macOS Alternatives

macOS is described as 'Unix-based operating system for Macs, excels with an intuitive UI, robust built-in apps like Safari, and strong security via FileVault, Gatekeeper, and SIP' and is a leading operating system in the os & utilities category. There are more than 100 alternatives to macOS for a variety of platforms, including Linux, Self-Hosted, BSD, Mac and Windows apps. The best macOS alternative is Ubuntu, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like macOS are Linux Mint, elementary OS, Debian and Fedora.

filter to find the best alternatives

macOS alternatives are mainly Operating Systems, but if you're looking for Linux Distros or Desktop Environments you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Operating System. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to macOS.
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Alternatives list

  1. Mageia icon
     28 likes

    Mageia is a fork of Mandriva Linux formed in September 2010 by former employees and contributors to the popular French Linux distribution. Unlike Mandriva, which is a commercial entity, the Mageia project is a community project and a...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
  2. Ubuntu Budgie icon
     14 likes

    Ubuntu Budgie (previously budgie-remix) is an Ubuntu-based distribution featuring the Budgie desktop, originally developed by the Solus project. Written from scratch and integrating tightly with GNOME stack, Budgie focuses on simplicity and...

    188 Ubuntu Budgie alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
  3. Artix Linux icon
     16 likes

    Artix Linux is a fork (or continuation as an autonomous project) of the Arch-OpenRC and Manjaro-OpenRC projects. Artix Linux offers a lightweight, rolling-release operating system featuring the OpenRC init software.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
  4. Peppermint OS icon
     28 likes

    Peppermint OS is a user-friendly operating system that prioritizes mobility, efficiency, and ease of use, allowing users to quickly connect, communicate, and complete tasks without the need for extensive setup or customization.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
  5. Ubuntu Kylin icon
     5 likes

    Ubuntu Kylin is an official Ubuntu subproject whose goal is to create a variant of Ubuntu that is more suitable for Chinese users using the Simplified Chinese writing system.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
  6. Wubuntu icon
     10 likes

    Wubuntu aka "Windows Ubuntu" is an operating system that inherits all the appearance and functionality of Microsoft Windows, but does not require TPM, secure boot or any other hardware requirement for its operation.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
  7. GNU Guix icon
     23 likes

    A purely functional package manager and an advanced distribution of the GNU operating system developed by the GNU Project—which respects the freedom of computer users.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    • GNU Hurd
     
  8. SUSE is the original provider of the enterprise Linux distribution and the most interoperable platform for mission-critical computing. It's the only Linux recommended by VMware, Microsoft and SAP. And it's supported on more hardware and software than any other enterprise...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
  9. secureblue icon
     4 likes

    secureblue is a security-focused, open-source operating system that ships as rpm-ostree container images derived from Fedora Atomic/CoreOS. It emphasizes proactive hardening—such as removing SUID binaries, enabling hardened_malloc, and disabling unprivileged user...

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
  10. ChromeOS Flex icon
     6 likes

    Cloud-first, fast, easy-to-manage, and secure operating system for PCs and Macs. ChromeOS Flex is a 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.

    62 ChromeOS Flex alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Chrome OS
     
  11. Endless OS icon
     12 likes

    Endless OS is a Linux-based operating system which provides a simplified and streamlined user experience using a customized desktop environment forked from GNOME 3. Rather than using a traditional Linux package management system, Endless OS uses a read-only root file system...

    176 Endless OS alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
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