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EndeavourOS VS ReactOS

Compare EndeavourOS VS ReactOS and see what are their differences

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LibHunt tracks mentions of software libraries on relevant social networks. Based on that data, you can find the most popular projects and their alternatives. sponsored
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EndeavourOS logo EndeavourOS

An Arch-based distro with a dynamic and friendly community in its core

ReactOS logo ReactOS

ReactOS is a free, modern operating system in alpha stage, based on the design of Windows XP/2003.
  • EndeavourOS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-31
  • ReactOS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-21

EndeavourOS features and specs

  • Arch Linux Base
    EndeavourOS is built on Arch Linux, which means it benefits from Arch's simplicity, speed, and customization options.
  • User-Friendly Installer
    It features a graphical installer (Calamares) that simplifies the process of installing Arch-based systems, making it accessible to less experienced users.
  • Rolling Release Model
    EndeavourOS uses a rolling release model, ensuring that users have access to the latest software and updates without needing to perform major upgrades.
  • Active Community
    A supportive and active community provides assistance and contributes to the distro, helping new users find their way and advanced users customize their setups.
  • Minimal Bloat
    The distribution comes with minimal preinstalled packages, allowing users to set up their system as they prefer without unnecessary software.
  • Excellent Documentation
    Leveraging Arch Wiki along with custom documentation, users have access to extensive resources for troubleshooting and learning.

Possible disadvantages of EndeavourOS

  • Steeper Learning Curve
    Despite a more user-friendly installer, users still need to familiarize themselves with Arch's philosophies and commands, which can be daunting for beginners.
  • Potential Stability Issues
    As a rolling release, EndeavourOS requires frequent updates, which can sometimes introduce instability if not managed properly.
  • Limited Preinstalled Software
    While lack of bloat is generally a pro, some users might miss having a more complete out-of-the-box experience and need to spend time installing basic utilities.
  • Less Hand-Holding
    EndeavourOS encourages learning and self-help, which is excellent for some but can be overwhelming for those who require more guided assistance.
  • Hardware Compatibility
    As with many Linux distributions, occasional hardware compatibility issues may arise, particularly with very new or very old devices.

ReactOS features and specs

  • Open Source
    ReactOS is an open-source operating system, which means its source code is freely available for anyone to view, modify, and distribute. This allows developers and contributors to participate in its development and enhancement.
  • Windows Compatibility
    ReactOS aims to be binary-compatible with Windows, especially Windows Server 2003, meaning it can run many Windows applications and drivers without modification. This could be beneficial for users who rely on legacy Windows software.
  • Lightweight
    ReactOS is designed to be lightweight, requiring fewer system resources compared to modern Windows operating systems. This makes it suitable for older hardware that may not support contemporary operating systems efficiently.
  • Freedom from Licensing Costs
    Being free and open source, ReactOS eliminates the cost associated with purchasing Windows licenses, providing an alternative for users who wish to avoid these costs.

Possible disadvantages of ReactOS

  • Incomplete Development
    ReactOS is still in the alpha stage of development, which means it is not yet stable or feature-complete. This can lead to various issues such as system crashes, incomplete features, and compatibility problems.
  • Limited Application Support
    Despite its goal of Windows compatibility, ReactOS does not support all Windows applications and drivers, particularly newer ones that require features not yet implemented in ReactOS.
  • Lack of Commercial Support
    Unlike Windows, which has extensive commercial support from Microsoft and third-party service providers, ReactOS lacks official commercial support, which may be a concern for enterprise environments.
  • Security Concerns
    As ReactOS is still under development, it may not have implemented all necessary security features and updates that a more mature operating system might have, potentially leading to security vulnerabilities.

Analysis of EndeavourOS

Overall verdict

  • EndeavourOS is a great choice for users who want to experience the flexibility and cutting-edge nature of Arch Linux without going through the more complex Arch installation process. Its balance of usability and customizability makes it a strong contender for intermediate to advanced Linux users.

Why this product is good

  • EndeavourOS is often praised for its user-friendly installation process and its close ties to Arch Linux, which provides users with access to a vast repository of software and rolling releases. It is lightweight, allowing users to build their systems exactly as they want without unnecessary bloat. The active community and comprehensive documentation further support users in troubleshooting and learning as they go.

Recommended for

    EndeavourOS is recommended for users who have some experience with Linux and are looking for a customizable, lightweight distribution with rolling updates. It's particularly well-suited for those who want a close-to-Arch experience but would prefer a more streamlined installation process.

Analysis of ReactOS

Overall verdict

  • ReactOS is a promising project with potential, but it is still in the alpha stage of development. This means it may not be stable enough for everyday use and might lack support for some hardware and software. While it offers an interesting alternative to Windows, users seeking stability and complete compatibility may find it falls short.

Why this product is good

  • ReactOS is an open-source operating system intended to be binary-compatible with applications and device drivers made for Microsoft Windows. The project aims to provide users with a free alternative to Windows, which can run Windows applications natively without the need for emulation or virtualization.

Recommended for

  • Technology enthusiasts who enjoy testing and contributing to open-source projects.
  • Developers interested in operating system design and contributing to an open-source effort.
  • Users looking to experiment with a Windows-compatible OS alternative for non-critical tasks.

