whereas in Asia it was only 4.4%.{{Cite web|title=Top 7 Desktop OSs in Asia on May 2016 |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#desktop-os-as-monthly-201603-201603-bar |publisher=StatCounter|date=May 2016 |access-date=9 April 2016}} As of July 2023, macOS usage has increased to 30.81% in North America{{Cite web |title=Desktop Operating System Market Share North America |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/desktop/north-america |access-date=2023-08-13 |website=StatCounter Global Stats |language=en}} (31.77% in the US){{Cite web |title=Desktop Operating System Market Share United States Of America |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/desktop/united-states-of-america |access-date=2023-08-13 |website=StatCounter Global Stats |language=en}} and to 9.64% in Asia.{{Cite web |title=Desktop Operating System Market Share Asia |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/desktop/asia |access-date=2023-08-13 |website=StatCounter Global Stats |language=en}}

{{Pie chart

| thumb = right

| caption = Since mid-2020, the world uses smartphones more than desktop (including laptop) computers.{{Cite web|title=Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet vs Console Market Share Worldwide|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share#monthly-202009-202109|access-date=2021-10-02|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en}}{{cite web|title=Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet vs Console Market Share Worldwide|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share#quarterly-201904-202003-bar|access-date=2020-11-16|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet vs Console Market Share Worldwide|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share#daily-20200831-20200930|access-date=2020-10-01|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en}} For global statistics it's every day of the week. It has also happened for all individual continents{{Cite web|title=Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet vs Console Market Share Oceania|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share/all/oceania/#weekly-202048-202105|access-date=2021-10-04|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet vs Console Market Share Europe|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share/all/europe/#monthly-202010-202109|access-date=2021-10-04|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet vs Console Market Share North America|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share/all/north-america/#daily-20210709-20210811|access-date=2021-10-04|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en}} (at least for some weeks, and also for the United States where the smartphone share reached 54.26% in July 2022,{{Cite web |title=Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet vs Console Market Share United States Of America |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share/all/united-states-of-america/#monthly-202009-202303 |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=StatCounter Global Stats |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet vs Console Market Share North America |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share/all/north-america/#monthly-202009-202303 |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=StatCounter Global Stats |language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet vs Console Market Share United States Of America|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share/all/united-states-of-america/#weekly-202123-202132|access-date=2021-10-04|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en}}{{Cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share/all/united-states-of-america/#daily-20190331-20190630|title=Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet vs Console Market Share United States Of America|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en|access-date=2019-07-01}} and also that high in 2021). The proportions do vary widely by region (more so than by the day), e.g. in Africa the smartphone share is highest at 72%, in Asia at 69% and in South America at 60%, in Europe is 49% while desktop is slightly lower, and in the United States it's at 43% and desktop at 54% (previously at 50%). On some continents, e.g. North America and the US, smartphone use may only go over 50% on weekends, since smartphones usage increases on weekends,{{Cite web|title=Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet vs Console Market Share United States Of America|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share/all/united-states-of-america/#daily-20210523-20210831|access-date=2021-10-18|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet vs Console Market Share United States Of America|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share/all/united-states-of-america/#monthly-202008-202109|access-date=2021-10-18|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet vs Console Market Share United States Of America|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share/all/united-states-of-america/#daily-20201218-20210117|access-date=2021-10-18|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en}}{{Cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share#daily-20190331-20190630|title=Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet vs Console Market Share Worldwide|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en|access-date=2019-07-01}} while the smartphone share has gone up to 54% for a single day (Thanksgiving), and on average over 50% for full week.{{Cite web|title=Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet vs Console Market Share United States Of America|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share/all/united-states-of-america/#daily-20211112-20211211|access-date=2021-12-13|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet vs Console Market Share United States Of America|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share/all/united-states-of-america/#weekly-202139-202148|access-date=2021-12-13|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en}}

| label1 = Smartphones

| value1 = 58.01

| color1 = Green

| label2 = Desktops/Laptops

| value2 = 39.49

| color2 = Yellow

| label3 = Tablets

| value3 = 2.46

| color3 = Blue

|label4=Console|value4=0.06|color4=red}}

The 2023 Stack Overflow developer survey counts 87,222 survey responses. However, usage of a particular system as a desktop or as a server was not differentiated in the survey responses. The operating system share among those identifying as professional developers was:{{cite web |title=Stack Overflow 2023 Developer Survey, Operating System |url=https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2023/#section-most-popular-technologies-operating-system |access-date=13 August 2023 |website=Stack Overflow}}

