Microsoft has a strong reason for you to switch from Windows 10 to Arm-powered PCs

App compatibility is a big concern for those considering Arm-based Windows PCs, but, according to Microsoft, the platform is doing rather great.

The official Copilot Plus PC banner

As we get closer to the end of Windows 10 support next month, millions of users consider upgrading their devices, and Microsoft sees this as a perfect opportunity to push its Copilot+ PCs, particularly Arm-powered devices such as the Surface Pro 11 or the Surface Laptop 7. These devices have great battery life and provide access to various AI-powered experiences, thanks to having powerful neural processing units (NPUs). However, for PC customers, app compatibility is a major concern, and Windows on Arm was infamous for rather poor support from developers.

In 2024, with the launch of the Copilot+ PCs, things changed. Developers are now much more willing to optimize their apps and projects for Windows on Arm, and Microsoft's latest blog post boasts the expanding Arm app ecosystem for Copilot+ PCs. Microsoft claims that Arm-native programs account for 90% of the time users spend on their computers.

The blog post also mentions several categories where some of the most popular apps are now available natively on Windows on Arm:

Security: 1Password, ESET, Bitwarden, Malwarebytes, Cisco Secure Endpoint, Lenovo Smart Connect, myASUS, ReasonLabs, and more.
VPN: Proton VPN, Express VPN, Surfshark VPN, Private Internet Access, OpenVPN, and more.
Management tools: DISM++, VMware Tools, Microsoft Intune, Citrix Workspace, Sunlogin Client, ConnectWise RMM, and more.
Productivity: Google Drive, Trello, Slack, Dropbox, 7-Zip, Microsoft 365, Todoist, Libre Office, and more.
Creative apps: Adobe Creative Cloud, Blender, Figma, Davinci Resolve, GIMP, Camtasia, CorelDRAW, and more.
Entertainment: Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Spotify, WhatsApp, Telegram, Apple Music, Google Chrome, Instagram, and more.

That, of course, is not the complete list of apps that work natively on Windows on Arm. Microsoft recommends visiting worksonwoa.com, a third-party website that tracks apps and games that, as the name suggests, work on Arm-powered devices. Microsoft itself contributes to the data, and it is a valuable resource for those who want to check app compatibility before buying a Copilot+ PC.