Linux Mint Alternatives and Similar Software

Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a community developed, Linux-based operating system that is perfect for laptops, desktops and servers. It contains all the applications you need - a web browser, presentation, document and spreadsheet software, instant messaging and much more. In October 2017, Ubuntu returned to using GNOME for the desktop interface for 17.10, replacing Unity and https://alternativeto .

• Ubuntu is less inituitive and takes up more resources AegisCZ • Aug 2017 • 13 agrees and 3 disagrees Disagree   Agree
• As of 2018, Ubuntu's installer will collect data about user devices. This has caused outrage amongst Linux users. Firstly, it's opt-out, rather than opt-in. Secondly, it shouldn't even be there. Thirdly, Canonical (Ubuntu's creators) have a very poor record on privacy, including harvesting local searches to drive Amazon sales and hostility to critics or their privacy practices. Try Linux Mint or Manjaro instead. JohnFastman • Apr 2018 • 5 agrees and 3 disagrees Disagree   Agree
• Ubuntu is more stable and more up-to-date than Mint. Without Ubuntu, there's no Mint. But I like both. felippehd • Jul 2018 • 0 agrees and 3 disagrees Disagree   Agree

Free Open Source Windows Linux Windows S

Debian

WHAT is Debian? The Debian Project is an association of individuals who have made common cause to create a free operating system. This operating system that we have created is called Debian. An operating system is the set of basic programs and utilities that make your computer run. At the core of an operating system is the kernel. The kernel is the most fundamental program on the computer and does all the basic housekeeping and lets you start other programs.

• Mint and other Ubuntu-based Linuxes are actually all based themselves on Debian "under-the-hood". So Debian is compatible with these and so might be a good alternative for that reason (e.g. uses .deb files to install software). However, Debian is less user-friendly and, in my experience, can be a headache to install. On the plus side, it's rock solid stable and therefore a good choice for servers as long as you keep it up to date for security purposes. JohnFastman • Dec 2016 • 3 agrees and 0 disagrees Disagree   Agree
• Debian doesn't have a GUI for managing properietary drivers and doesn't allow users to install them easily due to its philosophy. That's a thing that lot of users forget or even don't tell you about Debian. Guest • Dec 2017 • 3 agrees and 0 disagrees Disagree   Agree

Free Open Source Windows Linux Windows S BSD Self-Hosted

Arch Linux

Arch Linux is an independently developed, i686- and x86_64-optimised Linux distribution targeted at competent Linux users. It uses pacman, its home-grown package manager, to provide updates to the latest software applications with full dependency tracking. Operating on a rolling release system, Arch can be installed from a CD image or via an FTP server. The default install provides a solid base that enables users to create a custom installation.

• Arch linux is a difficult to get into distro for beginners or even average users because it requires a detailed knowledge of how you want the system setup and to be able to do this from the command line prompt. However, for those wanting an Arch-based distro that is even more user friendly than Mint, try Manjaro: comes in many different flavours, works "out-of-the-box" all times I've tried it, has faster responses to security vulnerabilities and has great community support. JohnFastman • Dec 2016 • 5 agrees and 1 disagrees Disagree   Agree
• Natively doesn't support some wireless drivers AegisCZ • Aug 2017 • 1 agrees and 0 disagrees Disagree   Agree

Free Open Source Linux

Windows 10

Windows 10 is a personal computer operating system released by Microsoft as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems To encourage its adoption, Microsoft announced that during its first year of availability, Windows 10 would be made available free of charge to users of genuine copies of eligible editions of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.

• Paid, not open source, horrible license and performance. santobielnr • Aug 2017 • 19 agrees and 1 disagrees Disagree   Agree
• Windows 10 is closed source and has no focus on protecting user privacy. It also doesn't give its users as much power, in exchange for ease of use, and uniformity. Buster_Blue • Sep 2017 • 14 agrees and 1 disagrees Disagree   Agree
• Windows is not Linux, Mint is; Windows is not open source, Mint is; Linux applications do not run natively on Windows; etc., etc., etc. Guest • Jan 2018 • 11 agrees and 1 disagrees Disagree   Agree
• It is not open source (paid). Only reason to use Windows is gaming and good native drivers AegisCZ • Aug 2017 • 9 agrees and 1 disagrees Disagree   Agree
• Microsoft is outright hostile to the privacy of its users: Windows 10 collects EVERYTHING it can about you, right down to what you type (yes, passwords included) and how much time you spend in which app. Updates often revert your settings and install software you don't want. It's also expensive and closed source and far more vulnerable to malware than any Linux distro. JohnFastman • May 2018 • 8 agrees and 0 disagrees Disagree   Agree
• Not free, MAJOR privacy issues, features that are forced on the user. No way comparable to Linux. beat_truck • Apr 2018 • 5 agrees and 1 disagrees Disagree   Agree

Commercial Windows

Fedora

The Fedora Project is an openly-developed project designed by Red Hat , open for general participation, led by a meritocracy, following a set of project objectives. The goal of The Fedora Project is to work with the Linux community to build a complete, general purpose operating system exclusively from open source software. Development will be done in a public forum. The project will produce time-based releases of Fedora about 2-3 times a year, with a public release schedule.