• Windows: 46.91%
• macOS: 33%
• Ubuntu: 26.69%
• BSD: 0.59%

===Microsoft data on Windows usage===

In June 2016, Microsoft claimed Windows 10 had half the market share of all Windows installations in the US and UK, as quoted by BetaNews:

{{blockquote|Microsoft's Windows trends page [shows] Windows 10 hit 50 percent in the US (51 percent in the UK, 39 percent globally), while ... Windows 7 was on 38 percent (36 percent in the UK, 46 percent globally).

A big reason for the difference in numbers comes down to how they are recorded. ... actual OS usage (based on web browsing), while Microsoft records the number of devices Windows 10 is installed on. ... Microsoft also only records Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, while NetMarketShare includes both XP and Vista.|BetaNews{{Cite web|url=https://betanews.com/2016/08/29/windows-10-50-percent-of-the-market/|title=Windows 10 has over 50 percent market share, according to Microsoft -- wait, what?|date=29 August 2016|website=BetaNews}}}}

In recent years, Linux has gained more interest among gamers than ever before, especially thanks to projects like Wine and Proton. Wine allows Windows programs to run on Linux, while Valve's Proton makes many games on Steam directly playable without any additional configuration. The Linux version of Steam and devices such as Steam Deck using Linux-based SteamOS have made Linux more accessible as a gaming platform. The number of Steam games currently available on Linux exceeds the total number of games available on XBOX, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation platforms{{cite web|access-date=June 3, 2025 |archive-date=June 2, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250602225803/https://www.protondb.com/ |publisher=ProtonDB |title=Data from Valve's proton project site. |url=https://www.protondb.com/}}. In addition, on modern systems, Linux is able to offer comparable or sometimes higher performance than Windows in some games due to its lower system load{{cite web|access-date=June 3, 2025 |archive-date=April 27, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250427125730/https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevangelho/2024/08/21/linux-scores-a-surprising-gaming-victory-against-windows-11/ |date=August 21, 2024 |publisher=Forbes |title=Comparison of Windows and Linux performance in games on the same device. |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevangelho/2024/08/21/linux-scores-a-surprising-gaming-victory-against-windows-11/}}. These developments have made Linux an alternative to Windows in terms of game playability compared to the past.

The digital video game distribution platform Steam publishes a monthly "[https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/ Hardware & Software Survey]", with the statistics below:

{{note|steamstats|†}} These figures, as reported by Steam, do not include SteamOS statistics.{{cite web|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/3045249/linux/linux-gaming-is-much-healthier-than-steams-hardware-survey-implies.html|title=Linux gaming is much healthier than Steam's Hardware Survey implies|work=pcworld.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}

{{See also|Mobile operating system#Market share}}

File:Android phone.jpg is the most popular mobile operating system, and is used by virtually all mobile phones, except for iPhone models, which use iOS.]]

By Q1 2018, mobile operating systems on smartphones included Google's dominant Android (and variants) and Apple's iOS which combined had an almost 100% market share.{{cite web |url=https://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3876865/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613220451/https://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3876865 |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 June 2018 |title=Gartner Says Worldwide Sales of Smartphones Returned to Growth in First Quarter of 2018 |date=29 May 2018 |website=Gartner, Inc. |publisher=Gartner |access-date=25 August 2018}}

Smartphone penetration vs. desktop use differs substantially by country. Some countries, like Russia, still have smartphone use as low as 22.35% (as a fraction of all web use),{{Cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share/all/russian-federation/#monthly-201909-201909-bar|title=Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet vs Console Market Share Russian Federation {{!}} StatCounter Global Stats|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en|access-date=2019-10-16}} but in most western countries, smartphone use is close to 50% of all web use. This doesn't mean that only half of the population has a smartphone, could mean almost all have, just that other platforms have about equal use. Smartphone usage share in developing countries is much higher{{snd}} in Bangladesh, for example, Android smartphones had up to 84% and currently 70% share, and in Mali smartphones had over 90% (up to 95%) share for almost two years.{{Cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share/all/mali/#monthly-201403-201909|title=Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet vs Console Market Share Mali {{!}} StatCounter Global Stats|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en|access-date=2019-10-16}}{{Cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/all/mali/#monthly-201403-201906|title=Operating System Market Share Mali|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en|access-date=2019-07-15}} (A section below has more information on regional trends on the move to smartphones.)

