this post was submitted on 10 Aug 2026

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OS Tier List (media.fedia.io)

submitted 1 month ago by keiko@fedia.io to c/linuxmemes@lemmy.world

182 comments fedilink hide all child comments

So I saw political compass memes a while ago and started making one, but then I started taking it too seriously and eventually turned it into a tier list. Idk if it makes sense to share it here, but idk where else to share such a thing. I also made a browser tier list, but idk where to share that either.

This whole thing is a png export of a pure svg image. For some of the logos, I had to make them either from scratch or by using gimp and inkscape to convert a png into an svg (imperfect but good enough).

Hopefully this is all formatted properly.

OS Tier List

S-Tier (reasonably secure operating system):

Qubes OS

Advanced (complicated setup and configuration):

Gentoo Linux
Guix System
Slackware Linux
Linux From Scratch (LFS)
Mobile NixOS
NixOS
Whonix
Predator-OS
Linux Kodachi
Gentoo FreeBSD

Enhanced (optimized security and minimalism):

Alpine Linux
Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre
Chimera Linux
EasyOS
postmarketOS
Tails
Kicksecure
NetHydra
ParrotOS
OpenBSD
GrapheneOS
Secureblue

Minimal (maximally mini resource use):

Tiny Core Linux
LibreCMC
Void Linux
Puppy Linux
AsteroidOS
Slitaz
4MLinux
OpenWrt
DragonFly BSD
FreeBSD
NetBSD

Indie & BSD (independent distros and BSD systems):

PCLinuxOS
Dynebolic
KaOS
Mageia
LuneOS
Solus
AerynOS
GNOME OS
KDE Linux
GhostBSD

Arch (reasonably fresh and arch-based):

SystemRescue
Parabola GNU/Linux-libre
pearOS
EndeavourOS
Nemo Mobile
Arch Linux Arm
BlackArch Linux
Archhurd
Archcraft
Nyarch
Ageless Arch
Arch Linux
CachyOS
Garuda Linux

Debian (reasonably stable and debian-based):

Flora Linux-libre
Genuen
Devuan GNU+Linux
Loc-OS
antiX
MX Linux
Maemo Leste
Mobian
Emmabuntüs
Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE)
Ageless Linux
Debian
KNOPPIX
PikaOS Linux
RetroPie
LibreElec
Vanilla OS

Corpo-ish (corporation-created and/or dependent):

Replicant
Uruk GNU/Linux-libre
Trisquel GNU/Linux
AnduinOS
Linux Lite
UBports
Xubuntu
Lubuntu
Kubuntu
Linux Mint
KDE neon
Fedora
Asahi Linux
Bazzite
Nobara Linux
Rocky Linux
AlmaLinux
openSUSE

Corporate (corporation-owned and/or controlled):

/e/OS
Sailfish OS
PureOS
Manjaro Linux
Raspberry Pi OS
OSMC
Kali Linux
Zorin OS
Tuxedo OS
Pop!_OS
elementary OS
Ubuntu
Proxmox
SteamOS
CentOS Stream
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
CloudLinux OS
SUSE Linux Enterprise
Unraid

Dubious (questionable and/or suspicious):

Waydroid
Artix Linux
Omarchy
OpenMandriva

Borderline (possibly dangerous and best to avoid):

LineageOS

MALWARE (actively dangerous and harmful to use):

android
chromeOS
Apple Operating Systems (macOS, iOS, etc.)
Windows
Red Star OS

top 50 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] glitchdx@lemmy.world 95 points 1 month ago (4 children)

This is not a tier list. This is a chart. possibly even an infographic. It resembles a teir list, but that doesn't make it one.

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[–] quediuspayu@lemmy.dbzer0.com 65 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Those tiers are weird

[–] keiko@fedia.io 25 points 1 month ago (1 children)

as am i

[–] quediuspayu@lemmy.dbzer0.com 23 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Complicated setup and configuration to best thing to have? Then tiers that just say arch, debian.

