The Best KDE Plasma AlternativesTop Desktop Environments & Window Managers like KDE Plasma

KDE Plasma is described as 'Plasma is a cross-device work environment by the KDE Community where trust is put on the user's capacity to best define their own workflow and preferences' and is a very popular desktop environment in the os & utilities category. There are more than 25 alternatives to KDE Plasma for a variety of platforms, including Linux, BSD, Windows, Mac and Linux Mobile apps. The best KDE Plasma alternative is GNOME, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like KDE Plasma are Xfce, Cinnamon, MATE and LXQt.

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Alternatives list

  1. GNOME icon

    GNOME

     502 likes
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    An easy and elegant way to use your computer, GNOME is designed to help you have the best possible computing experience.

    32 GNOME alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    GNOME 40
     
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    5
    36
    Comments about GNOME as an Alternative to KDE Plasma
    Top Positive Comment
    LinuxDoge
    2

    Very beautiful DE, modern and stable.

    I prefer KDE for its simple, Windows-like look, as I dont like looking downward all the time and like the customizability of it, but GNOME is by far the best supported, stable and beautiful Linux DE.

    Top Negative Comment
    Ranogard
    5

    Can't be easily themed anymore, and possibly can't be themed at all in the future. If you don't like the dark adwaita theme because it looks like an ashtray and a graveyard combined, bad luck for you.

    Guest
    Positive
    0

    The are both pritty good!

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Show more comments
    3 of 5 comments
    KDE Plasma Icon
    GNOME icon

    • Most users think GNOME is a great KDE Plasma alternative.

    • GNOME is the most popular Linux alternative to KDE Plasma.

    • GNOME is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to KDE Plasma.

    • GNOME is Free and Open SourceKDE Plasma is also Free and Open Source
  2. Xfce icon

    Xfce

     377 likes
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    Xfce (pronounced as four individual letters) is a free software desktop environment for Unix and other Unix-like platforms, such as Linux, Solaris and BSD. It aims to be fast and lightweight, while still being visually appealing and easy to use.

    29 Xfce alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    Xfce 4.14
     
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    2
    30
    Comments about Xfce as an Alternative to KDE Plasma
    RemovedUser
    0

    is your pc shit? do you like light mode? well then xcfe is for you

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    4

    Xfce is good because it's fast lightweight and has almost all of the features of Plasma

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    KDE Plasma Icon
    Xfce icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Xfce is a great KDE Plasma alternative.

    • Xfce is Free and Open SourceKDE Plasma is also Free and Open Source
  4. Cinnamon icon

    Cinnamon

     197 likes
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    Cinnamon is a Linux desktop which provides advanced innovative features and a traditional user experience. The desktop layout is similar to GNOME 2. The underlying technology is forked from GNOME Shell.

    27 Cinnamon alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    Cinnamon 4.2
     
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    2
    25
    Comments about Cinnamon as an Alternative to KDE Plasma
    youlk1234
    Positive
    0

    It's better to give to a grandma/a kid to make sure she/he doesn't delete her/his taskbar, but it is still customizable and overall a great choice for productivity (like GNOME)

    RemovedUser
    Positive
    0

    if you used to use mint KDE than cinnamon will work just fine for you but for non debian distros use gnome

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    KDE Plasma Icon
    Cinnamon icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Cinnamon is a great KDE Plasma alternative.

    • Cinnamon is Free and Open SourceKDE Plasma is also Free and Open Source
  5. MATE icon

    MATE

     144 likes
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    Many users of GNOME 2 dislike GNOME 3. MATE is a fork of the good old GNOME 2. It provides an intuitive and attractive desktop environment using traditional metaphors for Linux and other Unix-like operating systems.

    25 MATE alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    • FreeBSD
    • OpenIndiana
    • GhostBSD
    MATE screenshot 1
     
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    11
  6. LXQt icon

    LXQt

     54 likes
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    LXQt is the Qt port and the upcoming version of LXDE, the Lightweight Desktop Environment. It is the product of the merge between the LXDE-Qt and the .

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    LXQt screenshot 1
     
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    1
    6
    Comments about LXQt as an Alternative to KDE Plasma
    Guest
    Positive
    6

    LXQt is in two words "Lightweight Plasma"

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    KDE Plasma Icon
    LXQt icon

    • Almost everyone thinks LXQt is a great KDE Plasma alternative.

    • LXQt is Free and Open SourceKDE Plasma is also Free and Open Source
  7. Noctalia icon

    Noctalia

     11 likes
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    Noctalia is a beautiful, minimal desktop shell for Wayland built with Quickshell. It’s designed with a “quiet by design” philosophy, providing a complete desktop experience that stays out of your way.

    37 Noctalia alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Noctalia screenshot 1
     
  10. LXDE icon

    LXDE

     122 likes
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    The "Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment" is an extremely fast-performing and energy-saving desktop environment.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    Screenshot of the LXDE desktop. It's simple, lightweight, fast, modern, internationalized, and standard-compliant.
     
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    1
    9
    Comments about LXDE as an Alternative to KDE Plasma
    Guest
    Negative
    4

    LXDE Is old and lacking in features

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    KDE Plasma Icon
    LXDE icon

    • Most users think LXDE is a great KDE Plasma alternative.

    • LXDE is Free and Open SourceKDE Plasma is also Free and Open Source
  11. Budgie icon

    Budgie

     46 likes
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    The Budgie Desktop is a feature-rich, modern desktop designed to keep out the way of the user. It consists of a number of components to provide a more complete desktop experience.

    29 Budgie alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    A screenshot of the Budgie desktop running on Solus Linux. The Budgie settings manager is on the right, made specifically to customize the desktop. The rest of the settings are handled by the Gnome settings manager.
     
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    2
    9
    Comments about Budgie as an Alternative to KDE Plasma
    youlk1234
    Positive
    0

    Budgie is modern, good for productivity, though it is not as customizable as Plasma

    John Fastman
    Negative
    -3

    Budgie is a new desktop environment built on top of Gnome, essentially. It looks and feels nice in principle, but it's not the finished article. Slow and buggy, it might have a bright future but for the moment KDE's Plasma is much better.

    KDE Plasma Icon
    Budgie icon

    • Most users think Budgie is a great KDE Plasma alternative.

    • Budgie is Free and Open SourceKDE Plasma is also Free and Open Source
  12. Enlightenment icon

    Enlightenment

     52 likes
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    Enlightenment is a Window Manager, Compositor and Minimal Desktop for Linux (the primary platform), BSD and any other compatible UNIX system.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • BSD
    Enlightenment screenshot 1
     

    • Enlightenment is the most popular Mac alternative to KDE Plasma.

    • Enlightenment is Free and Open SourceKDE Plasma is also Free and Open Source
  13. Compiz icon

    Compiz

     161 likes
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    Compiz is a compositing manager adding fancy effects to your windows, from drop shadows to awesome desktop effects like the Desktop Cube or the Expo view.

    32 Compiz alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Compiz screenshot 1
     
  14. Kera Desktop icon

    Kera Desktop

     9 likes
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    An easy, pleasant, speedy, and exciting way to use your favorite OS.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Chrome OS
    Kera Desktop screenshot 1
     

    • Kera Desktop is the most popular Windows alternative to KDE Plasma.

    • Kera Desktop is Free and Open SourceKDE Plasma is also Free and Open Source
12 of 30 KDE Plasma alternatives