The 6 Linux distros I expect to rule 2026 - and why

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8 astir Windows-like Linux distros - if you're acceptable to ditch Microsoft

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ZDNET cardinal takeaways

Linux is acceptable for a large twelvemonth successful 2026.
There volition beryllium a fewer distributions that volition astonishment people.
These six distros volition beryllium connected everyone's database by year's end.

It seems I went to bed, and it was conscionable turning 2025. Then, I aftermath up, and it's 2026. Where did clip go?

I tin archer you 1 thing: clip went to helping Linux emergence successful popularity. Okay, the death of Windows 10 also had thing to bash with that, but everyone successful the concern of covering Linux knew this would 1 time happen: the masses would yet recognize that determination is an alternate OS that's much reliable, safer, and easier to use.

Also: Linux volition beryllium unstoppable successful 2026 - but 1 open-source fable whitethorn not survive

We whitethorn not beryllium declaring 2026 the twelvemonth of Linux conscionable yet, but respective Linux distros are apt to person a precise bully year. These are my picks for that list.

1. AerynOS

Once you get past the installer (which volition beryllium a spot of a situation for those caller to Linux), you'll find AerynOS to beryllium an outstanding, rock-solid operating strategy that is afloat atomic and offers a beauteous KDE Plasma desktop. It is those 2 past bits that volition elevate AerynOS's presumption among the Linux distributions.

Also: 5 of my favourite Linux distros acceptable to usage retired of the container - nary setup required

You see, atomic and immutable (those are not the aforesaid things, by the way) are the aboriginal of operating systems due to the fact that they supply an acquisition that volition ever work. Atomic distributions fundamentally guarantee that nary upgrade volition effect successful strategy failure, a breached desktop, oregon unusable applications. That is important due to the fact that radical beryllium heavy connected a dependable operating system.

AerynOS does atomicity but not immutability. That's important due to the fact that immutability requires a read-only halfway record system, and that tin confuse users erstwhile they effort to configure thing extracurricular of their location directory.

AerynOS does each of this beautifully and adjacent has a precise vanilla instrumentality connected KDE Plasma, which I deliberation is the close mode to go. KDE Plasma is beauteous retired of the box, and it's incredibly user-friendly.

Also: 5 reasons wherefore Linux volition overtake Windows and MacOS connected the desktop - eventually

As well, AerynOS automatically manages footwear entries, kernel synchronization, and rollbacks. This eliminates the request for the manual penning of configuration files. Even if the EFI strategy partition is wiped, it tin beryllium automatically rebuilt.

All of this comes unneurotic to marque thing beauteous special.

2. AnduinOS

AnduinOS is simply a Linux organisation that, connected the surface, appears precise overmuch similar Windows 10. AnduinOS is based connected Ubuntu, which gives it a caput commencement connected user-friendliness. Couple that with a UI that is instantly acquainted to the mean user, and you tin spot wherefore AnduinOS could go a darling for the coming year.

Also: Zorin OS vs. AnduinOS: How to prime the close Windows-like Linux distro for you

As for the UI, it's based connected GNOME, truthful it's fast. And with the assistance of GNOME Extensions, you tin widen the features of the desktop. Who doesn't privation that? Speaking of which, the developers person included specified extensions arsenic ArcMenu, Blur My Shell, Dash to Panel, Light/Dark Theme Switcher, OpenWeather Refined, Removable Drive menu, and more. With the assistance of a useful hold manager, you tin enable/disable and configure those extensions to conscionable your needs.

AnduinOS besides does not cod immoderate accusation from users, which volition beryllium a enactment of caller aerial successful a satellite wherever idiosyncratic accusation is golden to truthful galore organizations and companies.

I deliberation the large crushed wherefore AnduinOS volition go a darling successful 2026 is that much and much users volition yet locomotion distant from Windows and volition privation an operating strategy that doesn't situation them to larn a caller interface. AnduinOS does that amended than most.

3. Besgnulinux

What successful the satellite is that name? Every clip I accidental it, I think, "Best GNU Linux."

Besgnulinux is the brainchild of a azygous developer who seems to beryllium connected a ngo to support aged computers retired of landfills, and I find that to beryllium a precise noble pursuit. The developer has taken Debian unchangeable and created a user-friendly desktop with the assistance of the JWM model manager. What this does is make a precise accelerated operating strategy that's besides highly unchangeable and works brilliantly connected older hardware.

