The best desktop environments, according to hackers

24 desktop environments recommended in Hacker News comments over the past year, ranked by how many separate people recommend each one.

All desktop environments

KDE PlasmaA highly customizable, polished Linux desktop that feels familiar to Windows users and handles fractional scaling well, though some report crashes, odd defaults and a need for heavy tinkering.650recommend
GNOMEA consistent, modern Linux desktop with a fast keyboard-driven workflow and sensible defaults, though many say it removes features and needs extensions that break between releases.340recommend
XfceA lightweight, stable Linux desktop with a classic layout that stays out of your way and is highly customizable, though mixed high-DPI monitor setups and Wayland support lag.183recommend
COSMIC desktopPeople recommend it as a smooth, polished Linux desktop with tiling built in and good defaults out of the box. The common caveat is that it still has rough edges and is not fully finished.75recommend
Cinnamon desktop environmentA polished, Windows-like Linux desktop that is simple and light on resources. Critics say it is less customizable than KDE or GNOME.57recommend
MATE DesktopLong-running fork of GNOME 2 that people pick for its familiar layout, stability and low fuss. Development has slowed, so newer features like fractional scaling are missing.29recommend
Noctalia ShellRecommended as a polished Wayland desktop shell that works well out of the box. Caveats: some quirks, and slightly more RAM and CPU than Waybar.23recommend
KDE Plasma BigscreenFree open-source TV interface for Linux mini-PCs, liked for privacy and couch use. Common caveat: it is not ready yet, and most apps are desktop apps poorly suited to remotes.21recommend
Common Desktop EnvironmentRecommended for its classic Unix look, feel and lightweight footprint, and for being open source and maintained. Critics find the look dated and the ttdb default settings a security hole.16recommend
LXQtLight, fast Linux desktop with low memory use that suits older hardware. Critics note it lacks Wayland support and has dated-looking visuals.15recommend
Windows 8 Desktop Environment for LinuxA Metro-style Linux desktop that people praise for its typography and for suiting phones and tablets, but critics find the look and UX poor compared with Windows 8.13recommend
DankMaterialShellRecommended as a polished, easy-to-set-up desktop shell that supplies the bar, notifications and other parts missing from Niri. Critics note theming and spacing rough edges.10recommend
GNOME ShellRecommended for a smooth, consistent desktop that mostly just works, with coherent window management. Critics most often raise security concerns about extensions running unsandboxed.10recommend
Gershwin DesktopA free, macOS-like desktop environment built on GNUstep that people find promising for its early progress; the most common caveat is that its UI is still inconsistent and far from finished.10recommend
Trinity DesktopA fork of KDE 3.5 that keeps the classic Windows 95 to XP style desktop alive and updated for Linux. Critics note it still pulls in many dependencies.9recommend
Wayland skeuomorphic desktop for LinuxPeople like its nostalgic skeuomorphic look and say they would use it, but they want it more stable and polished, and some call the code sloppy and AI-generated.9recommend
LXDEPeople recommend LXDE as a lightweight Linux desktop that suits old machines and stays simpler than KDE. Some find it bland.8recommend
NsCDEFree FVWM-based desktop that recreates the classic CDE look on modern Linux; critics note it is effectively abandoned.7recommend
GNOME on WaylandPeople recommend it for strong trackpad gesture support and for being faster and more carefully designed than KWin. Critics cite poor trackpad performance and monitor ordering bugs.6recommend
Amiga WorkbenchPeople recommend it for its sharp look and for surviving sudden power loss without filesystem damage. The most common caveat is that it was cumbersome to use.6recommend
Common Desktop EnvironmentFree Unix desktop that people still like for its distinctive old-school look and pleasing colours. One critic calls its dark colours and formal serif fonts dated.6recommend
DMS (DankMaterialShell)Recommended for its polished look, fast development and batteries-included setup that saves hours of tweaking. Critics call it heavyweight and sluggish.6recommend
NextSpaceRecommended as a free, retro-styled desktop environment close to what some people want. Common caveat: it needs polishing and some things break on FreeBSD.5recommend
Vela desktop environmentLinux desktop environment with a custom Wayland compositor, praised for careful pixel-level scaling, reported lower input latency, KDE app integration and looks.5recommend