Open-source desktop operating systems
20 desktop operating systems whose code is public under an OSI-approved license, rated for privacy with evidence. Picks first, then by score.
FreeBSD Grade A
A Unix-like operating system descended from BSD, developed as a complete system of kernel and userland, with ZFS, jails and the bhyve hypervisor.
BSD-2-Clause for the base system, with some components under other open source licenses. Source code
Tails Grade A
A portable live operating system that starts from a USB stick, routes all connections through Tor and leaves no trace on the computer unless Persistent Storage is used.
GPL-3.0 or later. Source code
Alpine Linux Grade B
Alpine is a security-oriented, lightweight distro based on musl libc and busybox. It compiles all user-space binaries as position-independent executables with stack-smashing protection.
Built entirely from open source packages. Each package lists its license. Source code
Arch Linux Grade B
A minimal, rolling-release Linux distribution for x86-64 that users configure themselves, using the pacman package manager and the community Arch User Repository.
Built from open source packages; pacman is GPL-2.0 or later. The repositories also carry some proprietary drivers. Source code
Debian Grade B
A community-developed Linux distribution made entirely of free software, known for stable releases and a large package archive, and the base of many other distributions.
The Debian Social Contract requires the main archive to be entirely free software. Source code
elementary OS Grade B
An Ubuntu-based Linux distribution with its own Pantheon desktop and apps, and AppCenter, a store for pay-what-you-want apps and Flatpaks.
The elementary OS platform is entirely open source and built on free and open source software. Source code
NixOS Grade B
A Linux distribution built on the Nix package manager, where the whole system is configured declaratively and upgrades can be rolled back.
Nixpkgs and NixOS are MIT-licensed; packaged software keeps its own licenses. Source code
Omarchy Grade B
Opinionated Arch Linux setup built around the Hyprland tiling window manager, with preinstalled apps, themes and AI agent integration. Created by David Heinemeier Hansson and funded by the Omacom Foundation.
Omarchy's scripts and configuration are MIT, on top of open source Arch Linux packages. The default install also includes some proprietary apps, such as Obsidian. Source code
OpenBSD Grade B
A security-focused Unix-like operating system descended from BSD, known for code auditing, secure defaults and exploit mitigations such as pledge and unveil.
ISC and BSD licenses for the base system, with a policy against restrictive licenses. Source code
Parrot Grade B
A Debian-based Linux distribution geared towards security, privacy and development, with editions for penetration testing and everyday use.
Debian-based and built from open source packages. Source code
Qubes OS Grade B
A security-oriented desktop operating system that uses Xen virtualization to run applications in separate, isolated virtual machines called qubes.
GPL-2.0 or later. Source code
secureblue Grade B
Hardened images of Fedora Atomic desktops and servers, with a hardened memory allocator and hardened kernel and system settings.
Apache-2.0. Source code
Fedora Grade C
A Linux distribution developed by the Fedora Project and sponsored by Red Hat, offering recent software in Workstation, Server and Atomic desktop editions.
Only software under licenses approved by Fedora, which are free and open source licenses, is included. Source code
Kicksecure Grade C
A security-hardened Linux distribution based on Debian, with hardened kernel and system settings, from the developers of Whonix.
AGPL-3.0 and GPL-2.0 or later. Source code
openSUSE Grade C
A community Linux distribution sponsored by SUSE, available as the rolling Tumbleweed and the fixed-release Leap, with the YaST and Zypper system tools.
Built from open source packages whose sources are public on the Open Build Service. Source code
Whonix Grade C
A Debian-based operating system that runs in virtual machines and routes all traffic through Tor, separating the Tor gateway from the workstation to prevent IP address leaks.
AGPL-3.0 and GPL-3.0. Source code
Zorin OS Grade C
An Ubuntu-based Linux distribution from Zorin Technology Group, with desktop layouts that resemble Windows or macOS.
Built on open source software, with source packages published on Launchpad and GitHub. Source code
Pop!_OS Grade D
An Ubuntu-based Linux distribution from the hardware maker System76, with its own COSMIC desktop environment.
System76's own components, including the COSMIC desktop, are open source under the GPL-3.0, on top of Ubuntu packages. Source code
Ubuntu Grade D
A Debian-based Linux distribution developed by Canonical, with regular and long-term support releases for desktops, servers and cloud.
Built from open source packages, with licences listed per package. Optional proprietary drivers are available. Source code
Linux Mint Grade F
A desktop Linux distribution based on Ubuntu or Debian, with the Cinnamon, MATE and Xfce desktops and its own tools for updates and system settings.
Linux Mint's own tools are open source, mostly under the GPL, on top of Ubuntu or Debian packages. Source code
Compare all 23 desktop operating systems, open source or not.