I tested Besgnulinux arsenic a virtual instrumentality with lone 2GB of RAM and a azygous CPU core. Guess what? The OS ran similar it was connected a powerful, modern desktop computer.

This organisation volition entreaty to anyone with an aging Windows 10 machine who doesn't attraction astir having the astir modern, eye-candy-laden UI and wants an OS they tin spot volition tally reliably and well.

Also: I rediscovered my longtime Linux favourite - acknowledgment to a rotation I didn't spot coming

Besgnulinux uses the Calamares strategy installer, defaults to the Brave web browser, and includes implicit 40 custom-built tools to power the system's settings arsenic good arsenic the look and consciousness of the desktop.

4. BigLinux

Simply put, BigLinux makes Linux casual for anyone.

If you've ne'er utilized Linux, this organisation mightiness beryllium the cleanable landing spot for you. BigLinux is beauteous and offers a ton of adjuvant features.

Here's the kicker: BigLinux is based connected Manjaro Linux and uses the KDE Plasma for its desktop.

Also: OpenSUSE vs. Manjaro: Which powerhouse Linux distro is champion for you?

Okay, Manjaro is based connected Arch Linux, which I wouldn't urge to a caller user. Manjaro Linux is simply a antithetic communicative due to the fact that it makes bully connected the committedness of transforming Arch Linux into thing that is user-friendly.

BigLinux takes this 1 measurement further by including things similar web applications for services/platforms similar Amazon Music, Deezer Music, Discord, Facebook, Instagram, Jitsi Meet, Messenger, Netflix, Outlook, each of the Google apps, and more. In fact, BigLinux includes dozens of applications that instrumentality up precise small abstraction connected your thrust and assistance marque the organisation arsenic user-friendly arsenic possible.

As well, you get to take which web browser you privation during the OS install. You tin prime from Brave, Firefox, Google Chrome, Chromium, Vivaldi, LibreWolf, Opera, oregon Falkon. Another precise useful summation is the Big Driver Manager, which vastly simplifies the installation of drivers.

Also: How overmuch RAM does your Linux PC really request successful 2025? An adept weighs in

I judge determination are large things to travel for BigLinux.

5. Pop!_OS

It astir seems unfair to see Pop!_OS connected this database due to the fact that it's been astir for truthful long. The happening is, System76 took a large accidental connected creating its ain desktop environment, COSMIC.

I've been utilizing COSMIC desktop since the aboriginal alpha stages, and adjacent then, it earnestly impressed me. I would spell truthful acold arsenic to accidental that COSMIC is going to go the astir fashionable Linux DE by the extremity of 2026. That unsocial helps to marque Pop!_OS a shoo-in for Linux darling of the year.

Also: Ubuntu Budgie vs. Pop!_OS: I've utilized some Linux distros - here's however to choose

COSMIC is blazingly accelerated and highly configurable. That doesn't mean you have to fuss with desktop configurations, due to the fact that the out-of-the-box acquisition is amazing.

Given however unchangeable and accelerated COSMIC 1.0 is, I tin lone ideate what mentation 2.0 volition beryllium like. I would conjecture that, by the clip the adjacent iteration arrives, COSMIC volition person elevated Pop!_OS beyond thing it could person different go with GNOME.

6. ZorinOS

Zorin OS has already proven itself to beryllium a favorite contender for OS of the year. This came astir erstwhile enactment for Windows 10 ended and Zorin OS had been downloaded implicit a cardinal times successful 2 months (with 78% of those downloads coming from Windows machines).

Also: Linux Mint vs. Zorin OS: I've tested some Windows alternatives, and here's my choice

There's a bully crushed for this: Zorin OS is precisely what a desktop operating strategy should be. Zorin OS serves the user, not the different mode around.

Zorin OS is based connected Ubuntu and gives the idiosyncratic a prime of desktop layouts. If you privation a Windows-like layout, Zorin OS has your back. MacOS? Sure, nary problem. When a idiosyncratic discovers Zorin OS, they yet recognize that an operating strategy doesn't person to beryllium analyzable oregon overbearing.

Zorin OS strikes a cleanable equilibrium of user-friendliness, power, flexibility, and reliability. If determination were a azygous OS I would urge to those migrating from Windows 10, it would beryllium Zorin OS.

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