Windows 11 Finally Surpasses Windows 10 in Market Share Driven by Enterprise Migrations
7/04/2025Windows 11 Finally Surpasses Windows 10 in Market Share Driven by Enterprise Migrations
After a steady but slow climb, Windows 11 has finally eclipsed its predecessor, Windows 10, in terms of global market share. With just three months remaining until Microsoft officially ends support for many versions of Windows 10, the migration has seen a significant surge, primarily driven by enterprise adoption rather than individual consumer upgrades.
Key Takeaway: Windows 11 now holds 50.24% of the market share, surpassing Windows 10 (46.84%) as of July's StatCounter figures. This shift is largely propelled by businesses upgrading ahead of Windows 10's end-of-support in October 2025, rather than a boom in new AI PC sales.
A Pivotal Shift in Operating System Dominance
According to the latest StatCounter figures for July, Windows 11 now commands 50.24 percent of the market share, officially moving ahead of Windows 10, which stands at 46.84 percent. This represents a substantial shift over the past year. Just twelve months prior, Windows 10 maintained a dominant position with 66.04 percent of the market, while Windows 11 trailed significantly at 29.75 percent.
Enterprises Lead the Migration Ahead of Support Deadline
The primary catalyst for this accelerated adoption is the impending end-of-support deadline for many Windows 10 versions, scheduled for October 14, 2025. As the deadline draws nearer, businesses and organizations are proactively upgrading their systems to ensure continued security updates and support from Microsoft.
Industry analysts had widely predicted a surge in migrations around the July or October period, aligning with the start of new fiscal years for many companies. The recent increase in Windows 11's market share appears to be a direct result of these long-planned enterprise replacement waves or administrators upgrading existing compatible hardware. Notably, this growth is not attributed to a sudden surge in purchases of new hardware, particularly the much-hyped AI PCs, which have seen slower sales than anticipated.
The crossing of the market share threshold marks a significant milestone for Windows 11. While its initial adoption pace was slower than Microsoft might have hoped, the approaching end-of-life for Windows 10 has provided the necessary impetus for widespread corporate migration. This trend is expected to continue as the October deadline approaches, solidifying Windows 11's position as the leading operating system in the Windows ecosystem.