There is a clear correlation between the GDP per capita of a country and that country's respective smartphone OS market share, with users in the richest countries being much more likely to choose Apple's iPhone, with Google's Android being predominant elsewhere.{{Cite web|url=https://www.insightportal.io/news/all-news/higher-gdp-per-capita-corresponds-with-more-apple-devices-stats-suggest|title=InsightPortal {{!}} Higher GDP per capita corresponds with more Apple devices, stats suggest|last=Bates|first=Adam|website=www.insightportal.io|language=en-gb|access-date=2017-10-18}}{{cite web|url=https://storage.googleapis.com/201609/how-to-stay-top-of-mind-asias-crowded-apps-marketplace/how-to-stay-top-of-mind-asias-crowded-apps-marketplace-deck1.pdf|title=Google Mobile App Marketing Insights: Asia|website=storage.googleapis.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/mobile/india/|title=Mobile Operating System Market Share India|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en|access-date=2019-01-23}}

{{clear}}

{{sort-under}}

{{Update|section|Recent statistics till mid-2018 is needed for some parts in this section.|date=August 2018}}

{{Organize section|date=September 2022|reason=The table "Global Shipments" needs to be moved to the appropriate section about shipments at the beginning of the article}}

Tablet computers, or simply tablets, became a significant OS market share category starting with Apple's iPad. In Q1 2018, iOS had 65.03% market share and Android had 34.58% market share.{{cite web |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/tablet/worldwide |title=Tablet Operating System Market Share Worldwide - July 2018 |date=29 May 2018 |website=StatCounter |access-date=25 August 2018}} Windows tablets may not get classified as such by some analysts, and thus barely register; e.g. 2-in-1 PCs may get classified as "desktops", not tablets.

Since 2016, in South America (and Cuba{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#tablet-os-CU-monthly-201310-201602|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} in North America), Android tablets have gained majority,{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/tablet/south-america/#monthly-201407-201709|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=20 October 2017}} and in Asia in 2017 Android was slightly more popular than the iPad, which was at 49.05% usage share in October 2015.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/tablet/asia/#monthly-201407-201709|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=20 October 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#tablet-os-as-daily-20140701-20160302|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#tablet-os-as-monthly-201407-201603|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} In Africa, Android tablets are much more popular while elsewhere the iPad has a safe margin.

{{As of|2015|March}}, Android has made steady gains to becoming the most popular tablet operating system:{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#tablet-os-ww-monthly-201208-201509 |title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com}} that is the trend in many countries, having already gained the majority in large countries (India at 63.25%,{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#tablet-os-IN-monthly-201403-201502|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com}} and in Indonesia at 62.22%{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#tablet-os-ID-monthly-201403-201502|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com}}) and in the African continent with Android at 62.22% (first to gain Android majority in late 2014),{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#tablet-os-af-monthly-201208-201509|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com}} with steady gains from 20.98% in August 2012{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#tablet-os-af-monthly-201208-201412|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com}} (Egypt at 62.37%,{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#tablet-os-EG-monthly-201208-201503|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com}} Zimbabwe at 62.04%), and South America at 51.09% in July 2015.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#tablet-os-sa-monthly-201208-201508 |title=Top 7 Tablet OSes in South America from Aug 2012 to Aug 2015 |work=statcounter.com}} (Peru at 52.96%{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#tablet-os-PE-monthly-201208-201503|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com}}). Asia is at 46%.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#tablet-os-as-monthly-201208-201509 |title=Top 7 Tablet OSes in South America from Aug 2012 to Sep 2015 |work=statcounter.com}} In Nepal, Android gained majority lead in November 2014 but lost it down to 41.35% with iOS at 56.51%.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#tablet-os-NP-monthly-201403-201502|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com}} In Taiwan, as of October 2016, Android after having gained a confident majority, has been on a losing streak.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#tablet-os-TW-monthly-201401-201610|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com}} China is a major exception to Android gaining market share in Asia (there Android phablets are much more popular than Android tablets, while similar devices get classified as smartphones) where the iPad/iOS is at 82.84% in March 2015.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#tablet-os-CN-monthly-201208-201503|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com}}

