While all Windows and macOS have similar desktops and customization options are very limited, in the Linux world the reality is quite the opposite. Personalization is one of the most important characteristics of this ecosystem, being able to find desktops of all kinds, from minimalist, for those who need to save up to the last mega of RAM, to very useful and beautiful desks that take care of even the smallest detail. And all of them, of course, free and open.
Although the most used Linux desktops are usually always the same in most distributions, there is a great variety of them, of all kinds. In this way, regardless of the distro that we use as standard, each user will be able to choose the one that best suits their needs.
Next, we are going to see which are the most curious, beautiful and cared for. Obviously, each one has its pros and cons, and they are not the only options we can find.
Linux desktops similar to Windows and macOS
There are users who, although they bet on Linux, are looking for a familiar appearance, something they already know and are not going to give them problems. For this reason, there are desks that are committed to offering users an appearance similar to what we can find in Windows or macOS, simple and intuitive desktops with elements and menus that allow us to start working with the system with little learning curve.
GNOME 40
GNOME 40 is the latest version of this popular Linux desktop. GNOME has gone through many different stages. The first, the best known and most characteristic, mounted two task bars, one above and one below, with different panels and menus. The second, with version 3, mimicked the appearance of the now defunct Unity desktop, betting on a vertical bar on the side. And, the latest version, GNOME 40, is committed to imitating the appearance of macOS.
This desktop is the default one used by most distributions. Besides being touch-friendly, and having excellent maintenance, it has native support for GTK-based applications. And, its tool kit is one of the most complete and cared for in every way.
KDE
If GNOME bets on macOS, KDE does it for Windows. This desktop has always been one of the most customizable, with all kinds of widgets and elements that we could freely place on the screen (in exchange for a huge consumption of resources). But things have changed. Now, the latest versions of KDE Plasma go for an elegant but simple desktop. A desktop that is clearly inspired by Windows 10 but that consumes very few resources. A great option if we don’t want any learning curve.
Beautiful and neat Linux desktops
But although GNOME and KDE are the best known, they are not the only options. We can find a great variety of desks within this ecosystem with which we can have a different experience and feel very comfortable while working with them.
Mate
This desktop is, broadly speaking, the continuation of GNOME 2. Mate bets on the typical task bars at the top and bottom from where we can access both the open applications and the menus of the windows that we have in the foreground.
Mate is an ideal desktop for those users who have a computer with moderate resources and do not want to use a basic window manager.
Deepin
And if what we are looking for is another light desktop, but with many more effects, colors and a much more careful finish in every way, then we must take a look at Deepin Desktop Environment (DDE). This desktop, used by default in Deepin and other distros such as UbuntuDDE, offers us a hybrid interface between Windows and macOS. A desktop full of colors, transparencies and rounded corners to have everything we need at our mouse’s fingertips.
