Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

KDE Plasma Desktop VS Dolphin

Compare KDE Plasma Desktop VS Dolphin and see what are their differences

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KDE Plasma Desktop logo KDE Plasma Desktop

Plasma Workspaces is the umbrella term for all graphical environments provided by KDE.

Dolphin logo Dolphin

Official website of Dolphin, the GameCube and Wii emulator. Download the latest version (5. 0-5763) now or ask questions on our forums for help.
  • KDE Plasma Desktop Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-06
  • Dolphin Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-03-24

KDE Plasma Desktop features and specs

  • Customizability
    KDE Plasma Desktop offers an extensive range of customization options, allowing users to tweak almost every aspect of the user interface including widgets, themes, and layout.
  • Performance
    Despite its rich feature set, KDE Plasma is known for being lightweight and efficient, performing well even on older or less powerful hardware.
  • Feature-Rich
    Out of the box, KDE Plasma provides a wide array of built-in applications and tools, from productivity applications to utilities, catering to a variety of needs.
  • Active Community
    KDE has an active and supportive community that constantly contributes to its development, ensuring the desktop environment is continuously improved and updated.
  • Frequent Updates
    KDE Plasma receives regular updates, which bring not only security patches but also new features and improvements, keeping the desktop environment modern and secure.

Possible disadvantages of KDE Plasma Desktop

  • Complexity
    While the high level of customizability is a strength, it can be overwhelming for new or less tech-savvy users who might find the vast array of options difficult to navigate.
  • Resource Usage
    Although efficient, KDE Plasma might still consume more system resources compared to very minimalistic desktop environments, potentially posing an issue on extremely limited hardware.
  • Initial Stability
    Sometimes new updates or features can introduce stability issues or bugs, which might impact the user experience until they are patched in future updates.
  • Application UI Variability
    Depending on the application, user interface design can vary significantly, leading to an inconsistent look and feel across different applications.
  • Steeper Learning Curve
    The extensive feature set, while advantageous for power users, can lead to a steeper learning curve for beginners or those transitioning from simpler desktop environments.

Dolphin features and specs

  • User Interface
    Dolphin offers an intuitive and customizable user interface, making it easy for users to navigate through their files and directories.
  • Integration
    Seamless integration with KDE Plasma desktop environment, providing a consistent look and feel across different applications.
  • Performance
    Optimized for performance and speed, providing a fast and responsive file management experience even with large directories.
  • Features
    Rich set of features including split views, tabbed browsing, file previews, and extensive search capabilities.
  • Plugins
    Supports a wide range of plugins, allowing users to extend its functionality according to their needs.

Possible disadvantages of Dolphin

  • Platform Specific
    Best experienced on KDE Plasma; may not integrate as well with other desktop environments, potentially leading to inconsistent behavior.
  • Resource Usage
    Can be resource-intensive compared to some lightweight file managers, affecting performance on older hardware.
  • Learning Curve
    Comprehensive feature set may be overwhelming for new users, leading to a steeper learning curve.
  • Dependencies
    Reliant on KDE libraries, which may require additional installations on non-KDE systems, leading to potential bloat.

Analysis of KDE Plasma Desktop

Overall verdict

  • KDE Plasma Desktop is generally regarded as a highly customizable, resource-efficient, and visually appealing desktop environment, making it a good choice for many users.

Why this product is good

  • KDE Plasma is known for its flexibility and extensive customization options, allowing users to tailor their desktop environment to their specific needs. It also provides a sleek, modern interface with a wide range of built-in features and applications. Additionally, Plasma is designed to be lightweight, ensuring smooth performance even on older hardware.

Recommended for

  • Users who enjoy customizing their desktop environment
  • Those seeking a lightweight and efficient DE
  • Individuals looking for a modern and intuitive interface
  • Users who want a desktop environment with a vast array of native applications
  • People with older hardware

Analysis of Dolphin

Overall verdict

  • Dolphin is generally considered a good file manager, especially for users within the KDE desktop environment. Its balance of simplicity and extensive feature set makes it a preferred choice for those looking for a reliable and versatile file management solution on Linux systems.

Why this product is good

  • Dolphin is a robust and feature-rich file manager developed by the KDE community. It's praised for its intuitive interface, customization options, and support for a wide range of file operations. Users appreciate its split view, extensive keyboard shortcuts, and integration with KDE services, making it an efficient tool for both casual users and power users. The application supports network transparency and various protocols, enhancing its versatility. Dolphin's plug-in architecture allows for additional functionalities, which can be tailored to specific user needs.

Recommended for

    Dolphin is highly recommended for users who are already using KDE Plasma or those looking for a file manager that supports extensive customization and integration with KDE applications. It's ideal for users who require advanced features such as built-in terminal access, version control integration, and advanced search capabilities, or for anyone seeking a powerful and adaptable file management experience.

