Qubit counts make headlines, and they mislead more than any other number in quantum computing. This list gives the current machines and their counts, then explains why the count is the least useful column in the table.
Read the physical vs logical split first
A physical qubit is one real qubit in the machine. A logical qubit is an error-corrected unit built from many physical qubits, and it is the one that holds up through a computation. Comparing a 5,000-qubit annealer to a 36-qubit trapped ion machine compares two different things. See Logical Qubits and Fault Tolerance and What a 100-Qubit Machine Means for the full distinction.
The current machines
| Processor | Qubits | Modality | Company | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advantage2 | 5,000+ | Annealing | D-Wave | 2025 |
| (unnamed) | 1,180 | Neutral atom | Atom Computing | 2024 |
| Condor | 1,121 | Superconducting | IBM | 2023 |
| Aquila | 256 | Neutral atom | QuEra | 2022 |
| Radiance | 150 | Superconducting | IQM | 2025 |
| Heron | 133 | Superconducting | IBM | 2023 |
| Willow | 105 | Superconducting | 2024 | |
| Ankaa-3 | 84 | Superconducting | Rigetti | 2024 |
| Helios | 48 logical | Trapped ion | Quantinuum | 2025 |
| Forte Enterprise | 36 algorithmic | Trapped ion | IonQ | 2024 |
The list changes quickly. Vendors ship new processors roughly yearly, and qubit counts rise on every cycle. Check the top companies list for current rankings.
Why the count misleads
Three machines with the same physical qubit count deliver different amounts of work. A trapped ion machine holds state for seconds and connects every qubit to every other. A superconducting machine runs fast gates but forgets in a hundred microseconds. An annealer holds the most qubits of all and cannot run a general circuit. The count says none of this.
Two better numbers matter. Fidelity sets how many gates you run before the answer is noise. Quantum volume bundles size, fidelity, and connectivity into one benchmark. Neither makes a headline, both predict performance. See Quantum Volume: How to Measure It Yourself.
What to compare instead
Ask three questions of any processor. How many logical qubits does it produce, and when? What is the two-qubit gate fidelity? How much of the hardware is error-corrected today? A machine with a small count and real logical qubits, like Helios at 48, sits closer to useful work than a machine with a big count and no correction at all.
Next steps
- Types of Quantum Computers Compared: the seven modalities behind the table
- The Quantum Computing Roadmap: where the counts go next
- Top Quantum Computing Companies in 2026: the full vendor picture