The 10 Most Popular Linux Distributions in 2020

The open-source world has been getting increasingly popular and well-known, with many software that follows this premise overtaking others that were previously more popular. With this, within this universe, the "competition" has been getting bigger, as the possibilities have become almost INFINITE… And of course, we users are the ones who gain the most from this.

The biggest symbol of open source has been operating systems that use the Linux Kernel. Each one has its particularities… some are considered better, others worse… Some are considered easier for those who have no experience, others more complicated, giving users the freedom to control the system… The important thing is the options and freedom of choice.

With this, I decided to gather the 10 most popular Linux distributions from the last 12 months according to the Linux observatory Distrowatch and talk a bit about them. So, let's get to what matters.

Note: Distrowatch makes the ranking based on the most searched systems, but the systems themselves are not always really the most popular. The criteria are used only for contextualization, and the Linux World is quite open, so it's not possible to be so precise.

10th place: Zorin OS

With about 11 years of existence and 2 months since the last update, Zorin OS is based on Ubuntu and uses GNOME or xfce in the Desktop environment. Focused on bringing an interface similar to Windows or MacOS systems, the distribution has been gaining a lot of fame lately and is considered by users to be very light and even recovering the speed of older computers, even with a modern appearance.

The main versions require a minimum of only 2GB of RAM from your machine. But if it's even weaker and/or has 32 bits, there's the Lite version, which requires only 512MB of RAM.

9th place: Fedora

A classic for Linux lovers, Fedora already has 17 years of existence and 34 versions released since then. It has various graphical environments depending on its version, but the most used is GNOME, present in most of them. The version became even more known for being based on Red Hat, the main company related to Linux.

The distribution also stands out, among other things, for having few bugs and different versions for its particularity, such as Fedora Server (for servers) and Fedora Cloud (for cloud services). Even so, it's not considered one of the "simplest" versions.

8th place: Solus

One could say that, among the 10 most popular systems of the year, Solus is the youngest… The system is still in version 4 and was created by Ikey Doherty, who in turn based the system on two other systems he had created before. Even so, its popularity in the last 12 months remains impressive.

Its graphical environment is Budgie Desktop most of the time (the environment was created mainly for this system, by the same developer), but it also has versions in GNOME and MATE. Its differential is being a simple system, without many challenges for those who don't know the Linux Kernel. And much less for those who do… Oh and you need 2GB of RAM to install the distro on your machine. Worth the test.

7th place: Pop!_OS

Pop!_OS is based on Ubuntu and is currently in version 20. Like Solus, the system stands out for its simplicity and ease of use. In addition, it offers a very pleasant and fluid GNOME interface, more beautiful than Ubuntu in my opinion.

On the other hand, its "low" point is being a very raw system, without many pre-installed things like in other distributions. Still, it's very worth checking out. Pop!_OS was the one that had the biggest growth among all the other systems on the list.

6th place: Elementary OS

Elementary is also one of the newest systems on our list. Created in 2011 and about to launch version 6, the distro has an extremely minimalist design with an interface made in Pantheon, with the promise of being a replacement not only for Windows but also MacOS. Personally, I found it quite similar to Apple's system, and the design has always attracted me a lot, as well as Pop!_OS.

The system has always been considered quite secure and fluid, and comes with a different browser, Epiphany. The community judges it as the most beautiful distribution among all based on the Linux Kernel.

5th place: Debian

Hello, programmers… This distro is one of the most recommended by the community especially for our area. Absurdly stable, Debian is a classic, almost 30 years in the market without being known for having many bugs and problems. This is due to the fact that a lot of old code is used today… But that doesn't mean it's necessarily a "dinosaur" system.

As I said, Debian is a classic. It gave origin to the vast majority of famous systems today, directly or indirectly. Ubuntu, for example, which based systems above, was based on Debian. In other words, this version is historic and should never be disregarded. The platform is very solid and contains many packages that are always being tested and updated.

4th place: Ubuntu

Obviously, Ubuntu could never be left out… the first Operating System for most people who migrate to Linux without experience, it's a complete system. With some ease of use but also giving great openness for users to make it their own way.

If you're a Linux beginner, Ubuntu will always be the most recommended version, along with Mint, which (CONTAINS SPOILER) is also on the list. The system's community is HUGE, and you'll hardly have any problem that hasn't already been documented or posted somewhere on the internet. In addition, its interface uses Unity/GNOME, and the distribution has several unofficial derivative versions (like many mentioned above) and official versions too, like Xubuntu and Lubuntu, recommended for less powerful computers. Oh, and Ubuntu has versions aimed at servers, cloud computing and IoT.

3rd place: Mint

We finally reach the podium, where we start with Linux Mint. Yes, the spoiler was brief. The distribution has versions based both on Ubuntu and Debian, and, using the Cinnamon graphical interface, its differential here is quite clear: Simplicity.

Along with Ubuntu, it's the distribution most known for being very simple for those who are migrating, especially from Windows. But Mint wins by a little, with the differential of having an extremely similar interface. The challenges and headaches with Mint are almost null, it's a simple and quite stable version, with a huge community. Not to mention it's quite light, also recommended for weak PCs. But for some reason, its popularity has been falling… Mint was a leader for a long time in this same ranking, and has been dropping positions in recent months. But it's still a classic too.

2nd place: Manjaro

Based on Arch Linux, Manjaro also couldn't be left out. Known for its lightness, it's a constant recommendation when talking about the gamer community.

Gamers usually have fear of migrating to Linux because of the various paid and non-open-source systems they use, but Manjaro helps a lot with this. With Steam pre-installed and a light and fluid interface with Xfce standard, Manjaro competes side by side with SteamOS as the most recommended distribution for games. However, SteamOS serves solely and exclusively for games, while Manjaro can be better used in daily life.

1st place: MX Linux

Yes, MX Linux is the leader in the last 12 months… despite not being in synthesis the most popular and being a remaster, MX has been growing a lot due to simplicity and lightness. Even the main version only requires 512MB of RAM from your machine and 5GB of free space, and is highly praised by the community due to its excellent performance and the "resurrection" of old machines. Oh, and unlike most distributions, MX Linux can also be installed on 32-bit machines.

MX Linux is based on Debian and has the Xfce interface. It was created by the antiX community, in union with the former MEPIS. The community's goal is "to combine an elegant and efficient desktop with simple configuration, high stability, solid performance and have 'medium' weight."

So, did you like the list? Do you disagree with some distributions being more popular than others? Do you have any preference on this list or even outside it? Leave your suggestion or comment!