Are you a GNOME user wondering if your current Linux distro is the best way to experience the popular desktop environment? Do you want to test other distros but don’t know where to start? Well, here are the top five Linux distros using GNOME that deserve your attention!

TheGNOME desktop environmenthas earned a reputation for its clean and polished design paired with a unique and intuitive workflow. But depending on the underlying distro, the overall user experience of GNOME can change drastically. Some distros tend to augment GNOME with a few additional tools (GNOME Extensions) to make it more user-friendly, while others opt for heavier customization to create a completely new user experience.

The distro also controls software availability, hardware compatibility, and update frequency. This means learning about the various GNOME-based distros puts you one step closer to finding your forever distro that not only meets your aesthetic desires but also aligns with your overall system philosophy.

5Fedora: Best Way to Experience Vanilla GNOME

Fedoralets you experience GNOME exactly as its developers intended! It’s the distro to use if you want to experience the latest stable GNOME releases as soon as they come out. Fedora releases new versions every six months, so you’ll live with relatively new and cutting-edge software all the time. The main caveat is that the distro mainly focuses onFree and Open Source Software (FOSS). That said, you can get access to closed-source proprietary software if necessary by enabling third-partyrepositories, but that’s another hoop to jump through that you should know about.

Fedora Workstation (Official GNOME version)

4Manjaro Linux: Stay Cutting Edge With GNOME

If Fedora isn’t current enough, theManjaroGNOME edition might be your pick. As anArch-based distro, it follows arolling release cycle, meaning you get access to new software updates shortly (within days) after they’re released. That said, I should mention the distro slightly deviates from the vanilla GNOME experience by including a macOS-like dock on the bottom and replacing the GNOME software center with Pamac—which I personally like more!

Manjaro Official Images

3Ubuntu: GNOME Refined for the Mainstream

Ubuntu, the most widely recognized Linux distro, also runs GNOME as its default desktop environment, albeit a slightly customized version. The main changes include a persistent left-side dash for pinned and running apps, support for desktop icons, and replacing GNOME Software with Ubuntu’s own App Store. I’m personally not a fan of the App Store, but that’s a problem easily solved by installing Synaptic using this command:

Download Ubuntu Desktop

2Pop!_OS: GNOME Re-imagined for Productivity

Pop!_OSis the flagship Linux distro from computer manufacturer System76. You can choose to have the distro installed on laptops, desktops, and servers you buy from them,oryou can download and install it on your current system. The distro is based on Ubuntu with a heavily customized version of GNOME focused on power users.

They’ve replaced the Activities Overview with the old vertical workspace switcher found before GNOME 40. The Applications Overview is also replaced with a pop-up app launcher, somewhat similar to the Windows 11 app menu. There’s also a bottom dock like macOS for all your pinned and running apps. GNOME Software is also replaced with the Pop!_Shop. However, the main standout feature is their Pop Shell extension, which you’re able to use to enableautomatic window tilingwith keyboard-centric navigation that appeals to many power users.

At the time of writing, Pop!_OS ships with GNOME, but in future releases, they plan to shift toCOSMIC—a desktop environment System76 is actively developing. It’s currently in Alpha and being tested.

Download Pop!_OS

1Zorin OS: GNOME for New Linux Users

Zorin OSis based on the Ubuntu LTS version and uses a heavily customized version of GNOME,customized to look like Windows. You have a taskbar at the bottom with a Start Menu-like app launcher to the left, followed by a section for pinned apps and quick settings to the right. It’s when you hit the Super key (Windows key) that you realize you’re in GNOME as you trigger the Activities Overview. Now, by default, Zorin OS looks like Windows 7, but you can change that using the Zorin Appearance app and make your distro look like Windows XP, macOS, or something else entirely.

Download Zorin OS

Which Distro Should You Choose?

The overall user experience with GNOME will be more or less the same whether you’re using Fedora, Ubuntu or Manjaro, as all of them adhere to the core GNOME workflow with the Activities Overview and Applications Overview. With that being said, if you prioritize a vanilla unadulterated experience at the very top, go with Fedora. Ubuntu’s LTS release is the better choice for long-term stability, whereas you should pick Manjaro if you care about quick access to newly released software.

Now, if what attracts you to GNOME is the overall polish of the desktop environment, but you want a more traditional Windows 7-ish desktop experience, go with Zorin OS. This just leaves us with Pop!_OS. I would recommend it to you if you enjoy working with keyboard shortcuts and want to experience auto-tiling windows without committing to the complexity that comes with a full-blowntiling window manager.

How to Get Started

Once you pick a Linux distro you like and download the ISO file, there are afew ways you can test drive the distro. My personal recommendation would beinstalling it in VirtualBoxto get a feel for the distro without making changes to your current setup. That said, performance might take a hit when you run a distro using a virtual machine, so don’t use it as a way to test the distro’s fluidity but rather to test the workflow and different features. Once you know that it hits all the checkboxes important to you, go ahead andinstall the distro on your computer.