Zorin OS 18 Hits over a Million Downloads

Dec 02, 2025

If you doubt Linux isn't gaining popularity, you only have to look at Zorin OS's download numbers.

Prior to the end of Windows 10, a lot of Linux distributions (and members of the open source community) were pushing the open source operating system for those with machines that weren't upgradable to Windows 11. The push was serious and everywhere. Many assumed it would fail, but one particular distribution proved that it was not the case.

The distribution in question was Zorin OS, and it enjoyed over a million downloads in just over a month. What is even more telling is that over 78 percent of those downloads came from Windows machines. That's not just Linux users going about the usual distro hopping; this is Windows users downloading an alternative OS. Of course, this broke all Zorin OS download records to date.

Now, most distributions don't share their download numbers, but it's obvious why the Zorin OS team decided to make that information public: It's very telling. Windows 10 users saw the writing on the wall and decided it was time to find a better path forward. According to the data, that path is Zorin OS. This came at a perfect time, as it coincided with the release of Zorin OS 18.

Maybe, sometime in the near future, other distributions will release their "post Windows 10" numbers as well.
 
 

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