Summary

  • Zorin OS 18 hit 2 million downloads in under three months.
  • More than 1.5 million downloads (over 3/4) came from Windows users.
  • A promising sign for Linux growth, although downloads don't necessarily translate to installs or long-term users.

Just under three months ago, Zorin OS 18 was released to the public. It's a Linux-based operating system that has a primary focus on making Windows users as comfortable as possible. This includes adding OneDrive functionality and even allowing users to change their desktop GUI to mirror that of Windows 10 or 11.

It seems the strategy paid off, as, after just a month after release, 780,000 Windows users had downloaded Zorin OS 18. Of course, we had no way of knowing how many of those downloads lead to actual installs, let alone conversions. However, it was interesting to see that the interest in Linux was strong, at the very least.

Fortunately, it appears as if that initial month wasn't just a passing fad. While the momentum has cooled a little bit, the devs have reported that the OS has accrued over 1.5 million Windows downloads in just under three months.

Zorin OS 18 enjoyed 2 million downloads in under three months

Of which, 3/4ths of them were from Windows machines

Over on X, the official Zorin OS account has published an update about its download statistics for its newest operating system, Zorin OS 18. It was released back on October 24th, 2025, and has seen its fair share of downloads since launch; now, it has managed to cross the 2 million download milestone just before the OS turned three months old.

Of these 2 million downloads, more than 3/4ths of them were from Windows machines. That makes a cool 1.5 million downloads from people in Microsoft's ecosystem, which is very promising for the future of Linux. It's worth noting that this stat is purely based on downloads, and we have zero idea how many of those downloads turned into full-blown Zorin OS 18 installations. And even if we did, we wouldn't know how many of those users balked after day one, or if they stuck with it as their new daily driver.

However, from the perspective of raw interest, the number is very promising. Even if the number of converts is low, the fact that Windows users are curious enough to not only check out Zorin OS 18 but also download it shows that Linux is slowly becoming a larger part of people's lives.