And maximally mini

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[–] AVincentInSpace@pawb.social 32 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Lineage

Possibly dangerous, best to avoid

[citation needed]

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[–] Crozekiel@lemmy.zip 26 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Why do people that make stuff like this not just label the logos?? Am I supposed to know the logo for every damn OS ever made? I appreciate you tried to solve this with a list that is just a big wall of text with no good way to connect back to the image, but it still sucks overall.

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Thank you!

Beyond 5 logos, this graph is useless to me

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[–] j3tt@lemmy.world 26 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Did you forget about Clonezilla, Fedora Silverblue and their other variants?

My personal S-tier is Debian stable.

[–] keiko@fedia.io 9 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I'd figured that all of the various flavours of Fedora would be represented by the single Fedora logo in the Red Hat group. I do have Secureblue in a special "Secure Fedora" group in the Enhanced row, since it's more independent from Red Hat than Fedora itself.

As for Clonezilla, where would you place it? And where would one find an svg of the logo? I did leave out distros for which I could not find an svg logo (except for the few I was able to make myself).

My personal S-tier is Debian stable.

Valid ❤️

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[–] modem_down@thebrainbin.org 24 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Nice. It would be good to put the distro name beneath each logo, for people who don’t recognise the logos.

[–] keiko@fedia.io 10 points 1 month ago

I did include a full list in the original post, organized by row, and placed in a spoilered text-box thing. I had decided not to include the names under the logos because I would have obsessed so much longer if I'd have attempted to do that. As it is, I'd been obsessing with this project for several weeks. Why? idk

[–] Zizzy@lemmy.blahaj.zone 20 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Ok, but where is TempleOS?

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[–] MrSoup@lemmy.zip 18 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Waydroid is just a container of a slightly modified LineageOS. Why is LineageOS dangerous?

[–] keiko@fedia.io 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

LineageOS is not degoogled and will connect to google unless properly firewalled, which afaik cannot be done properly on-device. Waydroid is basically a containerized LineageOS which can at least be firewalled from the host os, but that's sub-optimal, which is why I have it one notch above LineageOS.

[–] MrSoup@lemmy.zip 9 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Doesn't LinegeOS needs MicroG to have Play Services? I guess it still retains Google DNS, NTP and SUPL.

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[–] Einhornyordle@feddit.org 14 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Greatest piece of ragebait I've ever seen on Lemmy so far, well done. I'll take it personal, therefore, have my downvote.

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[–] slemptastrophe@piefed.social 14 points 1 month ago (6 children)

What makes Artix dubious? Genuinely curious because I use it and want to know if I there's a reason I should reconsider that.

[–] keiko@fedia.io 8 points 1 month ago (2 children)

This repo, made in response to another repo, has this bit:

Artix Linux | Developers are openly transphobic

When attempting to click the link to see for myself, I still find that the artix forums are inaccessible, and so I can't see for myself. I remember seeing something mentioned on a reddit post or forum somewhere about the same sort of thing, which makes me think it's true. So I placed Artix in the Dubious row to represent my unwillingness to recommend it.

[–] slemptastrophe@piefed.social 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Gross. I'll check out the link you shared. Might be just the push I need to finally move to Void.

Thanks!

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[–] plsnerf7@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago (3 children)

First i heard about mullvad now this??? Oh man artix was my go to distro (without systemd) if cachy implements the age verification bs.

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[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 14 points 1 month ago

Hang on let me find my OS so I can figure out how much i respect you /s

[–] keiko@fedia.io 12 points 1 month ago (1 children)

And if this works, here's the light-mode themed version of the os tier list:

operating system tier list in light-mode theme (full description in main post)

[–] ForgottenUsername@lemmy.world 34 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

[–] swooper@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago

Absolute gold

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[–] Malyca@lemmy.zip 12 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Neurodivergent brain likes this for some reason

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[–] onlyhalfminotaur@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago (2 children)

God damn, Lemmy gets weirder and weirder every day

[–] keiko@fedia.io 6 points 1 month ago

💕

School-girl, Keiko Yukimura, from the anime "Yu Yu Hakusho" captioned in pink OpenDyslexicAlta font with "I'm doing my part!"

