Now, if you are planning to choose one, then how to find out which is one is best Linux distro for you? This article will help you learn about 15 best Linux Distros to help you choose the right one that suits your needs.
Our List Of 15 Best Linux Distros
The list will include the combination of popular and latest distros. If you love simple, natural and well-written software, then undoubtedly Arch Linux is the ideal choice among other Linux distro. It offers great community assistance and it becomes easy for you to install almost anything and you can keep track of your media on your PC.
Arch helps you customize the build with the help of terminal to install or download packages. So, it becomes useful for the developers using old systems and do not need any additional packages that consumes space. It holds the top spot in our list of best Linux distros. Pros
Well-written Free of clutter Strong package Slim profile
If you are looking out for perfect Linux Distro, CentOS can be the right choice as it is quite secure, stable and can be managed easily and comes with an open source platform that is responsive. It is derived from the community of Red Hat Linux.
The distro comes with a group of applications like:
Email client Photo manager browser, contacts text editor document viewer audio player Clock and many more.
Pros
User-friendly for newbies Security of enterprise level Quite stable Fast
It is amongst the oldest Linux distros that was quite popular and still is. It still is counted as one of the best Linux distros at present. It comprises of free software and you get a wide variety of hardware platforms along with reliable and great team of developers that you can trust.
Pros
Easy installation and easy to use Great community support Comprises of above 37,000 packages
Secure system It is popular for providing secure system consistently. When it comes to other distros they are backed by Debian as core for its own operating system (LINUX) and this is because debian offers highly secured system. Wide range of hardware platforms to choose from Debian comes with a wide range of hardware platforms to choose from like
amd64 armhf, i386, armel, ia64, mips, mipsel, kfreebsd-amd64, sparc, s390 powerpc, s390x source multi-arch kfreebsd-i386
Once you install Debian it offers modest server that leaves with only what you require. This is a perfect feature for those using devices having reduced number of resources. Debain is extremely easy to use and if you still find any problems, the solutions can be found via Google and in case there are problems that you feel do not have answer on Google search, you can seek help from community support and get the solution quickly. Debian introduces install images – live especially for DVDs, CDs, i386, USB thumb drives, amd64 architectures along with a range of desktop environments to choose from. The live images help the users to load from any of the removable media and simply run Debian which will not cause damage any harm to the data of your computer. If you are using a laptop you may not get the powerful experience as that of a desktop PC. Now, you won’t face the issue as Ubuntu MATE is a user-friendly Linux distro that gives offers the right stability between use of resources and performance. Its user-friendly interface allows you to use it on all registered hardware configurations easily.
Pros
User-friendly Battery friendly Light weight
Due to all these awesome features this is rightfully one of the best Linux distros till date. One of the popular cross-platform, Debian based Linux distro that is specifically designed for the gaming enthusiast. Apart from gaming it also acts as an open source platform for watching videos, enjoying music and other online activities. It is easy to use and helps get an enjoyable experience in gaming and social media with the help of its built in features.
As far as gaming performance is concerned it is absolutely stunning. It supports a group of hardware and it basically needs a technical person to install it. It is a wonderful option for PC gaming. It is simple and apart from gaming it also helps you stream videos, enjoy music and other online activities. StreamOS is lightweight and designed for all big screens. The main objective of this OS is to bridge the gap between PC gaming (customizable) and easy console gaming. It helps users to create features of their choice if they have programming skills. There are around 2,000 games based on Linux platform available via SteamOS. The games that support only Mac or Windows do not operate through SteamOS. Pros
Ideal for gamers Simple to use Absolutely free GNOME(built-in) desktop environment
If you want desktop based, reliable and fast system then Manjaro is the ideal Linux distro you can opt for. It is Arch Linux based distro which includes a huge collection of packages for you and helps you experience a great community support too.
Pros
Installation is easy Makes use of rolling release distribution User-friendly Stable
In case you have any questions you can also ask on different forums where there are a lot of people ready to help you. They also come up with new ideas to help the Linux distro function even better. The distribution based tools offered by Manjaro like mhwd which runs automatically while the installation process is going on. It helps the Manjaro operate directly on your system right after you purchase it without any need to manually install or identify the drivers or configuration files. After installation you can also use it via terminal. The distro provides assistance of mixed graphic cards. The installation and removal of drivers is an easy process. They are either chosen automatically or you can select the ones you need. Supported by RedHat it is a huge Linux Kernel supporter. It is the fastest and secure Linux distro that is available in the market. It is a leader in the market that is known for creating virtual versions and comes with a great community support for its users. The best part is that it updates itself automatically for old versions or against bugs.