Free Open Source Linux

elementary OS

elementary OS is a free, fast and aesthetically pleasing operating system based on Ubuntu . elementary OS ships with a carefully curated selection of apps that cater to every day needs so you can spend more time using your computer and less time cleaning up bloatware.

• For a long time Linux Mint has been considered ideal for beginners because 1) it's 100% Ubuntu-compatible (and therefore enjoys large community support and compatibility with many apps) and because it's "user-friendly"-focused. Elementary achieves all the same goals using an even more user friendly user interface. Mint servers were also hacked in early 2016, so take from that what you will. JohnFastman • Dec 2016 • 3 agrees and 0 disagrees Disagree   Agree
• If you're used to Mac OS style, you'll be pleased when using Elementay OS since it ressembles Apple system. Its desktop environment is known as Pantheon and it's based on Ubuntu. Guest • Dec 2017 Disagree   Agree

Free Open Source Linux

Manjaro Linux

Manjaro is a user-friendly Linux distribution based on the independently developed Arch operating system. Within the Linux community, Arch itself is renowned for being an exceptionally fast, powerful, and lightweight distribution that provides access to the very latest cutting edge – and bleeding edge – software. However, Arch is also aimed at more experienced or technically-minded users.

• Its a different repo base but the UI looks like the one from Linux Mint Guest • Jan 2018 • 1 agrees and 0 disagrees Disagree   Agree

Free Open Source Linux Arch Linux

Xubuntu

Xubuntu is an elegant and easy-to-use operating system. Xubuntu comes with Xfce, which is a stable, light and configurable desktop environment. It is based on Ubuntu the easy to use Debian based Linux kernel based operating system.

Free Open Source Linux Self-Hosted Ubuntu Debian

ReactOS

ReactOS is a free, modern operating system in alpha stage, based on the design of Windows XP/2003. Written completely from scratch, it aims to follow the Windows architecture designed by Microsoft from the hardware level right through to the application level. This is not a Linux based system, and shares none of the Unix architecture. The main goal of the ReactOS project is to provide an operating system which is binary compatible with Windows.

• ReactOS is not Linux and is made to run Windows programs. It is also not very well developed or stable yet. beat_truck • May 2018 • 1 agrees and 1 disagrees Disagree   Agree

Free Open Source Windows

Kubuntu

Kubuntu is an official "flavor" of Ubuntu that uses the KDE Plasma desktop environment instead of the default Unity . This gives it a completely different look and feel. Kubuntu is an operating system built by a worldwide team of expert developers.

• Kubuntu = Ubuntu - the Gnome desktop + the KDE Plasma desktop. It's Ubuntu with a different face. Which desktop you like is a matter of preference. There is also KDE Neon, which is like Kubuntu but you get the very latest KDE Plasma updates as soon as they're out. JohnFastman • May 2018 • 1 agrees and 0 disagrees Disagree   Agree

Free Open Source Linux

Tails

The Amnesic Incognito Live System (Tails) is a Debian 9 based live CD/USB with the goal of providing complete Internet anonymity for the user. The product ships with several Internet applications, including web browser, IRC client, mail client and instant messenger, all pre-configured with security in mind and with all traffic anonymised. To achieve this, Incognito uses the Tor network to make Internet traffic very hard to trace.

• Tails is for dissidents/activists and everyone else who needs superb privacy. Everything else is basically ignored by tails. Its the worst of all alternatives to ubuntu. Guest • Jan 2017 • 1 agrees and 0 disagrees Disagree   Agree

Free Open Source Linux Electrum Tor Browser Bundle GNOME Tor ... VeraCrypt Thunderbird

Lubuntu

Lubuntu is a faster, more lightweight and energy saving variant of Ubuntu using LXDE (for version 18.04 and earlier releases), the lightweight X11 Desktop Environment. On October 18, 2018 Lubuntu announced the 18.10 Cosmic Cuttlefish release, which uses LXQt as its base desktop environment that will be default DE for future releases too.

Free Open Source Linux

openSUSE

openSUSE is a free and Linux-based operating system for your PC, Laptop or Server. The openSUSE distribution is a stable, easy to use and complete multi-purpose distribution. It is aimed towards users and developers working on the desktop or server. It is great for beginners, experienced users and ultra geeks alike, in short, it is perfect for everybody! The latest release, openSUSE 13.1, features new and massively improved versions of all useful server and desktop applications.

