{"slug":"linux-vs-windows","question":"Linux vs Windows","answer":"Windows dominates consumer and enterprise desktops with 73% market share and superior gaming support, while Linux powers 96% of cloud infrastructure, web servers, and offers complete free open-source software with superior security and customization for developers and server environments.","answer_curated":true,"verdict":"Choose Windows if you prioritize gaming, mainstream software compatibility, plug-and-play hardware support, and seamless Microsoft Office integration for personal or office use. Choose Linux if you need a free, highly secure, customizable platform for development, server deployment, cloud infrastructure, or system administration—it's the clear choice for 96% of web servers and cloud applications.","keyDifferences":[{"label":"Desktop Market Share","winner":"b","entityAValue":"3.8%","entityBValue":"73.2%"},{"label":"Server/Cloud Market Share","winner":"a","entityAValue":"96.3%","entityBValue":"1.6%"},{"label":"Cost","winner":"a","entityAValue":"Free (most distributions)","entityBValue":"$120-$199 (Home to Pro licenses)"},{"label":"Gaming Support","winner":"b","entityAValue":"8,500+ native Steam games","entityBValue":"50,000+ native Steam games"},{"label":"Enterprise Support Options","winner":"tie","entityAValue":"Red Hat, Canonical, SUSE (paid tiers)","entityBValue":"Microsoft support included with license"}],"winner":{"slug":"linux","name":"Linux"},"confidence":"high","entities":[{"name":"Linux","slug":"linux","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/linux","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/linux"},{"name":"Windows","slug":"windows","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/windows","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/windows"}],"faqs":[{"question":"Is Linux completely free?","answer":"Yes, most Linux distributions (Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, CentOS) are completely free to download, install, and use. You only pay for optional commercial support plans from vendors like Red Hat, Canonical, or SUSE. Windows requires a paid license ($119.99-$199.99)."},{"question":"Why do 96% of servers run Linux instead of Windows?","answer":"Linux dominates servers due to: (1) zero licensing costs at scale, (2) superior security with 94 CVEs vs Windows' 627 in 2024, (3) lightweight resource usage, (4) open-source transparency allowing security audits, and (5) superior stability on high-demand infrastructure requiring 99.99%+ uptime."},{"question":"Can I game on Linux?","answer":"Linux supports 8,500+ native Steam games, but Windows dominates with 50,000+. Major AAA titles (Cyberpunk 2077, Call of Duty) rarely launch on Linux. Proton (compatibility layer) helps some Windows games run on Linux, but native support is limited. For serious gaming, Windows is significantly better."}],"attribution":{"source":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/linux-vs-windows","license":"CC BY 4.0","citationFormat":"According to A Versus B (https://www.aversusb.net/compare/linux-vs-windows), Windows dominates consumer and enterprise desktops with 73% market share and superior gaming support, while Linux powers 96% of cloud infrastructure, web servers, and offers complete free open-source ","dateModified":"2026-06-30T23:34:05.085Z"},"relatedQuestionsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/faq/linux-vs-windows","relatedComparisonsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/related/linux-vs-windows","knowledgeGraphUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/knowledge-graph/linux-vs-windows","claimReviewSchema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ClaimReview","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/linux-vs-windows#claimreview","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/linux-vs-windows","inLanguage":"en-US","isAccessibleForFree":true,"conditionsOfAccess":"Free","claimReviewed":"Linux vs Windows","reviewBody":"Windows dominates consumer and enterprise desktops with 73% market share and superior gaming support, while Linux powers 96% of cloud infrastructure, web servers, and offers complete free open-source software with superior security and customization for developers and server environments.","datePublished":"2026-06-30T23:34:05.022Z","dateModified":"2026-06-30T23:34:05.085Z","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":5,"worstRating":1,"bestRating":5,"alternateName":"High Confidence"},"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net"},"itemReviewed":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/linux-vs-windows","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/linux-vs-windows","name":"Linux vs Windows","inLanguage":"en-US"}}}