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[–] DupaCycki@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago (3 children)

This might be the best looking and most comprehensive tier list of anything I've ever seen.

Although I have some concerns, mainly with the 3 bottom tiers, it's still more reasonable than most tier lists I've seen.

As for my concerns, perhaps someone will be able to answer some questions:

Why are Artix Linux and Waydroid 'dubious'? Especially Waydroid, as it's not an operating system. The other two I'm unfamiliar with, or at least the logos.
Why is LineageOS 'borderline'? I'm not aware of anything dangerous about it. It's not far from Graphene, just for a lot more devices.
I'm not sure Android belongs in the bottom tier. Or at least not yet. As of right now, you can still use it as an open OS, and it's great for devices such as handheld gaming consoles. I've also never seen age verification in Android yet.

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[–] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org 10 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Thanks but the vertical categories could be way clearer if the logos were not strictly left-aligned

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[–] khanh@lemmy.zip 10 points 1 month ago (5 children)

what is wrong with LineageOS and eOS for it to be put in "borderline"? + why does LFS, Secure Fedora, Secure Android all have their own sections? you can just merge them (DIY Distros, Hardened, for one).

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[–] Digit@lemmy.today 8 points 1 month ago

I think you have the skill to take this further, and make it interactive, clickable, explorable, even wiki'fied (or at least git'ified) to allow others to contribute too.

I noticed some were missing.

BedrockLinux
CRUX
SLAX
Tin Hat
Hannah Montana
KISS
Carbs
Exherbo
... Okay, I'll not exhaust this list with dozens more. ;)

Well done for including as many as did already. Was joyous seeing Slitaz made the lislt. :) A fave of the small distros.

[–] akunohana@piefed.blahaj.zone 8 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

Edit: see response from OP.

~~Come again? What's wrong with Artix?~~

[–] keiko@fedia.io 28 points 1 month ago (2 children)

In reading about it, I learned that the devs are apparently hateful and hostile to transgender people. When trying to see for myself, I found their forums gated, inaccessible to the public. So I placed Artix in the Dubious row to represent my unwillingness to recommend it.

Edited to add this:

This repo, made in response to another repo, has this bit:

Artix Linux | Developers are openly transphobic

[–] akunohana@piefed.blahaj.zone 15 points 1 month ago

Thanks for doing the research and informing me! 🙏😭🩷

[–] heliotrope@retrofed.com 8 points 1 month ago

Oh fuck!

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[–] RanchBranch@anarchist.nexus 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I think this might be the most impressive/best one I've seen so far

[–] keiko@fedia.io 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

tyvm ❤️ I credit my unmedicated psychological disorders and the emptiness of my life which is sometimes randomly filled by projects like this that captivate me and don't really matter.

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[–] toothbrush@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

There are some weird picks here. Is replicant even maintained anymore? UBports and Asahi Linux in Corpo-ish? And what do you have against LineageOS?

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[–] Natanox@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Is that the Knoppix logo? To my knowledge it's unmaintained (still offering kernel 2.6?) and last time I tried downloading it years ago the .iso contained a virus. That one is definitely dubious at best.

[–] keiko@fedia.io 6 points 1 month ago

When I'd previously gone searching, I remember having seen some posts on reddit and forums about how Professor Klaus Knopper had paused development for a while but indicated that he'd eventually get back to it. I can't seem to find those posts at the moment, but I'm pretty sure that still holds true.

As for the problem of iso files containing malware, that seems unrelated to the actual distro itself and more to do with re-shares of it. Though people should definitely be aware of such problems, as well as the problem of running out-of-date or end-of-life distros. It's mainly in the list as a nod to its historical significance, with the hope that it gets a big update one day.

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[–] cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

i dont use arch btw

[–] keiko@fedia.io 15 points 1 month ago

neither do i :p

Person 1: "Do you know how cool Qubes OS is?" Person 2: "You are getting more obnoxious than arch users." Person 1: "I have some arch qubes too." Person 2: "I know, you told me multiple times."

[–] RogueBanana@piefed.zip 5 points 1 month ago

Damn, did not realize there was a phone version of nixos.

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