Best Free Operating Systems
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Compare the Top Free Operating Systems as of October 2025
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What are Free Operating Systems?
Operating systems are foundational software that manage computer hardware, software resources, and provide services for applications and users. They handle critical functions such as process scheduling, memory management, device control, file systems, and security. Operating systems provide a user interface—either graphical (GUI) or command-line—that allows individuals to interact with the machine. They also offer APIs and system calls that enable developers to build and run applications consistently across devices. From personal computers to servers, mobile devices, and embedded systems, operating systems are essential for ensuring stability, efficiency, and usability in modern computing environments. Compare and read user reviews of the best Free Operating Systems currently available using the table below. This list is updated regularly.
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1
Altima Linux
Gotoogle
Open Source Operating system tweaked and customised the way we like it with a selection of the best open source software applications. A worthy replacement for Windows and MacOS. Based on rock solid Debian Linux. This is a desktop computing environment with all of the free software required for general computing work. Other specialist applications are provided as installation guides. Downloads for free and install on many old computers and bring them back to life. What you thought was an antiquated machine most likely is just suffering from bloat. Major applications included are Libre Office, PhotoShack, InkScape, Sublime Text, QEMU, Nginx, Audacity, VLC Media Player, Epiphany, Remmina. Suggested additional free downloads; VirtualBox. WINE. The best part of Altima Linux is the clever combination of Windows and Mac look and feel so that users, new and experienced will enjoy a clean easy to follow and learn desktop environment. We hope that you enjoy testing and using Altima Linux.Starting Price: Free -
2
TrueNAS
iXsystems
TrueNAS is the world's most deployed storage software. TrueNAS is a universal data platform that allows users to easily adopt a modern, open source approach to storing and protecting their growing data. TrueNAS is open source and harnesses the power of the legendary ZFS file system to provide unified storage (File, Block Object, and Apps) with the reliability and performance demanded by virtualization, backup, and many other data-heavy workloads. The TrueNAS CORE edition (formerly FreeNAS) is based on FreeBSD for unified scale-up storage. The TrueNAS SCALE edition is based on Debian Linux for either scale-up or scale-out solutions, and offers Linux Containers, VMs (KVM), and scale-out ZFS storage capabilities. Both are known to work well on standard hardware. Join the millions already using TrueNAS, including the majority of Fortune 500 companies, and experience why TrueNAS is very highly rated for yourself.Starting Price: Free -
3
Qubes OS
Qubes OS
Qubes OS is a free and open-source, security-oriented operating system for single-user desktop computing. Qubes OS leverages Xen-based virtualization to allow for the creation and management of isolated compartments called qubes. These qubes, which are implemented as virtual machines (VMs), have specific Purposes with a predefined set of one or many isolated applications, for personal or professional projects, to manage the network stack, the firewall, or to fulfill other user-defined purposes. Qubes brings to your personal computer the security of the Xen hypervisor, the same software relied on by many major hosting providers to isolate websites and services from each other. Can't decide which Linux distribution you prefer? Still, need that one Windows program for work? With Qubes, you're not limited to just one OS. With Whonix integrated into Qubes, using the Internet anonymously over the Tor network is safe and easy.Starting Price: Free -
4
PixelOS
PixelOS
PixelOS is an AOSP based ROM, with Google apps included and all Pixel goodies. We aim to provide an experience similar to Google Pixel phones with numerous performance enhancements and a small amount of useful additional features.Starting Price: Free -
5
crDroid
crDroid
Improve the performance, reliability and customizability of your Android device. With crDroid you get lots of customization options not compromising on performance or security. Customize what icons you see as well as effects and number of QS rows and columns. Choose from gesture nav or old school nav buttons as well as customize what your hardware buttons do. Your lockscreen is what your friends will see first, so impress them from the beginning. Your phone, your style... Set dark mode on or off and choose your colors.Starting Price: Free -
6
Sailfish OS
Jolla
