Recap: Microsoft's efforts to convince Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11 finally appear to be showing results. In June 2025, the newer OS saw a significant increase in user share, bringing it to near parity with Windows 10. Although Windows 10 reaches its end of life in three months, customers still have several options to delay or avoid switching to its successor.
According to StatCounter's June 2025 report, 47.8% of Windows users worldwide now use Windows 11, placing Microsoft's latest operating system just over one percentage point behind Windows 10, which stands at 48.8%. The difference is likely within the margin of error. Microsoft has recently intensified its efforts to encourage Windows 11 upgrades before support for Windows 10 ends on October 14.
Windows 11 took nearly three years to catch up to its predecessor, gaining adoption much more slowly than previous versions. Its strict system requirements played a significant role. Most CPUs manufactured before 2017 do not support the operating system, leaving an estimated 240 million PCs ineligible for the upgrade.
In addition, many users see little difference between the two versions. Our last benchmark from 2024 showed that most applications run identically on Windows 10 and 11.
However, Windows 11 began gaining significant user share earlier this year. Both March and June saw increases of over four percentage points. Still, millions of Windows 10 devices may be left behind when support ends in October.
Those unable to upgrade can pay $30 for an additional year of security updates, receive them for free by enrolling in Windows Backup, obtain unofficial updates through 0patch, or convert their aging machines to Linux. A limited-time deal on our store allows compatible machines to upgrade to Windows 11 for just $10.
Meanwhile, Microsoft recently revised a statement about the growth of Windows' total user base, prompting discussion about the future of the PC market.
In 2022, the company reported that combined Windows 10 and 11 installations had grown from 1.3 to 1.4 billion since the previous year. However, a blog post published earlier this month stated only "over a billion," leading to speculation that Windows had lost around 400 million users.
Microsoft has now edited their blog that now reads "over 1.4 billion," suggesting that Windows has grown less over the past three years than it did between 2021 and 2022. Those years saw a surge in PC sales due to the pandemic, but the market has since stabilized. Windows also faces growing competition from Macs and mobile devices.