Windows 11 has come this close to Windows 10’s market share for the first time in three years since its release. According to StatCounter’s June 2025 data, Windows 11’s global usage rate has risen to 47.8%. Windows 10 still maintains its leadership, albeit slightly, at 48.8%. However, the gap has narrowed to just 1%.

Windows 11’s user base is increasing

The adoption of Windows 11, which was released in 2021, was particularly slow in the first two years. The strictness of the system requirements played a major role in this delay. Due to the hardware limitations set by Microsoft, millions of computers manufactured before 2017 were not officially supported by Windows 11. This decision by the company excluded approximately 240 million computers from the operating system upgrade.

Another reason for the slow transition was that the differences between Windows 10 and Windows 11 were not very clear to the end user. Apart from some innovations in the user interface, the lack of major changes in general functionality has reduced the motivation of many users to upgrade their systems.

However, this trend has started to change as of the beginning of 2025. Between March and June, Windows 11 saw a market share increase of over 4 percent. When compared to the June 2024 data, there was a gap of approximately 40 percent between the two operating systems at that time. Windows 11 closed this gap in just one year, reaching the level of Windows 10.

Microsoft plans to end support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. As this date approaches, the company is expected to offer new incentives to direct users to Windows 11. In addition to steps such as special migration tools for corporate customers, free support periods and licensing conveniences, it is envisaged to increase campaigns that encourage individual users to upgrade.

The picture that emerges as of June 2025 reveals that Microsoft has been partially successful in these strategies. With a global market of approximately 1.4 billion active Windows devices, the transformation of operating systems could accelerate further as we enter the final quarter. It is now only a matter of time before Windows 11 overtakes Windows 10 in the near future.