Linux Mint
Beginner-friendly Linux distribution based on Ubuntu, with a familiar Windows-like desktop.
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About Linux Mint
Linux Mint is a desktop Linux distribution built on Ubuntu's long-term support releases and aimed squarely at people coming from Windows. Its own Cinnamon desktop has a familiar taskbar, start menu and system tray, and there are MATE and Xfce editions for older or lower-powered PCs. Mint works out of the box with multimedia support, uses Flatpak rather than Ubuntu's Snaps for extra apps, and adds its own tools for updates, software, backups, drivers and writing USB sticks. Because releases follow Ubuntu LTS, each major version is supported for several years, and the team favours careful, incremental changes over big redesigns. An edition built directly on Debian, LMDE, exists as a fallback. Mint is free, funded by donations and sponsors, and almost entirely open source. The price of that stability is older kernels and desktop software than Fedora, which can matter on very new hardware.
Best for: Windows users switching to Linux who want a familiar desktop that works out of the box.
Pros and cons
What works
- Familiar Windows-like desktop with little to relearn
- Multimedia support and common drivers work out of the box
- Long support per release and conservative updates
- Free, with no Snap packages pushed on you
Why people leave
- Older kernels and apps can struggle with brand-new hardware
- Cinnamon trails GNOME and KDE on Wayland support
- Small core team compared with Ubuntu or Fedora
Top Linux Mint alternatives
See all 6- 1
Ubuntu66.5The base Mint is built on, with wider vendor support and Canonical's commercial backing.
- 2
Fedora Linux62.6Newer kernels and desktops for recent hardware, with stock GNOME or KDE.
- 3
Debian59.6The upstream foundation, with fewer extras but a fully community-run, very stable base.
- 4
Zorin OS57.2Also Ubuntu-based and beginner-friendly, but with switchable Windows- and macOS-style layouts and phone sync built in.
- 5
macOS55.3The pick for someone leaving Linux Mint for a polished, commercial desktop on Apple hardware, while keeping a Unix terminal underneath.
Why people left Linux Mint
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
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Linux Mint: common questions
Is Linux Mint free?
Yes. Linux Mint is free, open-source software.
Is Linux Mint open source?
Yes.
What platforms does Linux Mint run on?
Linux Mint is available for Linux.
What are the best alternatives to Linux Mint?
The highest-ranked Linux Mint alternatives right now are Ubuntu, Fedora Linux and Debian. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.