EndeavourOS videos

+ Add

EndeavourOS Net-Installer - Installation and Review

ReactOS videos

+ Add

ReactOS Demo

More videos:

  • Review - ReactOS 0.4.12 Review - Window Snapping, New Fonts, New Looks!
  • Review - ReactOS Is An Open Source Windows-Inspired Operating System

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to EndeavourOS and ReactOS)

EndeavourOS

ReactOS

Operating Systems
79 79%
Operating Systems
21% 21
Linux
70 70%
Linux
30% 30
Linux Distribution
83 83%
Linux Distribution
17% 17
Laptops
100 100%
Laptops
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using EndeavourOS and ReactOS. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare EndeavourOS and ReactOS

EndeavourOS Reviews

10 Most Popular Linux Distros of the Year 2023
EndeavourOS is known for its simplicity and at the same time for having the Arch’s cutting-edge features. It adopts the lightweight Xfce desktop environment by default but if you have an active internet connection then can use its graphical Calamares installer that allows you to choose between Plasma, Gnome, Mate, Cinnamon, Budgie, LxQt, LxDe, and i3-wm while installing...
Source: linux.how2shout.com
12 Best Linux Distros You Should Use
For starters, it comes with a customized Calamares installer, which makes installation easy. EndeavourOS does not have “flavors,” instead it prompts and asks you to select the desktop environment of your choice in Calamares during the installation. Besides, EndeavourOS has a great community and is a stellar alternative to Manjaro, or even Arch, for that matter. If all you...
Source: beebom.com
The best Linux distributions (operating systems)
EndeavourOS is based on Arch Linux, but adds several desktop environments to the minimalistic system. EndeavourOS is not as sophisticated as the original distribution, but the derivative follows a more restrained approach, offering only the essentials. Professionals can develop a system according to their needs. EndeavourOS is not suitable for Linux novices.
Source: www.ionos.com

ReactOS Reviews

We have no reviews of ReactOS yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, EndeavourOS should be more popular than ReactOS. It has been mentiond 215 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

EndeavourOS mentions (215)

  • Microsoft Account bugs locked me out of Notepad – are Thin Clients ruining PCs?
    I personally went with https://endeavouros.com/ in the end, so far working really great, I appreciate Linux distributions will have different audiences which is great, I think regardless of distribution though it seems like a lot more software (and hardware) is 'just working' and it's actually delightful to use the computer again, kudos to many hard working people making free software. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • Microsoft's Pivotal AI Product Is Running into Big Problems
    Some are more tech savy than others here, but I guess almost anyone can do the following trick successfully: 
      step 1. Visit https://endeavouros.com/.
    - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • Manjaro Linux prepares to enable telemetry by default
    Manjaro has been a trash arch fork for some time. https://endeavouros.com would be a better choice these days. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Using Linux Full-Time 2 years later
    And I ended up picking EndeavourOS, Why? Manjaro had a bad reputation at the time of my research and the package holding back, Garuda has too much eye candy in the fresh install that bugs me, Arco... Has 4 ISO choices which confused me and the website sort of turns me off. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • help out a noob
    Usually I recommend linux mint for beginners but hyprland may be a little bit hard to install there. So maybe in your case the best option is an arch based system with a graphical installer. A lot of people here recommend endeavourOS. Download the iso, install it to a VM and take your first steps. Once you are a little bit familiar with it, you may try to set up dual boot and run it on bare metal. Take small... Source: almost 3 years ago
View more

ReactOS mentions (78)

  • Microsoft Needs Windows Lite
    There is already a "Windows Lite", and it's called ReactOS [0]. Except, the last thing we need is for Microsoft to own / embrace-extend-exterminate this. It's best that it's kept as an independent project, enabling developers to target the Windows API if they feel like it, while ensuring that they only target the Wine-compatible parts of it, which then enables their software to also run seamlessly on other... - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • Microsoft's "Fix" for Windows 11: Flowers After the Beating
    Kinda off-topic, but I wonder if a hypothetical OS that reimplements the Windows APIs (like ReactOS[0], but with perfect modern hardware support) would be better for end users than a Linux distro with a modern DE. In the past, this hypothetical OS would be a revolution. But I feel that, in recent years, this gap is not as big anymore and Linux supports way more apps than in the past. Such an OS might even not be... - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Not the Future
    On topic of less user-hostile OS , I wonder how this guys are doing: https://reactos.org/ https://elementary.io/. - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Using GNU toolchain for Windows kernel-mode drivers
    Compiling into object code is easy but linkig is tricky. For reference of possilbe options, I used an example from ReactOS project. ReactOS is the only working (sort of) full reverse-engineered NT operating system kernel. It is a cool project. ReactOS Github repo has a collection of build options for kernel-mode drivers that can be carved out of CMake files. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • YouTube is taking down videos on performing nonstandard Windows 11 installs
    Would this help you? https://reactos.org/ This is an open source reimplementation of winxp. I think they can even run drivers made for windows now. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing EndeavourOS and ReactOS, you can also consider the following products

Manjaro - Manjaro Linux is a linux distribution which is based on arch linux. It uses the PACMAN package manager.

Linux Mint - Linux Mint is one of the most popular desktop Linux distributions and used by millions of people.

Ubuntu - Ubuntu is a Debian Linux-based open source operating system for desktop computers.

Garuda Linux - Garuda Linux is an appealing Arch Linux based Distro with BTRFS (modern filesystem), Linux-zen kernel, auto snapshots, gaming edition and a lot more bleeding edge features..

Debian - Debian is a free distribution of the GNU/Linux operating system.

Arch Linux - You've reached the website for Arch Linux, a lightweight and flexible Linux® distribution that tries to Keep It Simple. Currently we have official packages optimized for the x86-64 architecture.

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