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Kubuntu

The official Ubuntu flavour that ships the KDE Plasma desktop and KDE apps.

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About Kubuntu

Kubuntu is an official flavour of Ubuntu that swaps Ubuntu's GNOME-based desktop for KDE Plasma and the KDE application suite. Underneath it is the same Ubuntu base, so it gets the same package archive, hardware support and release schedule: a new version every six months, and a long-term support release every two years in April. It suits people who like a traditional taskbar-and-start-menu layout or want a desktop they can customise heavily, while still getting Ubuntu's large software ecosystem and community documentation. Apps are installed through KDE's Discover store, and KRunner works as a built-in launcher. The project has been running since 2004, is community developed, and is free to download, use and modify. Interim releases get nine months of updates, so most users stay on the LTS versions. Because it tracks Ubuntu closely, it inherits Ubuntu's choices such as Snap packages, which not everyone wants.

Best for: People who want Ubuntu's base and software with the KDE Plasma desktop instead of GNOME.

Pros and cons

What works

  • KDE Plasma desktop that is easy to customise
  • Same Ubuntu base, packages and hardware support
  • LTS releases supported for three years of updates
  • Free to download, use and modify

Why people leave

  • Interim releases are supported for only nine months
  • Smaller team than Ubuntu itself, so some flavour-specific bugs linger
  • Inherits Ubuntu decisions such as Snap packages

Top Kubuntu alternatives

See all 5
  1. 1Ubuntu logo
    Ubuntu

    The same base with Canonical's GNOME desktop, the largest user base and commercial support options.

    68.8
  2. 2Fedora Linux logo
    Fedora Linux

    Offers an official KDE Plasma edition with newer packages and no Snap, on a Red Hat-backed base.

    64.8
  3. 3Linux Mint logo
    Linux Mint

    Also Ubuntu-based, with a familiar Cinnamon desktop and Flatpak instead of Snap by default.

    61.8
  4. 4Debian logo
    Debian

    The upstream Ubuntu builds on; installable with KDE Plasma and known for stability without Snap.

    59.4
  5. 5Zorin OS logo
    Zorin OS

    Ubuntu-based too, with a polished desktop aimed at people moving over from Windows.

    57.5

Why people left Kubuntu

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

No switching stories yet. If you moved away from Kubuntu, review the app you switched to and tell us why.

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Kubuntu: common questions

Is Kubuntu free?

Yes. Kubuntu is free, open-source software.

Is Kubuntu open source?

Yes.

What platforms does Kubuntu run on?

Kubuntu is available for Linux.

What are the best alternatives to Kubuntu?

The highest-ranked Kubuntu alternatives right now are Ubuntu, Fedora Linux and Linux Mint. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Kubuntu alternatives