Windows operating systems market share of desktop PCs worldwide 2017-2024

Windows 10 is the most popular Windows desktop operating system, accounting for a market share of around 65 percent as of July 2024. The share of devices running the older Windows 7 OS has slipped over the past year, with the newer Windows 11 running on around 31 percent of devices. 

A global dominance in computer operating systems

Microsoft’s Windows is the most widely used computer (desktop, tablet, and console) operating system (OS) in the world with more than 68 percent of the market share. It's closest competitors — Apple's macOS and iOS — hold a combined less than 20 percent of the market. Despite its dominance in the computer OS market, Microsoft has been unable to have the same impact on the mobile OS market, where Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS split the market with a combined share of over 99 percent.

Operating systems

  Operating systems are the underlying platforms connecting computer hardware and software. They provide users with the graphical interface that enables them to issue commands and perform tasks on electronic devices. Almost every device today — from smartphones and desktop computers, to graphical calculators — requires an operating system to function.