People look for an alternative to Ubuntu when they want a different release policy, a different desktop, a distribution with no single commercial sponsor, or a server platform whose support terms are not tied to one company's subscription. Most move to another Debian-family system or to a Fedora or RHEL-compatible one.
Sebastiaan SmitsFounderShort answer: The closest replacements for Ubuntu in our operating system ranking are Debian, Linux Mint and Fedora Workstation. Choose Debian if you want the same package base and tooling without a corporate owner or a subscription. All 11 alternatives below are ranked products from Best Operating Systems for Business in 2026, and each says where it differs from Ubuntu.
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An Ubuntu LTS release gets five years of standard security maintenance for the Main repository. Years six to ten, coverage of Universe packages and the 15-year Legacy add-on come through Ubuntu Pro. Pro is free for personal use on up to five machines, so the open question for a fleet is the per-machine Pro price, which we could not confirm.
Between LTS releases Ubuntu ships a version every six months that receives only nine months of updates. Anyone who installed an interim release for newer hardware support has to upgrade again within the year, which is the usual reason a desktop user ends up on a rolling or slower-moving distribution instead.
Canonical holds the Ubuntu trademarks, and its policy says a modified version may only carry the name if Canonical approves, certifies or provides it. Open source licences on the code are unaffected, but anyone who wants to remix and redistribute under the Ubuntu name needs permission, which community-governed distributions do not ask for.
| Alternative | Headquarters | Free option | Pricing | Key difference | Switch if | Our rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debian | United States | Yes | Free of licence fees; volunteer-maintained | A volunteer-built distribution with a written free software contract | you want the same package base and tooling without a corporate owner or a subscription | #5 |
| Linux Mint | Not stated by the vendor | Yes | Free download; funded by donations, sponsors and advertising | A desktop distribution funded by donations and advertising | you want an Ubuntu-compatible desktop that looks traditional and ships no corporate subscription | #4 |
| Fedora Workstation | United States | Yes | Free | A GNOME desktop with short release cycles, backed by Red Hat | you want current GNOME and kernel versions and accept upgrading about once a year | #11 |
| Pop!_OS | United States | Yes | Free to download | System76's Ubuntu-based desktop with auto-tiling windows and encryption | you want an Ubuntu-compatible desktop for development and gaming from a hardware maker | #9 |
| Zorin OS | Ireland | No free tier | Core edition free; Pro is a one-time purchase per computer | A desktop Linux built to feel familiar to Windows users | you are migrating Windows users and want a familiar layout on an Ubuntu base | #1 |
| AlmaLinux | United States | Yes | Free; commercial support sold by third parties | A community-governed server Linux that stays compatible with RHEL | you run servers that must match RHEL behaviour without paying for a RHEL subscription | #6 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux | United States | No free tier | Subscription per system, published; no-cost developer membership | The paid enterprise Linux that the others here are compared to | your software vendors certify against RHEL or your compliance rules name it | #12 |
| elementary OS | Not stated by the vendor | No free tier | Pay what you can; AppCenter sells paid apps | A pay-what-you-can desktop with a curated app store | you want a polished, minimal desktop that stays on Ubuntu LTS packages | #3 |
| Manjaro | Germany | No free tier | Downloadable images; donations accepted | Arch-based desktop Linux with installer images and ARM builds | you want a rolling-release desktop with an installer rather than a manual Arch setup | #2 |
| /e/OS | France | Yes | Free to install on supported devices; Murena sells phones and Workspace plans | A de-Googled Android that replaces Google services with microG | your interest is a Google-free phone and not a laptop or server | #7 |
| GrapheneOS | Not stated by the vendor | Yes | Free download; devices bought separately | A hardened Android for Pixel phones with sandboxed Google Play | you want a security-hardened phone on Pixel hardware | #8 |
United States · Free of licence fees; volunteer-maintained
The upstream that Ubuntu is built on, run by about 1,000 volunteer developers under a Social Contract, with no company behind it and no paid support tier. Releases are slower and more conservative, and anyone who needs commercial support has to buy it from a third party.
Switch from Ubuntu if you want the same package base and tooling without a corporate owner or a subscription.
Not stated by the vendor · Free download; funded by donations, sponsors and advertising
Built on Debian and Ubuntu packages but with its own Cinnamon, MATE and Xfce desktops and a conventional Windows-like layout. It is funded by donations and advertising. It is a desktop distribution first, so there is no server edition or paid enterprise support to compare with Ubuntu Pro.
Switch from Ubuntu if you want an Ubuntu-compatible desktop that looks traditional and ships no corporate subscription.
United States · Free
Sponsored by Red Hat, with GNOME as its desktop and a new version twice a year. Each version is supported for about 13 months, a shorter cycle than an Ubuntu LTS. You get newer software sooner and give up the five-year stability of a long-term release.
Switch from Ubuntu if you want current GNOME and kernel versions and accept upgrading about once a year.
