MATE AlternativesDesktop Environments and other similar apps like MATE

MATE is described as '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' and is a very popular desktop environment in the os & utilities category. There are more than 10 alternatives to MATE for a variety of platforms, including Linux, BSD, Windows, Mac and Linux Mobile apps. The best MATE alternative is KDE Plasma, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like MATE are GNOME, Xfce, Cinnamon and LXQt.

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Alternatives list

  1. KDE Plasma icon

    KDE Plasma

     468 likes

    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.

    30 KDE Plasma alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    • KDE Plasma
    • postmarketOS
    A typical Plasma desktop looks like this
     
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    • Almost everyone thinks KDE Plasma is a great MATE alternative.

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

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

    • KDE Plasma is Free and Open SourceMATE is also Free and Open Source
    • KDE Plasma is Customizable, Lightweight and Privacy focusedMATE is not according to our users
  4. Xfce icon

    Xfce

     378 likes

    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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    Comments about Xfce as an Alternative to MATE
    John Fastman
    Positive
    2

    XFCE and MATE follow a very similar design philosophy and both are similar in the way they feel to customize. Both use the GTK+ toolkit and both are relatively light on resources, making both good choices for lower-spec/older computers.

    MATE Icon
    Xfce icon
    • Xfce is Free and Open SourceMATE is also Free and Open Source
    • Xfce is Lightweight, Customizable and Privacy focusedMATE is not according to our users
  6. LXQt icon

    LXQt

     54 likes

    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
     
  7. LXDE icon

    LXDE

     122 likes

    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.
     
  10. Budgie icon

    Budgie

     46 likes

    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.

    Cost / License

    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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    1
    Comments about Budgie as an Alternative to MATE
    John Fastman
    Negative
    1

    Budgie is a newcomer to the desktop game. It lies on top of Gnome to give an updated and more intuitive look-and-feel. It's not a good replacement for MATE yet (might be in the future), mainly because it runs considerably slower and has quite a few unresolved bugs as of the time of writing. Promising, though.

    MATE Icon
    Budgie icon
    • Budgie is Free and Open SourceMATE is also Free and Open Source
    • Budgie is Lightweight and Privacy focusedMATE is not according to our users
  11. Enlightenment icon

    Enlightenment

     52 likes

    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 MATE.

    • Enlightenment is Free and Open SourceMATE is also Free and Open Source
    • Enlightenment is LightweightMATE is not according to our users
  12. Kera Desktop icon

    Kera Desktop

     9 likes

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

    36 Kera Desktop alternatives

    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 MATE.

    • Kera Desktop is Free and Open SourceMATE is also Free and Open Source
    • Kera Desktop is Lightweight and Privacy focusedMATE is not according to our users
  13. Maui Shell icon

    Maui Shell

     5 likes

    Maui Shell is a convergent shell for desktops, tablets, and phones.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Maui Shell screenshot 1
     
  14. Window Maker icon

    Window Maker

     10 likes

    Window Maker has a reputation for being fast, efficient and highly stable. Window Maker has been characterized as reproducing "the elegant look and feel of the NeXTstep GUI" and is noted as "easy to configure and easy to use.

    43 Window Maker alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    Window Maker, from www.windowmaker.org
     
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