Pros
Massive graphic array Swift boot load time User-friendly and secure interface
It is among the most preferred and popular Linux OS which has become the first choice of many users especially among the registered operating systems that are easily customizable, powerful and speedy. It is easy to install as well as run software or any of the Linux application on your PC. You can also enjoy using a series of in-built software. You can see the enhanced OS every year with bug fixes etc which makes it a preferred and easy to use OS.
You can use Ubuntu on any device apart from laptops like touch screen devices, tablets etc along with the phone support. You can use the same Ubuntu OS at office or on your mobile device. It is an excellent OS with perfect UI ideal for different small monitors. As the menu is located in title bar with auto hides launcher the entire can be utilized by a particular application. You can simply type any query right into Dash Home and the search will be carried out via stores, files, web pages to look for results you want. There is ample of support you get for hardware and as the installation process is quite easy, you don’t need to actually look for forums to get support. Ubuntu has a collection of apps to suit your needs. You will find this distro to be transparent and clean when it runs via a LiveCD. It is quite flexible and simple to use to meet your needs. It can be easily modified to be used as a server. You can find all the available features and programs easily even if you are a beginner. You can also easily learn how to use them. By far Ubuntu users consider to the be one of the best Linux distros available today. Pros
User friendly Popular Most preferred Perfect for beginners
If you need an open source and speedy sturdy Linux distro then go for Elementary OS which comes with low maintenance. The platform is compatible with all PCs and has an amazing community support as well. The modern design is fun to use and you can access its AppCenter to unleash new apps that suits your requirements.
The elementary OS is specially designed for users who are not technically sound and want to try something other than Windows and for the young people who are not aware of open source platform. The Linux distro is inspired by macOS techniques and thus offers an elegant design with clutter free feature for its users. It comprises of desktop environment known as home-grown Pantheon that is appealing and comes with a light weight feature. Pros
Easy installation Stable UI No advertisements User-friendly
It can be termed as a by-product of Ubuntu which gained popularity over time and now it is one of the most liked Linux distro of recent times. It comes with useful system utilities like
Update manager Software manager Mint menu and many more
These utilities are quite stable.
Pros
Faster Stable and strong User-friendly for beginners
It is one of the incredible software that will help you switch from Windows or Mac like LibreOffice. It provides better assistance for registered media which helps you play DVDs, videos, MP3 music etc. You can easily download Mint 18.3 starter versions wherein each of the versions use varied desktop environment and the top layer of user interface helps you modify elements like the menu and window looks. The varied desktop environments give you the liberty to customize. openSUSE is among the top listed Linux distro which is highly preferred by commercial users. It is supported by RPM package management system and provides LXDE, XFCE, GNOME as well as Mae especially for installation. OPenSUSE is update regularly as compared to other Linux distros and it can be used for gaming, normal use, deployment and virtualization. The distro is powerful and flexible.
The Os is divided in 2 distributions – openSUSE Leap & openSUSE Tumbleweed. Leap makes use of source code that comes via SUSE Linux Enterprise that offers it stability. You can find new versions once a year and they continue for the next years which make Leap a perfect choice for business apps. On the other hand, Tumbleweed is backed by Factory, which is the main codebase for development of openSUSE. It supports a rolling release structure. It means the packages are designed for instant download after being tested in the factory. This directly shows that Tumbleweed comprises of current stable apps and is ideal choice for everyday use. The operating system utilizes glossy desktop that is KDE plasma which can be a good choice if you system has the capability of handling latest graphical features.
12. XUBUNTU
The product is managed by the community of Ubuntu and comes in the list of top Linux distro especially for desktops. It is backed by Debian and makes use of XCE environment (default) to use the available resources effectively in the form of open source platform blending ease and grace.
