Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Parrot OS VS MidnightBSD

Compare Parrot OS VS MidnightBSD and see what are their differences

Parrot OS logo Parrot OS

The best choice for security experts, developers and crypto-addicted people.

MidnightBSD logo MidnightBSD

MidnightBSD is a new BSD-derived operating system developed with desktop users in mind.
  • Parrot OS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-03-27
  • MidnightBSD Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-05

Parrot OS features and specs

  • Security-Focused
    Parrot OS is designed with a focus on providing a secure platform for security experts, and ethical hackers. It comes with a wide variety of tools for penetration testing, forensics, and reverse engineering.
  • Regular Updates
    The OS receives frequent updates, ensuring that its tools and software packages are up-to-date and that security vulnerabilities are quickly patched.
  • Lightweight
    Parrot OS is designed to be lightweight, making it suitable for use on older hardware and providing a responsive experience even on less powerful systems.
  • Privacy Features
    It includes various privacy tools like encryption utilities, anonymization tools like TOR, and secure communication tools, helping to enhance users' overall privacy.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Parrot OS has a user-friendly interface, which makes it easier for both new and experienced users to navigate and utilize its features effectively.
  • Customization
    The OS is highly customizable, allowing users to tweak and configure it according to their specific needs and preferences.

Possible disadvantages of Parrot OS

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its plethora of tools and features aimed at advanced users, Parrot OS may have a steep learning curve for beginners or those not familiar with security tools.
  • Resource Consumption
    Despite being lightweight, some of the advanced tools available can be resource-intensive, which may slow down performance on very old or low-spec hardware.
  • Niche User Base
    Parrot OS is tailored toward security professionals, which makes it less suitable for general-purpose desktop use compared to other Linux distributions that are designed for a broader audience.
  • Potential Legal Risks
    Some tools included in Parrot OS can be used for activities that may be legally dubious or outright illegal if misused, leading to potential legal risks for users who do not adhere to ethical guidelines.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Occasionally, users might encounter compatibility issues with certain hardware or software, as Parrot OS might not support everything out of the box like more general-purpose Linux distributions do.

MidnightBSD features and specs

  • Focus on Desktop Use
    MidnightBSD is designed with a focus on desktop users, making it more user-friendly and accessible for those who are not server administrators or power users.
  • Mports System
    MidnightBSD uses its own package management system called 'mports', which offers a wide range of applications and utilities and is designed to be simpler for desktop users compared to some other BSD ports systems.
  • BSD Legacy
    Built on the BSD legacy, MidnightBSD benefits from robust security features, a stable environment, and advanced networking capabilities, which are hallmark features of the BSD family of operating systems.
  • Customizability
    Like many BSD systems, MidnightBSD allows a high degree of customizability, enabling users to tailor the system according to their specific requirements and preferences.
  • ZFS Support
    MidnightBSD offers support for the ZFS file system, providing advanced features like snapshotting, data integrity verification, and efficient data compression.

Possible disadvantages of MidnightBSD

  • Limited Hardware Support
    Compared to more mainstream operating systems, MidnightBSD may have limited support for modern hardware, which can be a barrier for users with newer devices.
  • Smaller User Base
    MidnightBSD has a smaller user and developer community, which can lead to fewer resources, less frequent updates, and limited third-party support.
  • Software Availability
    While the mports system provides a variety of applications, there might be fewer packages available compared to larger operating systems like Linux, potentially making it harder to find specific or niche software.
  • Learning Curve
    Users coming from other operating systems, especially those less familiar with Unix-like systems, might find the transition to MidnightBSD and its management tools challenging at first.
  • Development Pace
    The development of MidnightBSD can be slower compared to larger projects, with updates and new features being introduced at a more measured pace.

Analysis of Parrot OS

Overall verdict

  • Parrot OS is a strong choice for users who require a reliable and comprehensive security-focused operating system. It provides a robust platform for professionals in cybersecurity fields and is a good alternative to other security-oriented distributions like Kali Linux.

Why this product is good

  • Parrot OS is a Debian-based Linux distribution that is primarily focused on security, privacy, and development. It is equipped with an extensive set of tools for penetration testing, digital forensics, reverse engineering, and anonymity capabilities. Users appreciate its lightweight nature, making it suitable for older hardware as well as minimalism-focused users.

Recommended for

  • Ethical hackers and penetration testers who need a rich set of tools for vulnerability assessment.
  • Cybersecurity professionals looking for an OS tailored for digital forensics.
  • Developers interested in privacy and anonymity features offered by the distro.
  • Users with older hardware seeking a lightweight, secure operating system.

Parrot OS videos

Parrot Security OS 4.7 Review & Walkthrough (2019) | (Linux Beginners Guide)

MidnightBSD videos

MidnightBSD 1.1 Quick Look - Oh Dear...