KDE Plasma Desktop videos

KDE Plasma 5 Deep Dive (Late 2019) | Linux Desktop Reviews

More videos:

  • Review - KDE Plasma Workspaces
  • Review - Trying Out KDE Plasma 5.15
  • Review - Kubuntu 18.04 Review: KDE Plasma at its Best

Dolphin videos

Dolphin "review" [Elite Dangerous]

More videos:

  • Review - Elite: Dangerous - First Impressions: Dolphin [Review]
  • Review - The Dolphin [Elite Dangerous]

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to KDE Plasma Desktop and Dolphin)
Linux
100 100%
0% 0
File Manager
0 0%
100% 100
Operating Systems
100 100%
0% 0
FTP Client
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare KDE Plasma Desktop and Dolphin

KDE Plasma Desktop Reviews

9 Best Linux Desktop Environments to Use in 2023
After GNOME, the most widely used Linux desktop environment is KDE Plasma. This KDE Plasma desktop environment comes with various tools and services to fulfill almost any demand. It includes applications like Dolphin, the default and most powerful file system manager, and KGeoTag, a photo Photo geotagging program. It features Oxygen icons by default, which have a pleasing...
Source: geekflare.com
The 8 Best Ubuntu Desktop Environments (22.04 Jammy Jellyfish Linux)
KDE Plasma desktop is a widget-based environment which makes it very adaptable. You can move, add or remove anything you like to make it suit your style as well as possible. Plasma is fast and efficient. It uses only few resources and is full of well designed features.
Source: linuxconfig.org

Dolphin Reviews

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

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, KDE Plasma Desktop should be more popular than Dolphin. It has been mentiond 66 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.

KDE Plasma Desktop mentions (66)

  • Unlocking the Cutting Edge: Exploring Plasma 6 Beta, Secure Knowledge Management, and the Latest Tools for Linux Enthusiasts
    Plasma 6 - Beta 1 is the latest iteration of the KDE desktop environment, known for its flexibility and customization options. Beta releases are crucial for ironing out bugs and streamlining new features before the final release. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Apps cannot read files from Google Drive on KDE Neon
    Recently I installed KDE Plasma. I was pleased to see the KDE-KIO integration for Google Drive. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Should i switch?
    I'm glad to hear that you use Krita (and I may assume you use Blender for animations). Both are free and open source software that is available on Linux (even better, Krita is made by the KDE project, makers of all sorts of open source projects, including Plasma, one of the most complete user interfaces for Linux out there). Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Gamer migrating to Linux
    Because of this, I recommend using Fedora (either the default edition, which uses the GNOME desktop, or Fedora KDE, which uses the KDE Plasma desktop, like the Steam Deck). It ships up-to-date software, and it's very polished. (Note that, due to the US software patents, support/hardware acceleration for some media codecs isn't included by default. You should add the RPMFusion repo and set up the codecs after... Source: about 2 years ago
  • Questions I have about Linux, from someone who wants to switch from Windows 10
    KDE Plasma is developed by KDE, another international group of developers that make all sorts of cool software for Linux, macOS, Windows, and mobile platforms. Plasma is their flagship project. Their motto is "simple by default, powerful when needed". At first glance it may seem a copy of Windows, with a bottom panel sporting a start menu on the left and a system tray with a clock on the right, but don't get... Source: about 2 years ago
View more

Dolphin mentions (14)

  • Best file manager for videos ?
    KDE Dolphin has those features; the only issue is that it requires KDE Libs to install. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Dolphin
    Dolphin is an adaptable, lightweight file manager for navigating and managing your files and folders. Allows you to drag and drop files between views and perform quick actions like compressing, sharing and duplicating files via a right-click menu. Works seamlessly with Internet cloud services and other remote machines, and comes with an integrated terminal and powerful plugins to further enhance your workflow.... Source: about 2 years ago
  • Linux software list. Discussion and advice welcome!
    You should rename Dolphin on the list to either Dplphin Emulator or Dolphin-emu. "Dolphin" by itself is more commonly known as KDE's file browser app https://apps.kde.org/dolphin/ and is also a good app, highly recommending that one. Source: over 2 years ago
  • KIO S3 wont install
    Just trying to install it from the install link on https://apps.kde.org/dolphin. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Is there a way to make "Open Folder"/"Show in Filemanager" to open the filepath in terminal?
    How about Dolphin . You open it and get the terminal opened in the bottom by pressing F4. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing KDE Plasma Desktop and Dolphin, you can also consider the following products

Xfce - Xfce is a lightweight desktop environment for UNIX-like operating systems. It aims to be fast and low on system resources, while still being visually appealing and user friendly.

Thunar - Thunar is a modern file manager for the Xfce Desktop Environment.

LXQt - The LXQt team is proud to announce the release of qtermwidget and qterminal, both in version 0. 8. 0. Read more..

Nemo - Nemo is the official file manager for the ...

GNOME - An easy and elegant way to use your computer, GNOME is designed to put you in control and get things done.

Midnight Commander - GNU Midnight Commander is a visual file manager, licensed under GNU General Public License and...