The Linux community is fed up with Ubuntu. Here are the distros they're switching to

Published Oct 30, 2026, 12:30 PM EDT Zunaid Ali first became interested in technology after using a computer for the first time in 2006. He's been producing how-to content since 2018, reaching thousands of people in the process. As a kid, Zunaid used to read tech tutorials and troubleshooting guides on popular blogs. That made him want to start his own writing career. After the coronavirus pandemic, he finally decided to jump into the tech writing world. Before joining How-To Geek, he had written for HecticGeek, Distroid, and UbuntuPIT, among others. Zunaid first tried Linux when he wanted to learn Web Development in 2021. Due to his inexperience, he messed up his laptop trying to dual-boot Ubuntu with Windows. Frustrated, he went all-in with Linux and removed Windows completely. And that's when he fell in love with it. He's been actively experimenting with Linux since then. After finding his first writing gig on Linux in April 2022, he decided to specialize in it so he could share his knowledge and insights with fellow open-source enthusiasts. He joined How-To Geek in September 2023 and has been writing as a freelance contributor since then. Zunaid is currently pursuing his Bachelor's degree in Information & Communication Technology. When he's not writing, he's reading tech blogs, coding fun projects, or learning about new technologies. Other than Linux, he also has an interest in Android Development and Cybersecurity. He has experience in C/C++, Java, HTML/CSS/JavaScript, and Python. You can find some of his hobby projects on his GitHub. Ask in any Linux forum which Linux distro you should use as a beginner, and one of the clear answers will be Ubuntu. Despite being one of the most popular distros, it has disappointed many general Linux users. Distro hopper or not, many people are switching from Canonical's distro to others. I was curious about the distros they are mostly using now. The results were interesting, especially when I saw people choosing niche distros over Ubuntu. Linux Mint Ubuntu without Canonical's choices Credit: Linux Mint I wasn't surprised to find Linux Mint to be the distro most Ubuntu users were switching to. But it was rather funny. Linux Mint runs on Ubuntu. It uses Ubuntu's LTS packages as its base, then adds its own Cinnamon desktop and tools on top. Back in 2020, the Linux Mint developers blocked Snap by default starting with Mint 20. Under the hood, Linux Mint and Ubuntu still share a lot of their tech, so your old Ubuntu know-how carries over. That proves that people don't hate Ubuntu in and of itself. They likely aren't fans of some of Canonical's decisions forced on Ubuntu users. So, Linux Mint became proof that Ubuntu neglects desktop users. In Steam's September 2026 survey, Mint 22.3 sits at 8.74% of Linux users. Meanwhile, Ubuntu 26.04.1 and 24.04.4 add up to just 5%. In other words, the numbers agree. Now, what's even funnier is that it's not just Ubuntu users who switch to Linux Mint. Windows users switch too. That probably makes it the most "switched to" distro. Debian and LMDE For old-timers who'd rather skip the middleman We've talked about a distro that's based on Ubuntu. But what about the distro Ubuntu is based on? That's Debian. Interestingly, many people are switching to that as well. Linux veterans choose to go back to the source. If Canonical's direction bugs you, Debian might be the Linux distro you actually want. Its stable branch, Debian 13 "Trixie," moves slowly. This is by design, and there's a good reason for that. The people behind Debian prefer stability to cutting-edge software features. There's also a middle path: Linux Mint Debian Edition, known as LMDE for short. Instead of Ubuntu, this version uses Debian as its base. The idea comes from future-proofing Linux Mint, in case Ubuntu disappears someday. LMDE 7 sits on Debian 13. If you like Mint but really want to cut ties with Ubuntu, this is the distro for you. Fedora Fresher software without the rolling-release nerves People have different reasons to leave Ubuntu. Some people want access to newer software early. But they don't want to commit to a rolling-release distro either. That's a gap Fedora fills. While it still has a fixed release cycle like Ubuntu, you get a major release roughly every six months. Another plus point for Fedora is that you get GNOME and KDE Plasma closer to how their developers planned, without Canonical's extra toppings. This, along with the short release cycle, makes it a solid workstation choice. Fedora also tends to adopt new Linux tech first. It made Wayland its default back in Fedora 25, and Fedora 34 was the first distro to ship PipeWire for audio by default. In Steam's September survey, its KDE Plasma edition alone holds 2.81% of Linux users, more than Ubuntu 24.04.4. Arch, EndeavourOS, and CachyOS For tinkerers who want full control Then there are people who want to tweak every single detail in their Linux distro. They want to go raw and don't mind the latest software updates before anyone else. That usually points to Arch Linux, a rolling release, and two Arch-based distros make the jump easier. EndeavourOS adds a graphical installer but stays close to plain Arch. CachyOS goes further, with performance-tuned kernels and its own repositories. Both also give you the Arch User Repository (AUR), a huge community-run collection of packages. CachyOS can win over even longtime Windows lovers and Ubuntu users. One forum member wrote that they'd used Ubuntu since 2007 and Mint since 2015, yet CachyOS became their main OS. In Steam's September survey, CachyOS leads every distro at 18.12% of Linux users, even ahead of SteamOS, while Arch holds 10.67%. ProtonDB data analyzed by Boiling Steam shows the same gamer-led shift toward Arch-based distros. Kubuntu and other Ubuntu flavors Leaving GNOME but not Ubuntu Not everyone tired of Ubuntu wants a new base. Sometimes, they want new looks and software, and a system built closer to their taste. So, some Ubuntu users switch to other Ubuntu flavors. These official flavors keep the same packages but swap the desktop environment, like KDE Plasma on Kubuntu or Xfce on Xubuntu. One Framework laptop owner did exactly this, moving from Ubuntu to Kubuntu during the jump from 24 to 26. In their words, Plasma had come a long way. There's a catch, though, if you want to switch. Unlike Ubuntu, which gets five years of support, Kubuntu only gets three. Also, there's no Ubuntu MATE 26.04 at all. So, MATE fans may need Xubuntu or Mint's MATE edition instead. There's a distro waiting for every Ubuntu leaver So, the exodus is real. While Ubuntu still dominates a large portion of developer PCs and servers, desktop users are more skeptical of it. But that's the beauty of Linux. If you don't like it, you don't need to stick to it. When you outgrow Ubuntu, just choose another flavor or jump to an immutable distro if that's interesting to you.