Zorin OS is a Linux distro designed as an alternative to Windows and macOS. Over the past three months, it has seen an impressive influx of Windows users, likely driven by Windows 10 reaching end of life and Linux becoming a more appealing platform as Microsoft continues to push AI deeper into Windows and its wider ecosystem.
One of Linux’s biggest strengths is how widely it supports different hardware. Unlike Windows 11, it is not locked behind requirements like TPM 2.0, which leaves a large number of still capable PCs unable to upgrade. For many users, that makes Linux an increasingly attractive fallback, since it lets them keep using hardware that still works instead of being forced into buying something new just to stay secure and supported.
Zorin OS 18 is capitalizing on Windows 10’s forced retirement
It is no surprise to see Zorin OS 18 making the most of Windows 10 reaching end of life. The update for the Linux distro released on the same day Windows 10 lost support from Microsoft, and it has since seen over 2 million downloads in under three months, with around 75% coming from Windows 10 and Windows 11 users. The group behind the distro has described it as the biggest release in the project’s history.
Zorin OS 18 just crossed 2 million downloads in under 3 months 🚀More than ¾ of these downloads came from Windows users, helping to grow the Linux user base even further.Thank you to everyone who supported and shared our biggest release ever! pic.twitter.com/cmituSN13uJanuary 11, 2026
It also helps that Zorin OS is often described as the Linux distro best suited for Windows users, which could also describe the influx of users.
While this is not a clear sign that everyone is switching full-time, it does show a growing interest in trying alternatives to Windows. For many users, that curiosity is being driven by frustration with unwanted AI features and the increasing amount of bloatware built into Microsoft’s platform.
Zorin OS is not the only Linux distro seeing growth. Steam’s hardware survey shows Linux usage climbing, with the latest data reporting a 0.38% increase, bringing Linux to a 3.58% share of installs. Windows still dominates with a 94.23% share among Steam users, so Linux has a long way to go.
You can check out Zorin OS's homepage for more information.
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