Windows 10 Alternatives for Windows

There are many alternatives to Windows 10 for Windows and since it's discontinued a lot of people are looking for a replacement. The best Windows alternative is Debian, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Windows 10 and 15 are available for Windows so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Windows alternatives to Windows 10 are ReactOS, Kali Linux, Windows 11 and Revision (ReviOS).

filter to find the best alternatives

Windows 10 alternatives are mainly Operating Systems, but if you're looking for Linux Distros or Penetration Testing Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Windows, Linux, Open Source, Windows + Free, EU and Free. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Windows 10.
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Alternatives list

  1. Debian icon

    Debian

     1156 likes

    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.

    198 Debian alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Self-Hosted
    Debian 9 gnome.
     
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    8
    97
    Comments about Debian as an Alternative to Windows 10
    Top Positive Comment
    veddev
    1

    I love Debian cuz its rock-solid

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    13

    Debian is a not so good alternative for those who cares about updates. We know that to maintain the stability, the distribution (at least his stable branch) doesn't have the latest updates firstly. This way, some users won't feel truly fulfilled by the distribution.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    -7

    it's not functional without user coding

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 8 comments
    Windows 10 Icon
    Debian icon

    • Most users think Debian is a great Windows 10 alternative.

    • Debian is the most popular Windows & Self-Hosted alternative to Windows 10.

    • Debian is Free and Open SourceWindows 10 is Paid and Proprietary
    • Debian is Customizable, Lightweight and Privacy focusedWindows 10 is not according to our users
  2. ReactOS icon

    ReactOS

     290 likes

    ReactOS™ is a FOSS effort to develop a quality operating system based on the architecture of Microsoft® Windows™ NT family of operating systems, that is compatible with applications and drivers written for it (NT4, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 7).

    195 ReactOS alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • ReactOS
    ReactOS screenshot 1
     
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    6
    29
    Comments about ReactOS as an Alternative to Windows 10
    Top Positive Comment
    lounes-tb
    7

    ReactOS is an opensource reimplementation of the NT api (ms windows) with a lot of inovative ideas like the package manager and the BTRFS support.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    2

    This is effectively a clone of Windows XP, and while it runs some software, it can not run most programs. It runs poorly on real hardware.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Mano
    Positive
    2

    This is meant to be an "open source windows". Despite being in alpha, it works and you can still use all your .exes and installers, so no need to worry about having to abandon all your "windows only" programs.

    3 of 6 comments
    Windows 10 Icon
    ReactOS icon

    • Most users think ReactOS is a great Windows 10 alternative.

    • ReactOS is Free and Open SourceWindows 10 is Paid and Proprietary
    • ReactOS is LightweightWindows 10 is not according to our users
  4. Kali Linux icon

    Kali Linux

     284 likes

    Kali Linux is a Debian-derived Linux distribution designed for digital forensics and penetration testing, originally forked from Backtrack Linux by the Offensive Security team.

    22 Kali Linux alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    Kali Linux screenshot 1
     
    |
    6
  5. Windows 11 icon

    Windows 11

     43 likes

    Experience the latest Windows OS with a new Start menu, integrated Teams, and gaming technologies like Auto HDR. Improved security with stricter requirements enhances protection, and seamless Microsoft Account integration makes it ideal for modern devices.

    167 Windows 11 alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Windows 11 screenshot 1
     
    |
    1
    Comments about Windows 11 as an Alternative to Windows 10
    PrinceSheep
    Positive
    2

    Windows 11 is the next generation of Windows, it supports all the same applications, and has a new user experience with many new features

    Windows 10 Icon
    Windows 11 icon

    • Most users think Windows 11 is a great Windows 10 alternative.

    • Windows 11 is the most popular commercial alternative to Windows 10.

    • Windows 11 is Paid and ProprietaryWindows 10 is also Paid and Proprietary
  9. Windows X-Lite icon

    Windows X-Lite

     3 likes

    Windows X-Lite's Optimized Windows Builds are designed to Enhance Performance, Privacy, Stability and Control, and work with all Apps and Games on all PCs. Old or New, Weak or Strong, Desktop or Laptop.

    9 Windows X-Lite alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Windows X-Lite screenshot 1
     
  10. MINIX 3 icon

    MINIX 3

     10 likes

    MINIX is a POSIX-compliant Unix-like operating system based on a tiny microkernel running in kernel mode with the rest of the operating system running as a number of isolated, protected, processes in user mode.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Self-Hosted
    MINIX 3 screenshot 1
     
  11. illumos icon

    illumos

     19 likes

    illumos is a free and open-source Unix operating system. It derives from OpenSolaris, which in turn derives from SVR4 UNIX and Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD). illumos comprises a kernel, device drivers, system libraries, and utility software for system administration.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
  12. Titan Linux icon

    Titan Linux

     1 like

    Titan Linux is an all new distro built on the Debian Stable branch. It's a fully functional yet minimal KDE Plasma desktop experience.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Debian
    Titan Linux screenshot 1
     
  13. Storm-OS icon

    Storm-OS

     Like

    Storm OS is a Linux distribution based on Arch, and LFS (Linux from Scratch)! developed by Ben Fitzpatrick with the contributions by silent robot, seeker, rayzer1981, yugiohmaster88, and more. FEATURES = XFCE and KDE desktops (Arch edition only!

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • KDE
    • Arch Linux
    • Xfce
    Storm-OS screenshot 1
     
  14. ZealOS icon

    ZealOS

     2 likes

    The Zeal Operating System is a modernized, professional fork of the 64-bit Temple Operating System. Guiding principles of development include transparency, full user control, and adherence to public-domain/open-source implementations.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    ZealOS screenshot 1
     
12 of 15 Windows 10 alternatives