Sailfish OS is a European alternative to dominating mobile operating systems, and the only mobile OS offering an exclusive licensing model for local implementations. On the market since 2013, and now already in its 4th generation, Sailfish OS offers a secure platform for trusted mobile solutions. With Sailfish OS you can also run Android™ apps with our dedicated App Support solution. Sailfish OS is a secure mobile operating system optimized to run on smartphones and tablets, and also easily adaptable to all kinds of embedded devices and use cases. The fourth generation, Sailfish 4, boasts a multitude of new enablers to support different ecosystem projects, be it private corporate solutions or public sector governmental deployments. Sailfish OS has a host of modern security functionalities developed specifically for corporate and governmental environments. In Sailfish 4 user data is fully encrypted and apps are protected by Firejail sandboxing.Starting Price: €29.90 one-time payment -
7
Artix Linux
Artix Linux
Artix Linux is a rolling-release distribution, based on Arch Linux. It uses real init systems because PID1 must be simple, secure, and stable. It is possible to install any init system (openrc, runit, s6, suite66, or dinit) from any ISO. Artix can either be installed through the console or the GUI installer. There are 3 different kinds of installation media Artix currently provides, base, graphical, and community. Unless you really know your way around Linux, use a community edition. The base installation can be performed from within any ISO; this may prove useful to people who have trouble getting their wireless network cards to work or for any reason need an active graphical environment during installation. You can also install a different init system than that of the installation medium. Base ISOs allow for a fully customised installation, which is done in a TTY and is intended for knowledgeable users.Starting Price: Free -
8
EndeavourOS
EndeavourOS
A terminal-centric distro with a vibrant and friendly community at its core. A vibrant and friendly community, the beating heart of this distro, to guide you through your journey. Experience our distro with light and always evolving base. Read and download it on our latest release page. The EndeavourOS knowledge base, the place where you can find our wiki articles and video tutorials, is here as your guideline during your exploration in building your unique and personal system. Create your own destiny with an incredible journey. If you like to roll up your sleeves and go on an adventure, then you might want to give us a try. EndeavourOS isn’t an expressway to a predefined destination in computing, it is all about the journey towards your own destination, and on top of that, you’ll be meeting new and friendly faces during that exploration. Or more appropriate, your new Endeavour.Starting Price: Free -
9
NomadBSD
NomadBSD
NomadBSD is a persistent live system for USB flash drives, based on FreeBSD®. Together with automatic hardware detection and setup, it is configured to be used as a desktop system that works out of the box, but can also be used for data recovery, for educational purposes, or to test FreeBSD®'s hardware compatibility. The images for 64-bit and 32-bit computers fit on a 5GB USB flash drive. A system with a 1.2GHz CPU and 1G of RAM should be able to run NomadBSD decently. Booting is possible via BIOS and UEFI. We've decided to change the versioning scheme to the following form: FFfX-YYYYMMDD, where FF is the major two-digit FreeBSD version, f is the minor version, and X stands for ALPHA (A), BETA (B), RC, or RELEASE (R). Followed by a date. The new scheme allows us to provide images with different version of FreeBSD.Starting Price: Free -
10
macOS Sequoia
Apple
macOS Sequoia is Apple’s latest operating system designed to enhance productivity, creativity, and seamless device integration for Mac users. It introduces Apple Intelligence, a smart assistant that personalizes helpful insights based on your context. The update allows you to mirror your iPhone directly on your Mac, control it, and manage notifications with ease. New window tiling features and keyboard shortcuts streamline multitasking by organizing your workspace efficiently. The OS also brings new capabilities to apps like Safari, Messages, Maps, and Notes, including smarter reading tools, message scheduling, detailed topographic maps, and live audio transcription. Additionally, macOS Sequoia supports high-quality gaming with titles optimized for Apple silicon, alongside improved privacy and security controls.Starting Price: Free -
11
CloudReady
Neverware
Transform your organization’s computers so they’re secure, easy to manage, and never slow down. CloudReady gives you all the power of the web—without the weight or risk of traditional operating systems. It’s an OS designed for now...and for what’s next. That’s why companies, non-profits, schools, and government agencies around the world use CloudReady to streamline and secure their devices when accessing web apps and VDI. CloudReady is based on Google’s Chromium OS, the same open-source architecture as Chrome OS. Whether your computers are brand new or a decade old, installing CloudReady provides unparalleled speed, simplicity, and security without hardware limitations.Starting Price: $15 per device per year -
12
Zorin OS
Zorin OS
