Latest figures have shown the gap between Windows 10 and Windows 11 users has grown meaning even more people are sticking with Microsoft’s older operating system.
Windows 10 has continued to beat the latest Windows 11 software when it comes to sheer user number but, in a surprise twist, the divide between these two platforms actually seems to be getter bigger. That’s according to the latest figures from the team at Statcounter who say the number of Windows 10 users grew in April while those with Windows 11 on their machines decreased.
The latest update claims to show that, last month, Windows 10 had a 69.89% share of the market (up 69.07 from March 2024), Windows 11 on the other hand dropped to 26.1% – that’s down from 28.16% in February 2024.
It’s worth noting that these are not official figures from Microsoft but it must still be massively worrying for the Redmond firm, especially with what’s just around the corner.
In under 18 months, all free support for Windows 10 will end which means PCs that use it will be more vulnerable to cyber attacks and data-stealing malware. Users will also miss out on shiny new features and laptop-boosting upgrades.
The deadline set by Microsoft is October 2025 which means time is ticking for Windows 10 users to make the switch. Even with that end of life looming, it seems most are happy staying with what they currently use.
We’ll have to wait and see if Microsoft is forced to push back that switch-off date but there are already signs that the company will let Windows 10 users continue to access it for longer than originally planned.
One update recently announced is the option to pay for Extended Security Updates (ESUs) which will be available until 2028. It’s been confirmed that this will cost businesses, $61 per year (£48) – we are still waiting on consumer prices to be revealed.
Announcing the boost to Windows 10, Microsoft’s Jason Leznek said: “By now, you’ve probably heard that Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025,” said
“You can enroll those PCs in the paid Extended Security Update (ESU) program. ESUs allow you to receive critical and/or important security updates for Windows 10 PCs when you need extra time to move to Windows 11.”
With so many people still using Windows 10 – this popular OS could be sticking around for longer than we all thought.