{{Update|section|Recent statistics from 2018 is needed for some parts in this section.|date=August 2018}}

{{See also|Usage share of web browsers#Crossover to smartphones having majority share}}

According to StatCounter web use statistics (a proxy for all use), smartphones are more popular than desktop computers globally (and Android in particular more popular than Windows). Including tablets with mobiles/smartphones, as they also run so-called mobile operating systems, even in the United States (and most countries) are mobiles including tablets more popular than other (older originally made for desktops) operating systems (such as Windows and macOS). Windows in the US (at 33.42%) has only 8% head-start (2.55-percentage points) over iOS only; with Android, that mobile operating system and iOS have 52.14% majority.{{Cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/all/united-states-of-america/#monthly-201809-201909|title=Operating System Market Share United States Of America|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en|access-date=2019-10-16}} Alternatively, Apple, with iOS plus their non-mobile macOS (9.33%) has 20% more share (6.7-percentage points more) than Microsoft's Windows in the country where both companies were built.

Although desktop computers are still popular in many countries (while overall down to 44.9% in the first quarter of 2017{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share#quarterly-201602-201701|title=Desktop vs mobile vs tablet vs console market share Worldwide - StatCounter Global Stats|website=StatCounter Global Stats}}), smartphones are more popular even in many developed countries. A few countries on all continents are desktop-minority 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{{Cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share#monthly-201803-201803-map|title=Operating System Market Share Worldwide {{!}} StatCounter Global Stats|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en|access-date=2018-04-10}} with smartphone-majority because of Android, Poland and Turkey in Europe highest with 57.68% and 62.33%, respectively. In Ireland, smartphone use at 45.55% outnumbers desktop use and mobile as a whole gains majority when including the tablet share at 9.12%.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share/all/europe/#monthly-201703-201703-map|title=Desktop vs mobile vs tablet vs console market share in Europe - StatCounter Global Stats|website=StatCounter Global Stats}}{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share#monthly-201703-201703-map|title=Desktop vs mobile vs tablet vs console market share Worldwide - StatCounter Global Stats|website=StatCounter Global Stats}} Spain was also slightly desktop-minority. As of July 2019, Sweden had been desktop-minority for eight weeks in a row.{{Cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share/all/sweden/#weekly-201918-201927|title=Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet vs Console Market Share Sweden|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en|access-date=2019-07-12}}

The range of measured mobile web use varies a lot by country, and a StatCounter press release recognizes "India amongst world leaders in use of mobile to surf the internet"{{cite press release |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/press/india-amongst-world-leaders-in-use-of-mobile-to-surf-the-internet |title=India amongst world leaders in use of mobile to surf the internet |date=28 March 2017}} (of the big countries) where the share is around (or over) 80%{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/all/india/#monthly-201503-201703|title=Operating system market share in India - StatCounter Global Stats|website=StatCounter Global Stats}} and desktop is at 19.56%, with Russia trailing with 17.8% mobile use (and desktop the rest).

Smartphones (discounting tablets), first gained majority in December 2016 (desktop-majority was lost the month before),{{Where|date=August 2019}} and it wasn't a Christmas-time fluke, as while close to majority after smartphone majority happened again in March 2017.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share#monthly-201604-201703|title=Desktop vs mobile vs tablet vs console market share Worldwide - StatCounter Global Stats|website=StatCounter Global Stats}}{{Clarify|reason=|date=August 2019}}

In the week of 7–13 November 2016, smartphones alone (without tablets) overtook desktop for the first time, albeit for a short period.{{cite web |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-weekly-201634-201645 |title=Comparison from W34 to W45 2015 |work=StatCounter Global Stats}} Examples of mobile-majority countries include Paraguay in South America, Poland in Europe and Turkey and most of Asia and Africa. Some of the world is still desktop-majority, with for example the United States at 54.89% (but not on all days).{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-weekly-201645-201645-map|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share}} However, in some territories of the United States, such as Puerto Rico,{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/all/puerto-rico/#monthly-201508-201909|title=Operating system market share in Puerto Rico - StatCounter Global Stats|website=StatCounter Global Stats}} desktop is significantly under majority, with Windows just under 25%, overtaken by Android.

