* [Topics](/en/topics "Topics") * [Open source](/en/topics/open-source "Open source") * What's the best Linux distro for you? What's the best Linux distro for you? ===================================== Published January 3, 2023•*4*-minute read Copy URL Jump to section --------------- OverviewHow do I choose a Linux distro?Enterprise vs. community distrosBenefits of enterprise distrosWhy choose Red Hat? Overview -------- Choosing the best [Linux®](/en/topics/linux) distribution (distro) for you requires a few considerations. For example, do you need a community or enterprise distro? What use cases does your distro need to be able to handle? Are you using on-premise servers, private clouds, public clouds, or a combination of those? This article examines these topics and more to help you make an informed decision. **What’s a Linux distribution?** A Linux distro is an installable operating system (OS) that’s built from the [Linux kernel](/en/topics/linux/what-is-the-linux-kernel) and supports user programs, repositories, and libraries. Each vendor’s or community's version of Linux is a distro. Because [Linux is open source](/en/topics/linux/what-is-linux) and released under the [GNU General Public License (GPL)](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/licenses.html), anyone can run, study, modify, and redistribute the source code, or even sell copies of their modified code. This differs greatly from traditional operating systems like UNIX, Microsoft Windows, and macOS, which are proprietary and not modifiable. [Learn more about Linux](/en/topics/linux) How do I choose a Linux distro? ------------------------------- There are many Linux distros, including: * Android * [CentOS](/en/topics/linux/what-is-centos "What is CentOS?") * Debian * Gentoo Linux * Linux Mint * Manjaro Linux * Pop!\_OS * [Red Hat® Enterprise Linux](/en/technologies/linux-platforms/enterprise-linux "Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system") * Ubuntu  (and all its versions: GNOME, Kubuntu—using KDE’s Plasma desktop, Ubuntu MATE, Xubuntu, and Lubuntu, to name a few) * Zorin OS * Arch Linux * [Fedora Linux](https://fedoraproject.org/) * Kali Linux * Linux Lite * openSUSE * Raspberry Pi OS * SUSE Linux distros vary widely in what they do, how they do it, and how they’re supported. Some are designed to be Linux desktop environments while others support back-end IT systems like enterprise or web servers. Choosing the distro that suits your needs depends on what you’ll be using it for and which tools you require. First, consider whether you need an enterprise or a community Linux distro. [Start your Linux infrastructure assessment](https://assessments.redhat.com/RHELSA/en "Linux infrastructure planning assessment") Recommended for you Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10: What is New and Changing? ------------------------------------------------------ [Watch the webinar](https://www.redhat.com/en/events/virtual/red-hat-enterprise-linux-10-what-is-new-and-changing?percmp=RHCTG0250000455235) What’s the difference between an enterprise and a community Linux distro? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Community distros are free Linux versions primarily supported and maintained by an [open source](/en/topics/open-source/what-is-open-source) software-development community. Examples of those are Fedora Linux and openSUSE. Enterprise—or commercial—Linux distros are often available through a subscription from a vendor and don’t rely solely on community support. Examples of those include Android and Red Hat Enterprise Linux. The main difference between community and enterprise distros is who decides what features and capabilities are added into each distro’s release. A community distro’s direction is set by contributors, who choose and maintain packages from a wide variety of open source software options. The direction of an enterprise distro is set by the vendor and is usually based on its customers’ needs. For example, [Fedora Linux](https://getfedora.org/), developed by the Fedora Project, is the community distro of [Red Hat Enterprise Linux](/en/technologies/linux-platforms/enterprise-linux). Red Hat is the upstream project’s primary sponsor, but thousands of independent developers contribute to it. Each contributor, including Red Hat, brings their own ideas to the larger community to be tested and debated for inclusion into Fedora Linux. This makes Fedora an ideal place for Red Hat to put new features through its own set of tests and quality-assurance processes. Those features can then be incorporated into a version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. What are the benefits of an enterprise distro? ---------------------------------------------- If community Linux is free, why would you want to pay for a commercial distribution? Community distros are a great option if you have limited experience with the command line or just want to experiment. But if you’re trying to run a [server](/en/topics/linux/linux-server) for a long period of time, community distros might not be the best choice. They rely on support from community members, and release cycles can be unpredictable. Commercial distros, like Red Hat Enterprise Linux, provide the latest open source innovation with the stability and maintenance an enterprise needs. For example, Red Hat Enterprise Linux offers 10 years of lifecycle support (as opposed to Fedora Linux’s approximately 13 months), so you can better maintain long-term applications. With an enterprise distro, you get patches, updates, upgrades, expert technical guidance, and access to training and tutorials. Enterprise distros sometimes include package managers, which are programs that