The Most Beautiful Linux Distro, Ranked

Voting rules: Choose the distro you think is the most beautiful!

Updated on May 2, 2024 06:19

In the diverse world of Linux distributions, aesthetics often play a crucial role in user choice and satisfaction. Users select a distro not just based on stability and features, but also on how visually appealing and user-friendly it appears. This aspect of design can transform the mundane experience of interacting with an operating system into a more delightful and engaging one. By ranking the most visually pleasing Linux distros, users have a unique opportunity to make their preferences known and influence others. This dynamic list not only highlights which distributions are currently favored for their beauty but also helps new or undecided users in making an informed choice based on collective aesthetic appeal.

What Is the Most Beautiful Linux Distro?

1

31
votes
elementary.io · CC BY-SA 4.0

Elementary OS

Elementary, Inc.

This distro is known for its stunning visual design and user-friendly interface. It is designed to look and feel like macOS, making it a popular choice for those looking for a sleek and modern operating system.
Elementary OS is an open source, Linux-based operating system that aims to provide users with a fast, lightweight and highly polished experience. It is designed to be visually appealing and user-friendly, resembling macOS in terms of aesthetics. The distro focuses on simplicity, minimalism, and intuitive design, making it suitable for both new and experienced Linux users.

Version: Latest version is 6.0

Desktop Environment: Pantheon

Based on: Ubuntu LTS

Package Manager: Debian Package Manager (APT)

Software Center: AppCenter
Elementary OS in other rankings
- Position 10 of 10 in Most advanced Linux distro
2

36
votes
Deepin

This Chinese-based distro is known for its beautiful and intuitive interface, which features a dock at the bottom of the screen and a customizable app launcher. It is also known for its attention to detail and smooth animations.
Deepin is an elegant and visually stunning Linux distribution known for its sleek and modern user interface design. It aims to provide a user-friendly experience while offering a range of powerful features and customization options.

Desktop Environment: Deepin Desktop Environment (DDE)

Version: Latest version varies.

Package Manager: APT (Advanced Package Tool)

Customizability: Extensive theme and layout options

App Store: Deepin Store for easy software installations
3

16
votes
Pop!_OS

This Ubuntu-based distro is known for its stunning dark theme and sleek design. It includes a variety of customization options and is optimized for gaming and productivity.
Pop!_OS is a Linux distribution based on Ubuntu that aims to provide a beautiful and user-friendly experience. It is designed and developed by System76, a company known for their Linux-powered computers.

Based on: Ubuntu

Desktop Environment: GNOME

Package Manager: APT

Default Filesystem: ext4

Kernel: Linux
4

16
votes
OS by Artyom Zorin/Screenshot by -donald- · GPL

Zorin OS

Zorin Group

This distro is designed to look and feel like Windows, making it a popular choice for users who are transitioning from that operating system. It features a modern and customizable interface and includes a variety of pre-installed apps.
Zorin OS is a Linux distribution based on Ubuntu that aims to provide a user-friendly and visually appealing experience. It is designed to resemble the look and feel of other popular operating systems, such as Windows and macOS, making it a suitable choice for users transitioning from those platforms.

Based on: Ubuntu

Desktop Environment: GNOME

Available Versions: Core (free), Lite (lightweight), Education, Ultimate

Customizable Look: Zorin Appearance app

Software Center: Zorin App Store
5

15
votes

Manjaro

This Arch-based distro is known for its minimalist interface and beautiful default theme. It is also known for its rolling-release model, which means users receive frequent updates and new features.
6

19
votes
Ubuntu Budgie · GPL

Ubuntu Budgie

This Ubuntu-based distro features the Budgie desktop environment, which is known for its sleek and modern design. It includes a variety of customization options and is optimized for performance.
Ubuntu Budgie is an official flavor of Ubuntu that combines the simplicity and elegance of the Budgie desktop environment with the reliability and versatility of Ubuntu. It offers a visually appealing user interface and a smooth user experience.

Desktop Environment: Budgie

Ubuntu Base: 20.04 LTS

Package Management: APT

Default Applications: Mozilla Firefox, LibreOffice, GNOME MPV, GNOME Terminal, Nautilus

Customization Options: Extensive
7

8
votes
Fedora Workstation

The Fedora Project

This distro is known for its beautiful and user-friendly GNOME desktop environment. It includes a variety of pre-installed apps and is optimized for developers and creators.
Fedora Workstation is a user-friendly and visually appealing Linux distribution that aims to provide a seamless desktop experience for developers, designers, and general users. It combines the stability and security of the Fedora project with a polished and modern desktop environment.

