
You do have other options like Linux and Chrome OS, though both of those are in the low single digits when it comes to market share. According to StatCounter (Opens in a new window) and Statista (Opens in a new window), Macs still only account for about 15% of desktop computers worldwide, while Windows has more than 75% market share (Opens in a new window). Market share is another thing to consider.

It also involves what the people around you use, your ecosystem (including your smartphone and tablet), your business needs, and your personality. Your choice of OS involves much more than just features, hardware, and software support. For this exercise, though, we're not overly concerned just with the latest versions-we're really trying to compare Windows and macOS generally, since people still use Windows 10 and even our macOS expert reviewer recommends waiting to upgrade your Mac to Ventura. Since our last update of this head-to-head, Windows 10 became Windows 11 and macOS became macOS Ventura. So don't expect a correlation between the final tally here and our review ratings. Note that this is a different exercise than how we review products, which involves rating each product as a whole in its category rather than as the sum of its parts, as we do here. Each category has a winner or is declared a tie, and we tally up the points at the end to declare a winner. The approach here is to work our way through the standard operating system features, comparing what you get from Microsoft and Apple. Many of the software applications that I test and write about run on macOS as well as Windows. I do, however, have plenty of experience with Macs and iPhones. In the spirit of full disclosure, like most of the desktop and laptop world, I am primarily a Windows user. Mac operating system debate probably just aren’t aware of what the other side has to offer, and some of you may actually be curious. I dread the angry comments, emails, and social posts headed my way because of this comparison, but hear me out. How to Set Up Two-Factor Authentication.


