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OpenBSD VS macOS

Compare OpenBSD VS macOS and see what are their differences

OpenBSD logo OpenBSD

FREE, multi-platform 4.4BSD-based UNIX-like operating system

macOS logo macOS

macOS High Sierra brings new forward-looking technologies and enhanced features to your Mac.
  • OpenBSD Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-10-17
  • macOS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-18

OpenBSD features and specs

  • Security
    OpenBSD is known for its focus on security. It undergoes rigorous code auditing, has a proactive security approach, and includes features like secure memory management and privilege separation.
  • Stability
    The operating system is well-known for its stability and reliability, due to its minimalist approach and an emphasis on creating a robust user experience.
  • Documentation
    OpenBSD provides comprehensive and thorough documentation, making it easier for users to understand and utilize its features effectively.
  • Cryptography
    The system includes strong cryptography and has been a pioneer in developing and implementing various cryptographic techniques and software.
  • Simplicity
    OpenBSD focuses on simplicity in its design and functionality, reducing unnecessary complexities and streamlining the user experience.

Possible disadvantages of OpenBSD

  • Hardware Support
    OpenBSD may have limited hardware support compared to other operating systems, which can pose challenges for users with modern or specialized hardware.
  • Software Availability
    It can lack the breadth of software availability found on more popular platforms like Linux or Windows, which might limit its use for certain applications or tasks.
  • Performance
    Some users may find that OpenBSD prioritizes security over performance, resulting in slower performance compared to other systems optimized for speed.
  • Limited Community
    The user community for OpenBSD is smaller relative to other open-source operating systems, which can lead to less support and community-driven resources.
  • Learning Curve
    For new users, especially those not familiar with Unix-like systems, OpenBSD can present a steep learning curve due to its unique configuration and system management.

macOS features and specs

  • Integration with Apple Ecosystem
    macOS Sonoma offers seamless integration across Apple devices, allowing for continuity features like Handoff, AirDrop, and iCloud synchronization.
  • User Interface and Design
    macOS is known for its polished and intuitive user interface, which is visually appealing and easy to navigate.
  • Security and Privacy
    macOS is built with strong security features including Gatekeeper, XProtect, and full disk encryption to protect user data and privacy.
  • Optimized Performance
    macOS is optimized to run efficiently on Apple hardware, often delivering smooth and fast performance even on older machines.
  • Built-in Applications
    macOS comes with a suite of built-in applications such as Safari, Mail, Photos, and iMovie, which are well-integrated and offer good functionality out of the box.
  • Regular Software Updates
    Apple provides regular updates to macOS, offering new features and bug fixes, as well as important security updates.

Possible disadvantages of macOS

  • Software Compatibility
    Some specialized or legacy software available for Windows may not be available or fully compatible with macOS, requiring users to find alternatives or use virtualization.
  • Hardware Cost
    Apple hardware tends to be more expensive compared to PCs with similar specifications, making the total cost of entry higher for macOS.
  • Customizability
    Compared to Windows and some Linux distributions, macOS is less customizable in terms of user interface and system settings.
  • Gaming
    macOS is not typically favored by the gaming community due to fewer titles being available and often less optimal performance compared to Windows.
  • Limited Hardware Choices
    Users are limited to Apple hardware, which means fewer choices and the inability to build custom machines using components from different manufacturers.

OpenBSD videos

Intro to most secure OS OpenBSD with sexiest Manjaro DeepIn Linux

More videos:

  • Review - Why I Switched From Arch Linux to OpenBSD
  • Review - Product Review - OpenBSD 6.3

macOS videos

What is macOS Server, and who should use it?

More videos:

  • Review - macOS Catalina Review
  • Review - macOS Server: The Future of Apple's Server Product
  • Review - Top macOS Catalina features!
  • Review - Catalina macOS Review in Catalina!
  • Review - My New 2018 Mac Mini Server | Getting Started With A MacOS Server

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to OpenBSD and macOS)
Operating Systems
23 23%
77% 77
Linux
21 21%
79% 79
Linux Distribution
19 19%
81% 81
Security & Privacy
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

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

OpenBSD Reviews

Best free Linuxย router and firewall distributions of 2023
These systems are not intended for routers. They are general-purpose operating systems and should not really be used as routers. Similar to OpenBSD and VyOS, you will have to configure everything by hand without a Web Interface. It's easy to make a mistake and leave a hole that exposes internal systems to attackers.
Source: teklager.se

macOS Reviews

We have no reviews of macOS yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OpenBSD seems to be a lot more popular than macOS. While we know about 13 links to OpenBSD, we've tracked only 1 mention of macOS. 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.

OpenBSD mentions (13)

  • Can't import bookmarks in Firefox
    Thank you. I appreciate the answer. I was grokking the openbsd.org website for quite a while and didn't see anything like this. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • fw_update: yes//SHA256.sig: No such file or directory
    I seem to be able to ping openbsd.org, as I see 64 bytes from... continuously. However, when I try to install software such as doas pkg_add vim I get Can't find vim. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Configuring a simple router with OpenBSD
    OpenBSD is a security-first Unix-like operating system belonging to the BSD family of operating systems. It is best known for the OpenSSH project founded in 1999 under the OpenBSD umbrella which has garnered widespread adoption beyond OpenBSD, including the infamous Linux operating system and even Microsoft Windows (since Windows 10). - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • Why Artix?
    There are Gentoo variants with precompiled binary packages and backward compatibility. Redcore , Calculate, Pentoo, Funtoo and others. By OpenBSD I mean. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Help, Installing OpenBSD for first time.
    (unable to get list from openbsd.org, but that is OK). Source: over 2 years ago
View more

macOS mentions (1)

  • What laptop should I buy
    Rekordbox works with Big Sur. You're acting like buying a hub is literally the end of the world, it's not. My interface has USB C. You're seriously grasping at straws with the touch screen argument. Unless you're on a DDJ-200 you can access all the required features from a controller, and let's not forget there are touchpads on laptops. Personally, I have a 4,000+ song library that fits on the internal storage of... Source: almost 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing OpenBSD and macOS, you can also consider the following products

BioCatch - Seamless and secure online experiences are built with BioCatch behavioral biometrics. Weโ€™re more than just fraud prevention. Our solution powers your digital growth.

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

FreeBSD - FreeBSD is an advanced operating system for x86 compatible (including Pentiumยฎ and Athlonโ„ข)...

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

Deep Instinct - Deep Instinct is revolutionizing cyber security, offering advanced cyber security solutions that harness the power of deep learning analytics with unprecedented deep machine learning and AI prediction models.

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