The Package Library in PDQ Deploy is jam-packed with hundreds of today's most popular applications and packages. But we wanted to see which packages were most popular among our fantastic users. So we've compiled a list of the top 10 most downloaded packages of 2022. While some of these rankings won't shock anyone, there are a few surprises on this list that even I wasn't expecting.
1. Google Chrome Enterprise
There are two types of sysadmins in this world: those who knew Chrome would take the top spot on this list and those who pretended that something else would be number one — but still secretly knew Chrome would be number one.
With over 65% of the web browser market share throughout 2022, Chrome continues to dominate the charts. This statistic shouldn't come as news to anyone since Chrome has dominated the browser market since 2012, when it first stole the top spot from Internet Explorer. Rest in peace IE.
2. Microsoft Edge for Business
While Google Chrome taking the top spot wasn’t a shock, Microsoft Edge making the list and claiming the number two spot definitely surprised some folks, myself included — especially since it already comes preinstalled in Windows.
Microsoft Edge has come a long way, and users are starting to realize it. The most significant change came in 2020, when Microsoft decided if you can't beat them, join them, and switched Edge over to Chromium, the powerful open-source browser project powering most major browsers today. While I don't expect Edge to overtake Chrome in popularity anytime soon, it's nice to have an array of capable browser options on the market.
3. Mozilla Firefox 64-bit
Mozilla Firefox is another common web browser, one of the few these days that isn't based on Chromium. While its popularity has slowly declined over the past 10 years, it's still the browser of choice for many web-surfing aficionados and regularly sees over 200 million active users.
As applications transition to the web, browser usage keeps growing. I expect browsers will continue to be among the most downloaded packages in the Package Library in the future.
4. Zoom Client
I mean, it makes sense, right? When the pandemic hit in 2020, working from home became the new norm for many workers. Because of the situation, Zoom's popularity exploded, and it became an essential application for most organizations. If you thought working from home would get you out of meetings, guess again. At least some of us make the most of it by wearing sweatpants or using cat filters to make the meetings a little more tolerable.
As the pandemic winds down, we'll see if Zoom can keep its ranking among the top downloaded packages.
5. Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Workstations
Microsoft's .NET Framework is a software development platform that developers worldwide use to create world-class applications. As such, it's a necessary component that many applications rely upon.
While many modern applications utilize newer versions of .NET and current Windows installations come with .NET 4.8 baked in, .NET 3.5 is still heavily relied upon by applications as it supports older .NET Framework versions, like version 2.0 and 3.0.
6. Mozilla Firefox
How did Firefox sneak onto this list twice? Oh, that's right — we offer both the 64-bit and 32-bit versions of Firefox in the Package Library. In fact, if you combined the downloads of both versions into one entry, Firefox would sit comfortably in the second-place spot on this list.
What's interesting is to see 64-bit applications finally overtake their 32-bit siblings in popularity. Who knows — maybe 32-bit applications will be a thing of the past. If Microsoft finally dropped its 32-bit OS, this transition would probably happen sooner rather than later.
7. Microsoft Teams
Microsoft is making a big push to get its popular collaboration and communication application into users’ hands. (Whew, that was a lot of "-tions.") Well, their tactics seem to be working because Microsoft Teams came in seventh place on our most downloaded packages list.
If you're not familiar with Teams, you soon will be. Microsoft Teams comes preinstalled on Windows 11. If you use Teams, this could simplify some administrative overhead. If you don't use Teams, then you get to deal with the hassle of removing it. Either way, Teams is here to stay, and silently deploying it with PDQ Deploy is the easiest way to administer it.
8. Notepad++ 64-bit
Everyone's favorite text editor made the list!
Notepad++ is for all those notepad lovers who just need a few extra features in their lives, like tabs, syntax markup, autoindents, autosave, macros, line numbering, and more. With so many features, it's unsurprising that Notepad++ made the list, but it is a shame that it couldn't break into the top five.
There's always next year, champ.
9. Win 10 (20H2/21H1/21H2) – Cumulative Update 64-bit
Finding a Windows cumulative update on this list should come as no surprise. However, I’m a bit shocked to find it so low on the list. Hopefully, it’s not a sign that people are delaying or putting off their Windows updates. While Microsoft doesn’t have the best track record of releasing bug-free updates, patching vulnerabilities should always be high on everyone’s list of important things to do. Check out our guides on creating a patching schedule and automating your patch management to help get your patching under control.
10. Adobe Reader DC
Adobe Reader has been around for as long as I can remember, and it's definitely the oldest application on this list. First released in 1993, it's taken on many forms and a few different names, but its primary goal over the years remains unchanged: reading PDF files.
Sitting at number 10 on this list, Adobe Reader and PDFs don't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. PDFs, in particular, are still heavily utilized, especially when dealing with business and legal documentation.
While many other PDF readers are on the market today, Adobe Reader is still the go-to application for many users needing a fast, efficient, capable, and free PDF reader.
What will next year bring?
Did your favorite package make the list? If not, why not help it out? Download a free trial of PDQ Deploy and start downloading packages to help your favorite app earn a top spot in the most downloaded packages list.
Have a favorite application that's not in the Package Library? Request it! We'll do our best to add it to the Package Library so you can silently deploy it across your network with ease.