On 22 October 2016 (and subsequent weekends), mobile showed majority.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-daily-20160628-20161114|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share}} Since 27 October, the desktop hasn't had a majority, including on weekdays. Smartphones alone have shown majority since 23 December to the end of the year, with the share topping at 58.22% on Christmas Day.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-daily-20161024-20170430|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} To the "mobile"-majority share of smartphones, tablets could be added giving a 63.22% majority. While an unusually high top, a similar high also occurred on Monday 17 April 2017, with the smartphone share slightly lower and tablet share slightly higher, combining to 62.88%.

Formerly, according to a StatCounter press release, the world has turned desktop-minority;{{cite press release |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/press/mobile-and-tablet-internet-usage-exceeds-desktop-for-first-time-worldwide |title=Mobile and tablet Internet usage exceeds desktop for first time worldwide |work=StatCounter}} {{as of|2016|10|lc=y}}, at about 49% desktop use for that month, but mobile wasn't ranked higher, tablet share had to be added to it to exceed desktop share.

For the Christmas season (i.e. temporarily, while desktop-minority remains and smartphone-majority on weekends{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share#daily-20161001-20170331|title=Desktop vs mobile vs tablet vs console market share Worldwide - StatCounter Global Stats|work=statcounter.com|access-date=3 April 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/comparison-market-share/all/worldwide/#weekly-201641-201703|title=Desktop vs mobile vs tablet vs console market share Worldwide - StatCounter Global Stats|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}), the last two weeks in December 2016, Australia (and Oceania in general){{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-AU-weekly-201639-201653|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} was desktop-minority for the first time for an extended period, i.e. every day from 23 December.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-AU-daily-20161101-20161231|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}

In South America, smartphones alone took majority from desktops on Christmas Day, but for a full-week-average, desktop is still at least at 58%.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-sa-weekly-201553-201653|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}

The UK desktop-minority dropped down to 44.02% on Christmas Day and for the eight days to the end of the year.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-GB-daily-20161024-20161230|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} Ireland joined some other European countries with smartphone-majority, for three days after Christmas, topping that day at 55.39%.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-IE-daily-20161024-20161231|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-IE-daily-20151024-20160131|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}

In the US, desktop-minority happened for three days on and around Christmas (while a longer four-day stretch happened in November, and happens frequently on weekends).{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-US-daily-20161024-20161231|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}

According to StatCounter web use statistics (a proxy for all use), in the week from 7–13 November 2016, "mobile" (meaning smartphones) alone (without tablets) overtook desktop, for the first time, with them highest ranked at 52.13% (on 27 November 2016){{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-daily-20160701-20161127|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} or up to 49.02% for a full week.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-daily-20161124-20161130-bar|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}{{cite web |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-weekly-201634-201647 |title=Comparison from W34 to W47 2016 |work=StatCounter Global Stats}} Mobile-majority 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-majority, while on some days, the United States,{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-US-daily-20160601-20161127|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} (and North America as a whole){{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-na-daily-20160601-20161127|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} isn't; the US is desktop-minority up to four days in a row,{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-US-daily-20161122-20161128-bar|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} and up to a five-day average.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-US-daily-20161123-20161127-bar|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} Other examples, of desktop-minority on some days, include the UK, Ireland,{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-IE-daily-20160601-20161130|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} Australia{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-AU-daily-20160901-20161130|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} (and Oceania as a whole); in fact, at least one country on every continent{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-monthly-201610-201610-map|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-HT-weekly-201540-201648|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-PR-weekly-201548-201648|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} has turned desktop-minority (for at least a month). On 22 October 2016 (and subsequent weekends), mobile has shown majority.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-daily-20160628-20161114|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}