Fedora Workstation, #11 of 12 in our operating system ranking →
United States · Free to download
Made by the US computer maker System76, free to download, and compatible with tools written for Ubuntu because it is built on it. It emphasises window tiling and gaming support through Steam, and has no enterprise subscription or server focus.
Switch from Ubuntu if you want an Ubuntu-compatible desktop for development and gaming from a hardware maker.
Ireland · Core edition free; Pro is a one-time purchase per computer
Built on Ubuntu and aimed at people moving from Windows, with an Appearance app that rearranges the desktop to look familiar. Core is free, and the Pro edition is a paid purchase. It does not target servers, and its release track depends on Ubuntu's.
Switch from Ubuntu if you are migrating Windows users and want a familiar layout on an Ubuntu base.
United States · Free; commercial support sold by third parties
A free, community-owned build compatible with RHEL, overseen by the AlmaLinux OS Foundation (a 501(c)(6) nonprofit). Version 9 is supported until 2032. It is a server platform, so there is no desktop focus, and commercial support comes from third parties.
Switch from Ubuntu if you run servers that must match RHEL behaviour without paying for a RHEL subscription.
United States · Subscription per system, published; no-cost developer membership
Sold by subscription per system, owned by IBM, with full, maintenance and extended-life phases and a no-cost developer subscription for business developers. It is the closest counterpart to Ubuntu Pro in the vendor-supported sense, and costs more than a free community build.
Switch from Ubuntu if your software vendors certify against RHEL or your compliance rules name it.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux, #12 of 12 in our operating system ranking →
Not stated by the vendor · Pay what you can; AppCenter sells paid apps
A curated desktop (Pantheon) built on Ubuntu LTS, sold on a pay-what-you-can basis, with an AppCenter for free and paid indie apps. It is deliberately small and opinionated, so customisation is limited and it is not meant for servers.
Switch from Ubuntu if you want a polished, minimal desktop that stays on Ubuntu LTS packages.
Germany · Downloadable images; donations accepted
Arch-based and rolling, with official KDE Plasma, Xfce and GNOME images. It moves much faster than an Ubuntu LTS, so there is no long-term support line to hold a fleet on. Suits individuals who like current software and will handle occasional breakage.
Switch from Ubuntu if you want a rolling-release desktop with an installer rather than a manual Arch setup.
France · Free to install on supported devices; Murena sells phones and Workspace plans
A de-Googled mobile operating system for smartphones, delivered pre-installed on Murena phones or installed on supported devices. It is not a desktop or server system, so it only fits if the real aim is a Google-free phone.
Switch from Ubuntu if your interest is a Google-free phone and not a laptop or server.
Not stated by the vendor · Free download; devices bought separately
A hardened Android for phones, built as a non-profit open source project and limited to Pixel devices. It is mobile only. It is relevant here only for someone whose goal is a privacy-focused device and not a replacement for Ubuntu on a computer.
Switch from Ubuntu if you want a security-hardened phone on Pixel hardware.
Ubuntu remains the right choice when you want the largest set of tutorials and vendor documentation, a five-year LTS with a clear upgrade path, and the option of paid support from the same company that builds the system. For a laptop or a small server fleet, the free personal Pro allowance (five machines) covers extended security maintenance at no cost. The case for leaving is weakest when your software vendor lists Ubuntu LTS as a certified platform.
Ubuntu's Main and Universe repositories differ in who maintains security fixes. Before moving, list installed packages and confirm each exists in the target distribution. Debian and Mint share most of them, while Fedora and AlmaLinux use RPM packages and different names.
Under Ubuntu you may rely on Pro for Universe patches. After moving, security coverage depends on the new distribution's own policy, which ranges from about 13 months on Fedora to the multi-year lifecycle of AlmaLinux 9 until 2032. Match the release cadence to how often you are willing to upgrade.
Yes, for people who want the same APT tooling without a corporate owner. Debian is maintained by volunteers, releases more slowly and offers no paid support tier of its own, so businesses that need a support contract have to find one elsewhere.
Pop!_OS, Zorin OS and elementary OS are all built on Ubuntu, and Linux Mint builds on Debian and Ubuntu packages. They keep APT and most Ubuntu documentation applicable while changing the desktop.
AlmaLinux and Red Hat Enterprise Linux are the RPM-based options, and Debian is the closest APT-based one. AlmaLinux is free and RHEL-compatible, while RHEL is sold by subscription per system.
The operating system is free to download. Ubuntu Pro is free for personal use on up to five machines, so a company with a fleet should read the Pro terms and pricing, which we could not confirm in this review.
Yes, /e/OS and GrapheneOS are Android-based mobile systems. They replace a phone operating system and do not substitute for Ubuntu on a computer.
Founder of The Knowledge Engineers and of 2 Steps Ahead, an AI search visibility agency. Writes, edits and checks every page on this site.
Written, edited and fact-checked by Sebastiaan Smits. Last reviewed 8 October 2026. How we review.