help with the installation and management of Linux software packages. [Read about the value of enterprise Linux solutions](/en/resources/idc-business-value-red-hat-solutions-executive-summary "Value of Red Hat solutions") > Icon-Red\_Hat-Media\_and\_documents-Quotemark\_Open-B-Red-RGB > Customer centricity lies at the heart of everything we do. With Red Hat Enterprise Linux, our global IT operations will innovate faster than ever to deliver the reliable, scalable experiences our customers demand. > > Srini Tallapragada > > President and Chief Engineering Officer at Salesforce [Read more user reviews](/en/technologies/linux-platforms/enterprise-linux/user-reviews "Read the reviews: Red Hat Enterprise Linux") Why choose Red Hat for Linux? ----------------------------- The technologies in your IT configuration need to work together. Red Hat Enterprise Linux is a standardized operating system that underlies all your workloads to help make them: * **Portable:** Move your workloads without interruption across multiple environments to meet your business needs. * **Accessible:** Working in different environments with unique configuration, access, and administrative controls can lead to skills gaps. With Red Hat Enterprise Linux, you can take advantage of Red Hat’s decades of expertise in Linux, tailored training and consulting services, and deployment and management solutions. These help make Red Hat Enterprise Linux more accessible to people of varying skills. * **Scalable:** Scale your workloads across diverse infrastructure, from bare-metal servers, [virtual machines](/en/topics/virtualization/what-is-a-virtual-machine), and [containers](/en/topics/containers/whats-a-linux-container) to [private and public clouds](/en/technologies/linux-platforms/enterprise-linux/cloud)―including [Microsoft Azure](/en/technologies/linux-platforms/enterprise-linux-azure), [Amazon Web Services (AWS)](/en/technologies/linux-platforms/enterprise-linux/rhel-for-aws), and [Google Cloud](/en/technologies/linux-platforms/enterprise-linux/google-cloud). This allows you to remain flexible and adaptable based on your workload parameters at any given time. * **Security focused:** Not all Linux distributions provide the [security](/en/topics/security) necessary for enterprise use cases, leaving you open to security vulnerabilities. With Red Hat Enterprise Linux, you get a documented supply chain, compliance with government and commercial security standards, and security patches often within 24 hours of a critical vulnerability being made public. * **Stable long term:** Your workloads require a modern OS with a [clear upgrade path](/en/technologies/linux-platforms/enterprise-linux/upgrade-rhel) and long-term support, so you can plan at your own pace. [9 benefits of standardizing on Red Hat Enterprise Linux](/en/resources/improve-it-efficiency-with-a-standardized-os) Red Hat Enterprise Linux gives you a consistent, stable foundation across [hybrid cloud](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-is-hybrid-cloud) deployments, along with built-in [manageability](/en/topics/management) and [integration](/en/topics/integration) with the broader Red Hat [management and automation](/en/hybrid-cloud-solutions/automation) portfolio. Our engineers continually work to improve the user experience―including ease of use, reliability, the user interface, and security features―so your infrastructure performs well no matter your use case and workload. According to IDC, standardizing on Red Hat Enterprise Linux could result in a [313% increase](/en/engage/idc-business-value-of-standardizing-analyst-material) in your return on investment (ROI) over three years. [Try Red Hat Enterprise Linux](/en/technologies/linux-platforms/enterprise-linux/server/trial) Recommended for you E-book Solve business and IT challenges with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 ----------------------------------------------------------------- New features and capabilities in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 can help you solve key business and IT challenges. Download to read more. [Read the e-book](https://www.redhat.com/en/engage/solve-business-challenges-rhel-10-ebook?percmp=RHCTG0250000455234) Recommended for you Red Hat Certified Specialist in Identity Management exam -------------------------------------------------------- Tests the knowledge, skills, and ability to create, configure, and manage Red Hat Enterprise Linux authentication services [View exam](https://www.redhat.com/en/services/training/ex362-red-hat-certified-specialist-identity-management-exam?percmp=RHCTG0250000455236) Keep reading ------------ ### What is InstructLab? InstructLab simplifies the process of customizing large language models with private data. [Read the article](/en/topics/ai/what-is-instructlab "article | what is instructlab?") ### What is Istio? Find out more about Istio, an open source service mesh that controls how microservices share data with one another. [Read the article](/en/topics/microservices/what-is-istio "article | What is Istio?") ### What is CentOS Stream? CentOS Stream is a Linux® development platform where open source community members can contribute to Red Hat® Enterprise Linux in tandem with Red Hat developers. [Read the article](/en/topics/linux/what-is-centos-stream "product article | what is centos stream") Open source resources --------------------- ### Featured product * #### [Red Hat Enterprise Linux](/en/technologies/linux-platforms/enterprise-linux) A stable, high-performance Linux platform with built-in security and management features to help you run critical workloads anywhere in the hybrid cloud. 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