Previously, according to a StatCounter press release, the world has turned desktop-minority;{{cite press release |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/press/mobile-and-tablet-internet-usage-exceeds-desktop-for-first-time-worldwide |title=Mobile and tablet internet usage exceeds desktop for first time worldwide |work=StatCounter}} {{as of|2016|10|lc=y}}, at about 49% desktop use for that month,{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-daily-20161001-20161031-bar|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-daily-20161004-20161031-bar|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} with desktop-minority stretching up to an 18-weeks/4-months period from 28 June to 31 October 2016,{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-daily-20160628-20161031-bar|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-weekly-201626-201643-bar|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} while whole of July, August or September 2016, showed desktop-majority (and many other long sub-periods in the long stretch showed desktop-minority; similarly only Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are desktop-minority). The biggest continents, Asia and Africa, have shown vast mobile-majority for long time (any day of the week), as well as several individual countries elsewhere have also turned mobile-majority: Poland, Albania (and Turkey){{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-eu-monthly-201609-201609-map|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} in Europe and Paraguay and Bolivia{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-BO-monthly-201509-201609|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} in South America.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-monthly-201609-201609-map|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}

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 a most used platform, ranking first, at 47.27%, above desktops.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-daily-20160528-20160528-bar|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-daily-20160325-20160604|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} The next day, desktops slightly outnumbered "mobile" (unless counting tablets: some analysts count tablets with smartphones or separately while others with desktops{{snd}} even when most tablets are iPad or Android, not Windows devices).{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-daily-20160529-20160529-bar|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}

Since Sunday 27 March 2016, the first day the world dipped to desktop-minority,https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-daily-20150701-20160724 Comparison from 1 July 2015 to 24 July 2016 it has happened almost every week, and by week of 11–17 July 2016, the world was desktop-minority,{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-weekly-201623-201630|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} followed by the next week, and thereon also for a three-week period.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-daily-20160705-20160725-bar|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} The trend is still stronger on weekends, with e.g. 17 July 2016 showed desktop at 44.67%, "mobile" at 49.5% plus tablets at 5.7%.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-daily-20160717-20160717-bar|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} Recent weekly data shows a downward trend for desktops.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-weekly-201408-201630|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-monthly-201507-201607|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}

According to StatCounter web use statistics (a proxy for overall use), on weekends desktops worldwide lose about 5 percent points, e.g. down to 51.46% on 15 August 2015, with the loss in (relative) web use going to mobile (and also a minuscule increase for tablets),{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-daily-20150701-20160711|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com}} mostly because Windows 7, ranked 1st on workdays, declines in web use, with it shifting to Android and lesser degree to iOS.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-os-ww-daily-20150701-20150929|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com}}

Two continents have already crossed over to mobile-majority (because of Android), based on StatCounters web use statistics. In June 2015, Asia became the first continent where mobile overtook desktop{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-as-monthly-201407-201509|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com}} (followed by Africa in August;{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-af-monthly-201407-201509|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com}} while Nigeria had mobile majority in October 2011,{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-ww-monthly-201110-201110-map|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com}}{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-NG-monthly-201012-201509|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com}} because of Symbian{{snd}} that later had 51% share, then Series 40 dominating, followed by Android as dominating operating system{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-os-NG-monthly-201012-201509|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com}}) 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".{{cite press release |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/press/mobile-internet-usage-soars-by-67-perc |title=Mobile internet usage soars by 67% |access-date=21 October 2014}} In India, desktop went from majority, in July 2012, down to 32%.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-IN-monthly-201204-201509|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com}} In Bangladesh desktop went from majority, in May 2013, down to 17%, with Android alone now accounting for majority web use.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-BD-monthly-201305-201909|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com}} Only a few African countries were still desktop-majority{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-af-monthly-201508-201508-map|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com}} and many have a large mobile majority including Ethiopia and Kenya, where mobile usage is over 72%.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-KE-monthly-201408-201410|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com}}

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,{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-os-as-monthly-201506-201506-map|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com}} while it also ranks most popular in almost every African country. Poland has been desktop-minority since April 2015,{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-PY-monthly-201405-201601|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} because of Android being vastly more popular there,{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-os-PL-daily-20150805-20150903-map|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com}} and other European countries, such as Albania (and Turkey), have also crossed over. The South America continent is somewhat far from losing desktop-majority, but Paraguay had lost it {{as of|2015|03|lc=y}}.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-PY-monthly-201405-201607|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} 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 analysts 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 majority to Android in South America,{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#tablet-os-sa-monthly-201412-201611|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} and a number of Eastern European countries such as Poland; lost virtually all African countries and has lost the majority twice in Asia, but gained the majority back (while many individual countries, e.g. India and most of the middle East have clear Android majority on tablets).{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#tablet-os-as-monthly-201412-201607|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}} Android on tablets is thus second most popular after the iPad.{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#tablet-os-ww-monthly-201606-201606-map|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}