Zorin OS is designed to be easy, so you won't need to learn anything to get started. The Zorin Appearance app lets you change the desktop to resemble the environment you're familiar with, whether it's Windows, macOS, or Linux. Built on an Ubuntu & Linux foundation, Zorin OS runs on the same Open Source software that powers the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA, and more. Thanks to Linux's advanced security features, Zorin OS is resistant to viruses. Security patches and software updates are available for years to come. Zorin OS works lightning fast and doesn't slow down with updates. The Lite edition runs snappy on computers as old as 15 years, so you can breathe new life into old PCs. From a full Microsoft Office-compatible office suite to professional photo editing software, Zorin OS comes with powerful apps out of the box. Countless more apps and games are available from the Software store and Steam.Starting Price: Free -
13
Haiku OS
Haiku
Haiku is an open source operating system under constant development. Specifically targeting personal computing, Haiku is a fast, efficient, simple to use, easy to learn, and yet very powerful system for computer users of all levels. Additionally, Haiku offers something over other open source platforms which is quite unique: The project consists of a single team writing everything from the kernel, drivers, userland services, tool kit, and graphics stack to the included desktop applications and preflets. While numerous open source projects are utilized in Haiku, they are integrated seamlessly. This allows Haiku to achieve a unique level of consistency that provides many conveniences, and is truly enjoyable to use by both end-users and developers alike. The Be Operating System introduced progressive concepts and technologies that we believe represent the ideal means to simple and efficient personal computing.Starting Price: Free -
14
ChromeOS Flex
Google
Try the cloud-first, fast, easy-to-manage, and secure ChromeOS for PCs and Macs. ChromeOS Flex is a free and sustainable way to modernize devices you already own. It’s easy to deploy across your fleet or simply try it to see what a cloud-first OS has to offer. Install ChromeOS Flex on your PCs and Macs so they are secure, boot fast, don’t slow down over time, update automatically in the background, and can be managed from the cloud. Devices boot quickly, don’t slow down over time, and update in the background, reducing device downtime. Experience fast access to VDI and web apps with an intuitive, clutter-free, and reliable experience. Deploy ChromeOS Flex across your fleet via USB or network deployment and a user’s settings and policies sync to the device almost instantly. Use the Google Admin console to manage updates and configure device policies remotely. Blocked executables and sandboxing technology eliminate the need for antivirus software.Starting Price: Free -
15
NethServer
NethServer
Analyzes all web traffic and blocks selected websites via HTTP and even HTTPS using Squid proxy. Integrated with ClamAV antivirus and site blacklists. Multi-domain web server with ready LAMP stack. Virtual hosting allows to host multiple domain names on a single server. Based on NextCloud provides universal access to your files via the web, your computer or your mobile devices, wherever you are. Provide a private Slack-alternative with Mattermost. Open source messaging platform that enables secure team collaboration. Modern and powerful web interface based on Cockpit that simplifies common administration tasks, very easy and fast installation. Based on CentOS/RHEL, a widespread and popular server distribution, trusted by routine security updates, and rock solid stability.Starting Price: €48 per year -
16
NetBSD
NetBSD
NetBSD is a free, fast, secure, and highly portable Unix-like Open Source operating system. It is available for a wide range of platforms, from large-scale servers and powerful desktop systems to handheld and embedded devices. NetBSD was originally released in 1993. Over time, its code has found its way into many surprising environments, on the basis of a long history of quality, cleanliness, and stability. The NetBSD code was originally derived from 4.4BSD Lite2 from the University of California, Berkeley. NetBSD is an entirely free and open-source UNIX-like operating system developed by an international community. It isn't a "distribution" or variant but has evolved over several decades to be a complete and unique operating system in the BSD family. NetBSD users enjoy a simple, well-documented, and fully integrated UNIX-like system that feels minimal, and in many ways traditional, while including many modern and interesting features, and support for recent hardware.Starting Price: Free -
17
OpenBSD
OpenBSD
OpenBSD is developed entirely by volunteers. The project's development environment and developer events are funded through contributions collected by The OpenBSD Foundation. Contributions ensure that OpenBSD will remain a vibrant and free operating system. Hence the OpenBSD project has embedded cryptography into numerous places in the operating system. We require that the cryptographic software we use be freely available and with good licenses. We do not directly use cryptography with nasty patents. We also require that such software is from countries with useful export licenses because we do not wish to break the laws of any country. Be as politics-free as possible; solutions should be decided on the basis of technical merit.Starting Price: Free -
