Canonical employs staff in more than 70 countries and maintains offices in London, Austin, Boston, Shanghai, Beijing, Taipei, Tokyo and the Isle of Man.

Shuttleworth regarded Canonical as positioning itself as demand for services related to free software rose.

[21] In an early-2009 New York Times article, Shuttleworth said that Canonical's revenue was "creeping" towards US$30 million, the company's break-even point.

[23] The company reported an operating profit of $2 million in 2017 after shutting down the Unity development team and laying off nearly 200 employees.

[30] In the summer of 2006, Canonical opened an office in Montreal to house its global support and services operation.