Desktop Environment: GNOME

Package Management System: DNF

Kernel Version: 5.x

Default File System: Ext4

Supported Architectures: x86-64, ARM
8

6
votes
OS by MX Dev Team/Screenshot by PantheraLeo1359531 😺 (talk) · GPL

MX Linux

This lightweight distro is known for its beautiful and easy-to-use interface. It is designed to be fast and responsive, even on older hardware, and includes a variety of pre-installed apps.
MX Linux is a popular Linux distribution known for its elegance and user-friendly interface. It is based on Debian and antiX and aims to provide a lightweight yet powerful operating system for both beginner and advanced users. MX Linux seamlessly blends a modern look with stability and reliability, making it a visually appealing and functional choice for desktop users.

Based on: Debian and antiX

Desktop Environment: Xfce

Version: Latest stable release: MX Linux 19.4

Kernel: Latest stable Kernel: Linux 5.10 LTS

System Requirements: Minimum: 2 GB RAM, 8 GB storage; Recommended: 4 GB RAM, 16 GB storage
9

5
votes
Solus

This independent distro is known for its beautiful and unique Budgie desktop environment. It is designed to be fast and user-friendly, and includes a variety of pre-installed apps.
Solus is a beautiful and user-friendly Linux distribution that focuses on providing a curated desktop experience. It was initially developed as a fork of a Linux distribution called Evolve OS in 2015. Since then, it has evolved into its own unique operating system with a dedicated community of developers and users.

Rolling Release: Constant updates with the latest software versions.

Budgie Desktop: A modern and intuitive desktop environment created by the Solus team.

Optimized for Desktops: Designed to provide an excellent desktop experience.

Software Center: Includes a user-friendly software center for easy package management.

Independent Repository: Maintains its own repository of software packages.
10

7
votes
OpenSUSE

This community-driven distro is known for its beautiful and customizable KDE desktop environment. It includes a variety of pre-installed apps and is optimized for both desktop and server use.
OpenSUSE is a free and open-source Linux distribution. It is known for its stability, flexibility, and user-friendly interface. OpenSUSE offers both a rolling release model called Tumbleweed and a regular release, Leap. It caters to a wide range of users, including developers, sysadmins, and desktop users.

Release Model: Tumbleweed (rolling release) and Leap (regular release)

Package Manager: zypper

Desktop Environments: KDE Plasma, GNOME, Xfce, LXQt, and more

System Administration Tool: YaST (Yet another Setup Tool)

SUSE Studio: Allows customization and creation of distributions

Missing your favorite distro?

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Discussion

Ranking factors for beautiful distro

Aesthetics and Visual Appeal

The overall look and feel of the distro, including default themes, icons, and wallpapers, should be visually appealing and well-designed.
Customization and Personalization

The distro should offer options to easily customize the appearance, as well as configure the desktop environment according to user preferences.
Desktop Environment

The choice and implementation of desktop environment included in the distro, such as GNOME, KDE Plasma, XFCE, or others, play a key role in determining its beauty.
UI and UX Design

The user interface and user experience should be intuitive, smooth, and well-organized, allowing for easy navigation and providing quick access to commonly used features and settings.
Consistency

The visual elements in the distro, such as windows, menus, and toolbars, should maintain a consistent look and feel throughout the user experience.
Responsiveness and Performance

A beautiful distro should also be responsive and fast, ensuring that the desktop environment and graphical effects do not cause sluggish performance or lag.
Default Applications

The default applications included in the distro, such as file manager, web browser, and media player, should also contribute to the overall beauty and visual appeal.
Fonts and Typography

The choice and implementation of fonts and typography should complement the overall aesthetic and create a visually pleasing experience.
Integration with the underlying system

A beautiful distro should integrate seamlessly with its underlying system, ensuring that all aspects of the operating system, from user interface elements to system tools and utilities, are visually consistent and polished.
Community and Support

Lastly, a beautiful distro should also have an active community and good documentation to provide support and resources for further customization and improvement.

About this ranking

This is a community-based ranking of the most beautiful Linux distro. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or distro is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!

Statistics

4943 views
148 votes
10 ranked items

Voting Rules

A participant may cast an up or down vote for each distro once every 24 hours. The rank of each distro is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.

More information on most beautiful linux distro

Linux is a popular open-source operating system that has gained a large following among tech enthusiasts and developers. It offers users a high degree of flexibility and customization options, making it a popular choice for those who value freedom and control over their computing environment. With so many different Linux distributions, it can be challenging to choose the most beautiful one that suits your taste. In this article, we will explore some of the most visually stunning Linux distros and what makes them stand out from the rest.