• It has many bugs and software problems Guest • Mar 2016 Disagree   Agree

Free Open Source Linux

FreeBSD

FreeBSD is an advanced operating system for x86 compatible (including Pentium® and Athlon™), amd64 compatible (including Opteron™, Athlon™64, and EM64T), ARM, IA-64, PowerPC, PC-98 and UltraSPARC® architectures. It is derived from BSD, the version of UNIX® developed at the University of California, Berkeley. It is developed and maintained by a large team of individuals. Additional platforms are in various stages of development.

• FreeBSD is unlikely to be a good replacement for Linux Mint because, 1) it's not a type of Linux but of BSD, which is a very distant relative; 2) it is not as user-friendly or beginner-friendly; 3) is likely to have a much narrower range of software and drivers available for the average user to keep happy. However, FreeBSD is likely to be more secure than Mint and other Ubuntu-derived Linux OSes. JohnFastman • Dec 2016 • 2 agrees and 1 disagrees Disagree   Agree

Free Open Source BSD Self-Hosted

Ubuntu MATE

Ubuntu Mate is a stable, easy-to-use operating system with a configurable desktop environment. Ideal for those who want the most out of their desktops, laptops and netbooks and prefer a traditional desktop metaphor. With modest hardware requirements it is suitable for modern workstations and older hardware alike. Objectives Ubuntu Mate has a number of guiding objectives and goals. -Accessible to all, regardless of language and physical ability.

Free Open Source Linux

Qubes OS

Qubes is an open source operating system designed to provide strong security for desktop computing. Qubes takes an approach called security by compartmentalization, which allows you to compartmentalize the various parts of your digital life into securely isolated compartments called qubes. This approach allows you to keep the different things you do on your computer securely separated from each other in isolated qubes so that one qube getting compromised won’t affect the others.

• Qubes is fantastic for security freaks. It runs programs in disposable VMs so that things can't cross contaminate/infect each other. But this is a hassle and far from what the average Ubuntu user will want from their system. Huge thumbs up for Qubes, but just not as an Ubuntu replacement. JohnFastman • May 2018 • 1 agrees and 0 disagrees Disagree   Agree

Free Open Source Linux Fedora Xen

Solus

Solus Operating System is a Linux distribution built from scratch, exclusively for desktop systems. There is no scope-creep associated with generic platforms, and the project aims to provide a modern and focused desktop-centric solution, that is designed to keep out of the way of the user, working intuitively with virtually no configuration required.

Free Open Source Linux

Remix OS

Remix OS is an innovative Android-based operating system engineered to be equally adept on mobile and desktop devices. Given its lightweight size and system requirements, Remix OS for PC is well suited to be installed on a USB drive (8GB+) and used as a portable workspace securely containing the user’s documents and apps. If you don't want to replace your operating system, try Remix OS Player Android emulator for Windows.

• Discontinued The company Jide decided to discontinue the Remix OS project and to focus efforts on the enterprise space: http://www.jide.com/ At the moment, last version, 3.0.207, released in November 2016, can be still downloaded from the official website.

Free Linux Android Android Tablet

Google Chrome OS

Google Chrome OS is a Linux-based operating system designed by Google that uses the Google Chrome web browser as its principal user interface, so it works primarily with web applications. It also has an integrated media player and file manager, it supports Chrome Apps and Android applications. Google Chrome OS shares the same code base with https://alternativeto .

Free Linux

Red Hat

Red Hat is the leader in development, deployment, and management of Linux and open source solutions for Internet infrastructure - ranging from embedded devices to secure Web servers. Red Hat was founded in 1994 by visionary entrepreneurs Bob Young and Marc Ewing. Open source is the foundation of our business model. It represents a fundamental shift in how software is created. The code that makes up the software is available to anyone.

Commercial Open Source Linux

Gentoo

Gentoo Linux is a versatile, fast, highly configurable and completely free Linux and FreeBSD distribution geared towards developers and network professionals. Gentoo is a rolling release distro (continuously developing, don't have versions) where mostly all parts of the system are being compiled from source.

Free Open Source Linux BSD FreeBSD

KDE neon

KDE neon is a Kubuntu based Linux distribution and live DVD featuring the latest KDE Plasma desktop and other KDE community software. Besides the installable DVD image, the project provides a rapidly-evolving software repository with all the latest KDE software.

Free Open Source Linux

Puppy Linux

Linux is a free operating system, and Puppy Linux is a special build of Linux meant to make computing easy and fast.

Free Open Source Linux

Zorin OS

Zorin OS is a multi-functional operating system designed specifically for Windows users who want to have easy and smooth access to Linux. It is based on Ubuntu which is the most popular Linux operating system in the world. Zorin OS features the unique Zorin Appearance app, which allows you to change the desktop to resemble the environment you're familiar with, whether it's Windows, macOS or Linux. Other unique programs include Zorin Web Browser Manager and Zorin Background Plus.

Freemium Linux

Haiku

Haiku is a new open-source operating system that specifically targets personal computing. Inspired by the BeOS, Haiku is fast, simple to use, easy to learn and yet very powerful.

Free Open Source Haiku