In March 2015, for the first time in the US the number of mobile-only adult internet users 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.[http://www.comscore.com/Insights/Blog/Number-of-Mobile-Only-Internet-Users-Now-Exceeds-Desktop-Only-in-the-U.S Number of Mobile-Only Internet Users Now Exceeds Desktop-Only in the U.S.]. Retrieved 5 May 2015. A few smaller countries in North America, such as Haiti (because of Android) have gone mobile majority (mobile went to up to 72.35%, and is at 64.43% in February 2016).{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#all-comparison-HT-monthly-201204-201602|title=StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Usage Share|work=statcounter.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}

The region with the largest Android usage also has the largest mobile revenue.{{cite web|url=https://www.appannie.com/en/insights/market-data/app-annie-forecast-2017-mobile-app-store-revenue-exceed-139-billion-2021/|title=Forecast: Mobile App Store Revenue to Exceed $139B in 2021|website=appannie.com}}

File:Rack001.jpg in a colocation centre|upright|right]]

Internet based servers' market share can be measured with statistical surveys of publicly accessible servers, such as web servers, mail servers{{cite web|url=http://www.securityspace.com/s_survey/data/man.201007/mxsurvey.html|title=Mail Server Survey|publisher=Security Space|date=August 2011}} or DNS servers on the Internet: the operating systems powering such servers are found by inspecting raw response messages. This method gives insight only into market share of operating systems that are publicly accessible on the Internet.

There will be differences in the result depending on how the sample is done and observations weighted. Usually the surveys are not based on a random sample of all IP addresses, domain names, hosts or organisations, but on servers found by some other method.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}} Additionally, many domains and IP addresses may be served by one host and some domains may be served by several hosts or by one host with several IP addresses.

;Note: Revenue comparisons often include "operating system software, other bundled software"{{cite web |url=https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS24476413 |publisher=International Data Corporation |title=Worldwide Server Market Revenues Decline −3.7% in the Third Quarter as Weak Unix Server Demand Weights on the Market, According to IDC |access-date=24 February 2014 |archive-date=8 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140208235052/http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS24476413 |url-status=dead }} and are not appropriate for usage comparison as the Linux operating system costs nothing (including "other bundled software"), except if optionally using commercial distributions such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux (in that case, cost of software for all software bundled with hardware has to be known for all operating systems involved, and subtracted). In cases where no-cost Linux is used, such comparisons underestimate Linux server popularity and overestimate other proprietary operating systems such as Unix and Windows.

File:IBM System z10.jpg ]]

Mainframes are larger and more powerful than most servers, but not supercomputers. They are used to process large sets of data, for example enterprise resource planning or credit card transactions.

The most common operating system for mainframes is IBM's z/OS.{{Cite web |title=What is z/OS? |url=https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/definition/z-OS |access-date=2024-02-15 |website=Data Center |language=en}}{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} Operating systems for IBM Z generation hardware include IBM's proprietary z/OS,{{cite web|url=http://www.ccianet.org/index.asp?sid=5&artid=62&evtflg=False|title=IBM Tightens Stranglehold Over Mainframe Market; Gets Hit with Antitrust Complaint in Europe|publisher=Computer & Communications Industry Association|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706133546/http://www.ccianet.org/index.asp?sid=5&artid=62&evtflg=False|date=2 July 2008|archive-date=6 July 2010|access-date=27 May 2015}} Linux on IBM Z, z/TPF, z/VSE and z/VM.

Gartner reported on 23 December 2008 that Linux on System z was used on approximately 28% of the "customer z base" and that they expected this to increase to over 50% in the following five years.{{cite web |url=http://mediaproducts.gartner.com/reprints/novell/vol3/article1/article1.html |title=Vendor Rating: Novell, 2008 |work=Gartner RAS Core Research Note G00162399 |date=23 December 2008 |access-date = 23 November 2009}}{{dead link|date=December 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Of Linux on IBM Z, Red Hat and Micro Focus compete to sell RHEL and SLES respectively:

