🆚 Ubuntu vs. Windows

Compare technologies based on real-world usage data *

📈 Windows is twice as popular as Ubuntu.
🌎 Windows is more popular in the United States, China, and the United Kingdom.
🌍 Ubuntu is more popular in Germany, Russia, and France.

Type

Operating system

About

Ubuntu is a free operating system based on Debian GNU/Linux, designed for use on desktops, laptops, servers, and mobile devices.

Windows is a family of proprietary operating systems from Microsoft used on personal computers, servers, and virtualized environments.

In its Windows Server editions, it combines web hosting through IIS with support for ASP.NET, application pools and SSL management, alongside Active Directory for centralized identity, Hyper-V virtualization, PowerShell automation, and hybrid cloud integration with Azure.

Headquarters

London, United Kingdom

Redmond, Washington, United States

Website

ubuntu.com #2,223

microsoft.com/windows #3

Pricing

Free version ✔️Open source

Ubuntu Pro Server$500+/year

Free version ❌

Windows Server 2025Standard edition$1,176
Datacenter edition$6,771

Popularity

Determined by the number of sites using each technology.

The Windows operating system is 1.8 times more popular than Ubuntu.

Total websites

Market share

Operating Systems

Popularity by country

Determined by the number of sites detected from each country.

Windows is more popular in the United States, China, and the United Kingdom, while Ubuntu is more popular in Germany, Russia, and France.

United States

China

United Kingdom

Italy

Germany

India

Russia

Turkey

Netherlands

Canada

Awards

🥈 Second most popular in Germany in the Operating Systems category.
🥈 Second most popular in Russia in the Operating Systems category.
🥈 Second most popular in Poland in the Operating Systems category.
🥈 Second most popular in Ukraine in the Operating Systems category.
🥈 Second most popular in Finland in the Operating Systems category.

🥇 Most popular in China in the Operating Systems category.
🥇 Most popular in Turkey in the Operating Systems category.
🥇 Most popular in Denmark in the Operating Systems category.
🥇 Most popular in Vietnam in the Operating Systems category.
🥇 Most popular in Iran in the Operating Systems category.

Popularity by domain category

Determined by the number of sites in each category.

Windows is more popular among sites focused on business, marketing and merchandising, and education and reference, while Ubuntu is more commonly used on general news and blogs and wiki sites.

Business

Marketing/Merchandising

Education/Reference

Online Shopping

Internet Services

Software/Hardware

Entertainment

Sports

Public Information

Health