| Rank | Linux Distribution | 1 Sentence History | Primary Goal/Users | Famous Users | 5 Strengths | 5 Weaknesses | Website | Company |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ubuntu | Released in 2004, Ubuntu is a popular Linux distribution for beginners and experienced users alike. | Desktop and server operating system | Mark Shuttleworth, Canonical employees | Easy to use, large community, wide software support, frequent releases, regular security updates | Unity desktop can be polarizing, some software may require additional configuration, can be buggy at times, updates can break things | ubuntu.com: https://www.ubuntu.com | Canonical |
| 2 | Linux Mint | Released in 2006, Linux Mint is a beginner-friendly Linux distribution based on Ubuntu. | Desktop operating system | Clem Lefebvre | Easy to use, Cinnamon desktop is polished and stable, large community, wide software support, regular releases | Can be resource-intensive, some software may require additional configuration, can be buggy at times | linuxmint.com: https://linuxmint.com | Linux Mint |
| 3 | Manjaro | Released in 2011, Manjaro is a rolling release Linux distribution based on Arch Linux. | Desktop operating system | Philip Müller | Easy to use, rolling release model, large community, wide software support, regular updates | Can be unstable at times, some software may require additional configuration, can be buggy at times | manjaro.org: https://manjaro.org | Manjaro |
| 4 | OpenSUSE Leap | Released in 2006, OpenSUSE Leap is a stable release Linux distribution based on SUSE Linux Enterprise. | Desktop and server operating system | SUSE | Stable, reliable, large community, wide software support, regular updates | Can be resource-intensive, some software may require additional configuration, can be buggy at times | opensuse.org: https://opensuse.org | SUSE |
| 5 | Elementary OS | Released in 2011, Elementary OS is a user-friendly Linux distribution based on Ubuntu. | Desktop operating system | Daniel Foré | Beautiful Pantheon desktop, easy to use, large community, wide software support, regular releases | Can be resource-intensive, some software may require additional configuration, can be buggy at times | elementary.io: https://elementary.io | Elementary |
| 6 | Fedora | Released in 2003, Fedora is a community-developed Linux distribution that focuses on free and open source software. | Desktop and server operating system | Red Hat | Cutting-edge software, large community, wide software support, regular releases, regular security updates | Can be unstable at times, some software may require additional configuration, can be buggy at times | getfedora.org: https://getfedora.org | Red Hat |
| 7 | Zorin OS | Released in 2009, Zorin OS is a Linux distribution designed for Windows users who want to switch to Linux. | Desktop operating system | Artyom Zorin | Easy to use, Windows-like interface, large community, wide software support, regular releases | Can be resource-intensive, some software may require additional configuration, can be buggy at times | zorinos.com: https://zorinos.com | Zorin Group |
| 8 | Debian | Released in 1993, Debian is a stable Linux distribution that is known for its reliability and security. | Desktop and server operating system | Ian Murdock, Bruce Perens | Stable, reliable, large community, wide software support, regular security updates | Can be difficult to set up, some software may require additional configuration, can be buggy at times | debian.org: https://debian.org | Software in the Public Interest, Inc. |
| 9 | Arch Linux | Released in 2002, Arch Linux is a lightweight Linux distribution that is known for its speed and flexibility. | Desktop operating system | Judd Vinet | Flexible, customizable, large community, wide software support, rolling release model | Can be difficult to set up, some software may require additional configuration, can be unstable at times | archlinux.org: https://archlinux.org | Arch Linux |
| 10 | Pop!_OS | Released in 2017, Pop!_OS is a Linux distribution based on Ubuntu that is designed for developers and gamers. | Desktop operating system | System76 | Easy to use, optimized for developers and gamers, large community, wide software support, regular releases | Can be resource-intensive, some software may require additional configuration, can be buggy at times | pop-os.org: https://pop-os.org | System76 |
Please note that this list is subjective and there are many other great Linux distributions available