More videos:

  • Review - How-to Install MidnightBSD 8.5 plus XFCE desktop
  • Review - MidnightBSD 2.0 update

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Parrot OS and MidnightBSD)
Linux
85 85%
15% 15
Linux Distribution
81 81%
19% 19
Operating Systems
84 84%
16% 16
Monitoring Tools
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 Parrot OS and MidnightBSD

Parrot OS Reviews

  1. Parrot is the best Linux distro

    I have been using parrot sec for over three months now as my daily driver . It's stable and has all necessary tools for programming and security also has media files that support multimedia activity . For a security distro it's quite stable and it brings out both of the stable day to day driver and security pentesting quite well it's the best of both worlds though it can require some modifications in terms of anonsurf and repository updates but generally it's great and it's easy to use for beginners and those whore beginners in pentesting and programming .. but in gaming it's whack since it's made for use in specific mannner not gaming For more info If @m.i.t.h.a.m.o

    ๐Ÿ Competitors: Kali Linux

6 Best Free Alternatives to Windows for Advanced Users
The main purpose of Parrot Security OS is to cater needs of ethical hackers and network penetration testers.
Source: techcult.com
Best Secure Linux Distros for Enhanced Privacy & Security
Parrot OS is frequently updated and provides users with a wide selection of hardening and sandboxing options. The distroโ€™s tools are designed to be compatible with the majority of devices via containerization technologies such as Docker or Podman. Parrot OS is very lightweight and runs surprisingly fast on all machines - making it a great option for systems with old hardware...
Top 10 Most Secure Linux Distros for Personal Use
Parrot Security OS was developed by FrozenBox and is based on a Debian distribution. Released in 2013, this Linux distro was created for ethical hacking, working anonymously, and penetration testing. This Linux distro was specifically designed to test authorized simulated attacks on the computer system, which can be beneficial for assessing system vulnerabilities. As...
Source: linuxhint.com
Best Linux distros of 2021 for beginners, mainstream and advanced users
Parrot Security is a wonderful penetration testing and vulnerability assessment distro that can do a lot more than some of its more popular peers like Kali Linux.
Best Kali Linux Alternatives
Parrot Security is one of the leading Linux distributions in penetration testing and ethical hacking. It is a Debian-based Linux distribution operating system built by the Frozen Box Network for cloud-oriented penetration testing and computer forensics, reverse engineering, hacking, and many other security purposes. Parrot Security uses MATE as its desktop environment. It...
Source: linuxhint.com

MidnightBSD Reviews

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

Based on our record, Parrot OS seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 5 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.

Parrot OS mentions (5)

  • Best Portable OS?
    Parrot Security OS is an option, it contains vs codium(the OSS version without any binary blobs or telemetry) for coding as well as many, many pen testing tools which may or may not be useful to you. You meant Computer Science right? Not Cyber Security? If you have any Cyber Sec classes I think Parrot would be more useful to you. It is a Debian distro and I think it uses kernel 5.18 right now, so how new your... Source: over 2 years ago
  • Help me with my system please....can anyone help me with this my kali virtual os was lagging on recon phase with slow fuzzing...what should i do to make it fast
    Checkout https://parrotsec.org In my opinion ParrotSec is much better than Kali but every pentester has there own specific distro they enjoy. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Assist a newbie
    If you want a kind-of-temp system which resets itself after every reboot, then I recommend tails(although it does have an option to store files but you would have to set that up for it to work and since you're a linux beginner it might be hard, especially the installation part) and if you want the type of security where the applications are isolated from the system, then I would recommend cubes os. But if you want... Source: almost 4 years ago
  • AMA: I'm Micah Lee, director of infosec for The Intercept, security and privacy enthusiast, open source coder, journalist, techie for the Snowden leak, etc. AMA!
    For Linux, I generally don't use AV. Also recently I've been using Parrot Sec, Ubuntu, and Qubes. Source: over 4 years ago
  • Kali vs ubuntu- which is more private
    If you ask me I can tell ParrotOS - HOME Editition they have a set of defaults already for you without having to install these pentesting distros like Kali or ParrotOS - Security, because their main goal is not YOUR security. Source: over 4 years ago

MidnightBSD mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of MidnightBSD yet. Tracking of MidnightBSD recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Parrot OS and MidnightBSD, you can also consider the following products

Kali Linux - Kali Linux is a Debian-derived Linux distribution designed for digital forensics and penetration...

GhostBSD - GhostBSD is a user friendly desktop operating system based on ...

BlackArch - BlackArch Linux is an Small Arch Linux iconArch Linux -based distribution for penetration testers...

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

ArchStrike - An Arch Linux repository for security professionals and enthusiasts.

NomadBSD - NomadBSD is a persistent live system for USB flash drives, based on FreeBSD.