It is simple looking and gives you the right platform to start with. If you love experimenting with the appearance of your desktop then XFCE is perfect desktop environment. In case you do not have enough system resources then XFCE is again an ideal choice. Xubuntu is the best Linux distro because of its XFCE desktop which is a default environment that comes with the OS. Pros
Thoroughly customizable Super fast & responsive Light weight
13. Ubuntu GNOME
In case you are searching for an executive Unbuntu quality that too along with a superb GNOME desktop then don’t look around for anything else as Ubuntu GNOME is the best Linux Distro. The distro merges incredible desktop environment with strong Linux distro and makes a complete package for all lovers of open source.
The developers have done an impressive job with GNOME to make it a success. It comprises of new features along with some amazing apps that you may be interested in. Pros
Elegant design Easy to use Comprises of Apps Latest desktop environment – GNOME
The distro is based on Arch Linux and is speedy Linux distro used in recent years. It backs openbox, Cinnamon, XFCE, Razor- Qt and GNOME. It comes with an incredible community support. Antergos offers everything that the user need. The default configuration offers a readymade system that you can use instantly. You don’t need to learn any steps to install the distro. You can start listening to music, browse the internet, watch videos and perform any other task you want to.
You just need to reboot your system and start enjoying a new experience. It is a rolling release distribution and is available in multiple languages which includes.
Catalan Spanish English Galician German
Antergos sticks to the formula of modernity, simplicity and is highly versatile. It comes with a GUI installer that helps you install Antergos easily. Antegos offers all popular desktop environments and has tied up with NUmix to offer amazing icons, beautiful themes that altogether give you an excellent feel. The default backgrounds will create an impressive image. It is completely functional and you can use it immediately after unpacking it. The pre-installed software is less in number. You can find a perfect video player, text editor, music software and other necessary software. You can customise your OS according to your preferences. You can also install extra software with the help of Pacman package manager. It is a fast OS in a desktop environment which is light weight. Pros
Fast and secure Rolling release distribution Choice in desktop environment available
It is a Debian based Linux distro that has created its own identity in the market especially among the most secure, user-friendly and super fast operating systems. It is highly reliable and secure OS for laptops and desktops. It is the stylish Linux distro that enhances the desktop experience based on the efficiency of the hardware used.
The main objective behind Deepin Linux distro is to provide an eye-catching interface to all Linux users. The new version of Deepin launched something different and new that includes blur as well as transparency design to the desktop and Control center, which gives it a fantastic appeal. It supports home-grown desktop called as Deepin Desktop Environment which is DDE, one of the cool features that this distro comes with is Gestures and Hot corners which give you an overall refreshing feel. Among the other attractive features, the prominent one is cool installer which ensures that user experience doesn’t go lousy at any phase. The Deep in store included consist of a number of applications that are actually not present on Ubuntu store. Pros
Stylish UI and wonderful design Includes animation effects and sounds Simple to use Access to amazing apps
All this awesomeness surely makes it one of the best Linux distros of present age.
Final Words
The perfect Linux distros are made to suit the needs of users. Linux operating system belongs to the family of Unix operating system, which was quite popular in 1970s. It is used by different developers and they converted into distros or distributions. The Linux distro basically make use of Linux kernel which is the heart of the OS. There are different desktop environments created to support the OS. There are a plenty of Linux distributions available in the market today. Each of them is designed for specific systems or users like servers, mobile devices, desktops, embedded devices etc. Most of them can be used immediately after unboxing them whereas a few others that need an installation process to be followed to use it. The Linux distribution basically contains a set of software packages. The packages comprise of applications, files, services etc. for instance, a software package can be a set of web browsers, fonts, development environments etc. in a single distribution of Linux you may find thousands of different software packages. You just need to check the specifications and determine your needs to choose the right Linux distro. If you are a gamer, you can choose the best Linux OS that supports gaming more. If you just need a simple Linux distro, you can choose the one with simple interface. If you are a non-technical person then it is always better to go with a Linux distro that can be used straight after taking it out of the box and needs no installation. Make sure you go for a Linux distro that allows you to customize the look and feel of your OS if you need it. Do not try to install a Linux distro that needs some technical knowledge or follow the instructions properly. You can learn about what each Linux distro offers and is compatible with so that you can buy the right distro. Most of the Linux distro are simple to use and come with user-friendly interface. So, you can start using these best Linux distros even if you are a beginner. Try to find out what features are provided with the Linux distro you order so that you can learn how to use them properly. Also read: Survey Bypass Tools, Best Sports Streaming Sites, Alternatives To Hamachi