• Prior to 2006, Novell claimed a market share of 85% or more for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server.
• Red Hat has since claimed 18.4% in 2007 and 37% in 2008.{{cite news |url=http://searchdatacenter.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid80_gci1366811,00.html |title=Red Hat bolsters Linux for mainframes, tries to catch Novell |first=Bill |last=Claybrook |publisher=SearchDataCenter.com |date=1 September 2009 |access-date = 23 November 2009}}
• Gartner reported at the end of 2008 that Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Server had an 80% share of mainframe Linux.{{dead link|date=November 2021}}

Like today's trend of mobile devices from personal computers, in 1984 for the first time estimated sales of desktop computers ($11.6 billion) exceeded mainframe computers ($11.4 billion). IBM received the vast majority of mainframe revenue.{{Cite news |last=Sanger |first=David E. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/02/05/business/bailing-out-of-the-mainframe-industry.html |title=Bailing Out of the Mainframe Industry |date=1984-02-05 |work=The New York Times |access-date=2020-03-02 |page=Section 3, Page 1 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}

From 1991 to 1996, AT&T Corporation briefly owned NCR, one of the major original mainframe producers. During the same period, companies found that servers based on microcomputer designs could be deployed at a fraction of the acquisition price and offer local users much greater control over their own systems given the IT policies and practices at that time. Terminals used for interacting with mainframe systems were gradually replaced by personal computers. Consequently, demand plummeted and new mainframe installations were restricted mainly to financial services and government. In the early 1990s, there was a rough consensus among industry analysts that the mainframe was a dying market as mainframe platforms were increasingly replaced by personal computer networks.{{cite news|last=Also|first=Stewart|title=IBM still has brains to be player in client/server platforms|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XTwEAAAAMBAJ&q=death+mainframe&pg=PA4|access-date=Dec 26, 2013|newspaper=InfoWorld|date=Mar 8, 1993}}

In 2012, NASA powered down its last mainframe, an IBM System z9.{{cite book|last=Cureton|first=Linda|url=https://blogs.nasa.gov/NASA-CIO-Blog/2012/02/12/post_1329017818806/|title=The End of the Mainframe Era at NASA|publisher=NASA|date=11 February 2012|access-date=31 January 2014}} However, IBM's successor to the z9, the z10, led a New York Times reporter to state four years earlier that "mainframe technology—hardware, software and services—remains a large and lucrative business for IBM, and mainframes are still the back-office engines behind the world's financial markets and much of global commerce".{{cite news |last=Lohr |first=Steve |title=Why Old Technologies Are Still Kicking |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/technology/23digi.html |access-date=Dec 25, 2013 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=March 23, 2008}} {{As of|2010}}, while mainframe technology represented less than 3% of IBM's revenues, it "continue[d] to play an outsized role in Big Blue's results".{{cite news|last=Ante|first=Spencer E.|title=IBM Calculates New Mainframes Into Its Future Sales Growth|url=https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748703954804575381482738207168|access-date=Dec 25, 2013|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=July 22, 2010}}

File:Sierra Supercomputer (48002385338).jpg is primarily used for the stockpile stewardship program of the United States of America.]]

The TOP500 project lists and ranks the 500 fastest supercomputers for which benchmark results are submitted. Since the early 1990s, the field of supercomputers has been dominated by Unix or Unix-like operating systems, and starting in 2017, every top 500 fastest supercomputer uses Linux as its supercomputer operating system.

The last supercomputer to rank #1 while using an operating system other than Linux was ASCI White, which ran AIX. It held the title from November 2000 to November 2001,{{cite web|url=https://www.top500.org/resources/top-systems/asci-white-lawrence-livermore-national-laboratory/|title=No. 1 system from November 2000 to November 2001|publisher=top500.org|access-date=22 May 2019}} and was decommissioned in 2006. Then in June 2017, two AIX computers held rank 493 and 494,{{cite web | url = https://www.techfae.com/linux-running-almost-supercomputers/ | title = Linux is Running on Almost all of the Supercomputers | publisher = TechFAE| date = 25 June 2017 }} the last non-Linux systems before they dropped off the list.

File:Operating systems used on top 500 supercomputers.svg

Historically all kinds of Unix operating systems dominated, and in the end ultimately Linux remains.

{{clear}}

• Comparison of operating systems
• List of operating systems
• Timeline of operating systems
• Usage share of web browsers
• Mobile OS market share

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{{Operating System}}

*Usage share of operating systems

Operating systems