18
OS108
OS108
OS108 is a fast, open, and secure desktop operating system built on top of NetBSD. 1 and 0 being binary bits when represented as 8 bits forms a byte also the distance of Earth from the Sun is about 108 times the diameter of the Sun. hence the name. We are always in need of contributors who want to join the project. If you’re not a developer you can still help in the form of how-to guides and other user-centric documentation and support forums.Starting Price: Free -
19
Guix
Guix
Guix is an advanced distribution of the GNU operating system developed by the GNU Project—which respects the freedom of computer users. Guix supports transactional upgrades and roll-backs, unprivileged package management, and more. When used as a standalone distribution, Guix supports declarative system configuration for transparent and reproducible operating systems. It provides Guile Scheme APIs, including high-level embedded domain-specific languages (EDSLs) to define packages and whole-system configurations. Guix comes with thousands of packages which include applications, system tools, documentation, fonts, and other digital goods readily available for installing with the GNU Guix package manager.Starting Price: Free -
20
PLD Linux
PLD Linux
PLD is a free, RPM-based Linux distribution, created in 1998, aimed at the more advanced users and administrators, who accept the tradeoffs of using a system, that might require manual tweaking in exchange for much flexibility. Simultaneous availability for a wide variety of architectures and a non-conservative approach to RPM usage provides our users with a consistent environment on almost all available architectures.Starting Price: Free -
21
Salix
Salix
Salix is a GNU/Linux distribution based on Slackware that is simple, fast and easy to use, with stability being a primary goal. Salix is also fully backwards compatible with Slackware, so Slackware users can benefit from Salix repositories, which they can use as an "extra" quality source of software for their favorite distribution. Like a bonsai, Salix is small, light & the product of infinite care. Everything that is included in the iso is installed. That includes a complete desktop environment and a complete selection of applications that matches the respective environment, always following the "one application per task" rationale. Only the minimum essentials for a console system to start are included. A graphical environment is not provided. This is ideal if you are an experienced user and want to customize your installation for any specific purpose, such as a web server, file server etc.Starting Price: Free -
22
Slint
Slint
Slint is a stable distribution. However, accessibility software is regularly updated, others may be updated on a case-by-case basis. Slint can be used in console and graphical modes and can be switched between these modes without restarting. It is even possible to launch several graphical environments and switch between them. The Slint dashboard gives direct access to the main tools and useful information and links. The installation program, in text mode, is fully accessible for blind people using a screen reader or Braille display and proceeds by questions and answers with online help and integrated documentation. The btrfs file system is configured with subvolumes instead of separate partitions. It allows dividing by 2 the space occupied on the media, to take snapshots and is well adapted to SSD, NVMe and USB sticks.Starting Price: Free -
23
Trisquel
Trisquel
Trisquel comes ready for home and office use, and new programs are easy to find and install. Our Documentation will help you explore your options. Accessibility features are an important part of Trisquel's standard edition. Our manuals are screen-reader friendly; we also offer a series of helpful audio guides. The Trisquel operating system is available ''gratis'' (free of charge). To support our work financially you can make a donation or become a member and also buy hardware from ThinkPenguin or Technoetical.Starting Price: Free -
24
Ubuntu MATE
Ubuntu MATE
It is ideal for those who want the most out of their computers and prefer a traditional desktop metaphor. With modest hardware requirements, it is suitable for modern workstations, single-board computers and older hardware alike. Ubuntu MATE makes modern computers fast and old computers usable. We are delighted to provide ready-to-run images for the Raspberry Model B 2, 3, 3+ and 4 as well as a range of UMPCs such as the GPD Pocket, GPD Pocket 2, GPD MicroPC and Topjoy Falcon.Starting Price: Free -
25
MidnightBSD
MidnightBSD
It includes all the software you'd expect for your daily tasks — email, web browsing, word processing, gaming, and much more. With a small community of dedicated developers, MidnightBSD strives to create an easy-to-use operating system everyone can use, freely. Available for x86, AMD64 and as Virtual Machines. The FreeBSD project has developed a reliable server operating environment, but often usability and performance on the desktop is overlooked. Scheduling, allocation of resources, security settings, and available application support should be tailored to desktop users. Many of the BSD projects are tailored to servers or older hardware. Others are distributions of FreeBSD with a nice graphical user interface, but still suffer from server-centric design under the hood. We did not fork FreeBSD as a result of a falling out, but rather as an excellent starting point.Starting Price: Free -
