Most Popular Operating Systems (1981 - 2026)

In this video, I rank the most used operating systems in the world from 1981 to 2026. 🏆 List of the most popular operating systems in 2026: • Android • iOS • Windows 11 • Windows 10 • Mac OS X For earlier years, the methodology relies on hardware sales data by manufacturer, adjusted using estimates of device lifespan to approximate active usage. In more recent periods, the approach shifts to web-based data sources such as ISP metrics and traffic analytics. As a result, the scope is limited to operating systems on consumer PCs and smartphones, since other environments like embedded systems, home devices, or servers generate too little measurable web activity to produce reliable estimates. Concerning Linux needs: a large number of operating systems in the chart are built on the Linux kernel. Still, they are listed under their own names because they function as independent products with distinct identities. The “Linux” category itself groups usage from major distributions like Ubuntu, Debian, and Fedora. Sources: Company Reports, Bloomberg, Forbes, Wikipedia 📩 Connect With Us: Contact: contact@favoree.io YouTube: @favoree-io Twitter: https://twitter.com/Favoree_ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/93335406 DISCLAIMER: This comparison is based on public data, and approximate estimations that may be subject to some degree of error. #operatingsystem #windows #windows11 #ios #macos #android #linux