26
OmniOS
OmniOS
The open-source enterprise server OS with just the features you need. ZFS, OmniOS' native file system, combines a volume manager and file system with strong data-integrity protection. Easily share volumes via iSCSI, CIFS, and NFS. Run lightweight OmniOS or Linux virtual machines in containers without the overhead of a traditional hypervisor and with full resource control. OmniOS also provides full hardware virtualization via bhyve and KVM for running guests such as Microsoft Windows, FreeBSD, and many others. Virtualize your network infrastructure through Crossbow virtual interfaces and switches and even allocate dedicated resources for specific services. DTrace provides a comprehensive dynamic tracing framework to aid troubleshooting across the whole software stack. Always available, instrument anything on demand. OmniOS is open-source, self-hosting, and maintained on GitHub. All development is done out in the open with pull requests and anyone can grab the source and build OmniOS.Starting Price: Free -
27
DragonFly BSD
DragonFly BSD
DragonFly version 6.2.2 is released. The 6.2 series has hardware support for type-2 hypervisors with NVMM, an amdgpu driver, the experimental ability to remote-mount HAMMER2 volumes, and many other changes. DragonFly belongs to the same class of operating systems as other BSD-derived systems and Linux. It is based on the same UNIX ideals and APIs and shares ancestor code with other BSD operating systems. DragonFly provides an opportunity for the BSD base to grow in an entirely different direction from the one taken in the FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD series. DragonFly includes many useful features that differentiate it from other operating systems in the same class. The most prominent one is HAMMER, our modern high-performance filesystem with built-in mirroring and historic access functionality. Virtual kernels provide the ability to run a full-blown kernel as a user process for the purpose of managing resources or for accelerated kernel development and debugging.Starting Price: Free -
28
openSUSE MicroOS
openSUSE
Microservice OS providing transactional (Atomic) updates upon a read-only btrfs root filesystem. Designed to host container workloads with automated administration & patching. Installing openSUSE MicroOS you get a quick, small environment for deploying containers, or any other workload that benefits from transactional updates. As rolling release distribution, the software is always up-to-date. MicroOS offers an offline image. The main difference between the offline and self-install/raw images is that the offline image has an installer. Raw and self-install allows for customization via combustion or manually in the image after it is written to the disk. There is an option for a real-time kernel. Try MicroOS in VMs running on either Xen or KVM. Using a Raspberry Pi or other system-on-chip hardware may use the preconfigured image together with the combustion functionality for the boot process.Starting Price: Free -
29
macOS Ventura
Apple
macOS Ventura is the latest major release of Apple's operating system for Mac computers. It was announced at WWDC 2022 on June 6, 2022, and was released to the public on October 24, 2022. macOS Ventura includes a number of new features and improvements, including: Stage Manager: A new way to organize your windows so you can focus on the task at hand. Continuity Camera: Use your iPhone as a webcam for your Mac, with features like Center Stage and Portrait Mode. Live Text: Automatically recognize text in images and videos, so you can copy, paste, translate, and more. Mail: New features for organizing your inbox, scheduling emails, and finding information more easily. Safari: New features for browsing the web, including Tab Groups, Passkeys, and Live Text. Games: New features for gaming on macOS, including Metal 3 and SharePlay. macOS Ventura is a significant update to macOS, and it includes a number of new features that are sure to make your Mac experience more productive.Starting Price: Free -
30
macOS Monterey
Apple
Connect, share, and create like never before. Say hello to exciting new FaceTime updates. Explore a redesigned Safari. Discover and invent powerful new ways to work using Universal Control and Shortcuts. Stay in the moment with Focus. And so much more. Staying in touch is more essential than ever. With SharePlay, you can watch together, listen together, and share your screen right inside FaceTime. FaceTime calls also sound and feel more natural. And Messages makes it even easier to find and enjoy the great content shared from friends and family. Keep FaceTime conversations going as you watch TV shows and movies, listen to music, or share your screen with SharePlay. It’s an entirely new way to have experiences with family and friends no matter the distance. Stream movies and TV shows while on a FaceTime call with friends. With synced playback and controls, you’ll see everyone laugh, jump, and react to the same moments at the same time.Starting Price: Free