Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Puppy Linux VS Pop!_OS

Compare Puppy Linux VS Pop!_OS and see what are their differences

Puppy Linux logo Puppy Linux

Home, overview and getting started with Puppy Linux, amazingly fast, fascinatingly complete and delightfully small Linux.‎Wiki · ‎Download latest Puppy Linux .

Pop!_OS logo Pop!_OS

A developer-focused minimalist Linux distro from System 76
  • Puppy Linux Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-29
  • Pop!_OS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-01

Puppy Linux features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Puppy Linux is extremely lightweight, allowing it to run on older hardware with limited resources efficiently.
  • Fast Boot
    It has a rapid boot time, getting you up and running much quicker than many other operating systems.
  • User-Friendly
    The user-friendly interface makes it easy for beginners to navigate and perform basic tasks.
  • Portable
    Designed to run from USB drives or CDs/DVDs, making it very portable and ideal for troubleshooting multiple systems.
  • Minimal Resource Usage
    It requires minimal system resources, allowing it to run efficiently with a low memory and CPU footprint.
  • Customizability
    Puppy Linux offers high customizability, letting users tweak the system extensively to fit their specific needs.
  • Community Support
    It has a strong community with forums and resources to help users troubleshoot and customize their setups.

Possible disadvantages of Puppy Linux

  • Limited Software Repository
    Puppy Linux has a smaller software repository compared to mainstream distributions like Ubuntu, limiting available applications.
  • Not Suitable for Modern Gaming
    Due to its lightweight nature and limited software support, it is not ideal for modern gaming or resource-intensive applications.
  • Old Kernel
    Sometimes, it uses older Linux kernels, which might lack support for modern hardware and features.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its user-friendly interface, new users may still encounter a learning curve, especially when performing more advanced tasks.
  • Manual Updates
    Unlike some distributions that offer automated updates, updating Puppy Linux can require manual intervention and knowledge.
  • Less Security Features
    Due to its lightweight design, it may lack some of the advanced security features available in other distributions.

Pop!_OS features and specs

  • Optimized for Productivity
    Pop!_OS is built with various features oriented towards productivity, such as a customized GNOME desktop environment that includes tiling window management and keyboard shortcuts.
  • User-Friendly Installation
    The installation process for Pop!_OS is straightforward and user-friendly, making it accessible for both beginners and advanced users.
  • Hardware Compatibility
    Pop!_OS is developed by System76, a hardware manufacturer, ensuring excellent support and compatibility with a wide range of hardware, particularly their own computers.
  • Regular Updates
    The operating system receives regular updates, ensuring that users have access to the latest features, security patches, and improvements.
  • Pre-installed NVIDIA Drivers
    Pop!_OS offers a version with pre-installed NVIDIA drivers, which simplifies the setup process for users with NVIDIA graphics cards.

Possible disadvantages of Pop!_OS

  • Limited Community Support
    While Pop!_OS has a growing community, it is still relatively small compared to more established distributions like Ubuntu or Fedora, which might make finding solutions to specific issues more difficult.
  • Resource Intensive
    Pop!_OS's GNOME-based desktop environment can be more resource-intensive compared to other lightweight desktop environments, which might not be ideal for older hardware.
  • Default GNOME Environment
    Some users may prefer other desktop environments over GNOME, and while it's possible to install them on Pop!_OS, it doesn’t come with this flexibility out of the box.
  • Designed for System76 Hardware
    Although it works well on various hardware, Pop!_OS is primarily developed for System76 devices, which might lead to some optimizations not being as effective on non-System76 hardware.
  • Learning Curve for New Users
    New users coming from Windows or macOS might find certain aspects of Pop!_OS different and challenging, such as the tiling window manager and keyboard-driven workflow.

Puppy Linux videos

Puppy Linux 8..Pup Is Now Bionic..!!

More videos:

  • Review - Underrated Distros - Puppy Linux Bionic Pup
  • Review - Puppy Linux 8 Bionic Pup 64...How Many Cores.!!!!!!!!
  • Review - Puppy Linux Review - The Best Linux Distro For Old Hardware!
  • Review - Puppy Linux Install and Review
  • Review - An everyday user review of Linux Lite OS and Puppy Linux!?

Pop!_OS videos

Pop!_OS Is Even Better With 19.10 (Full Review)

More videos:

  • Review - Moving In - Pop!_OS 19.04 Review
  • Review - Using Pop!_OS 19.10 ep. 1 - Intro, Installation, Desktop and Gaming Prep

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Puppy Linux and Pop!_OS)
Linux
13 13%
87% 87
Operating Systems
14 14%
86% 86
Linux Distribution
15 15%
85% 85
OS & Utilities
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 Puppy Linux and Pop!_OS

Puppy Linux Reviews

Top 9 Fastest Linux Distros in 2024
Thank you for your kind words! Considering the limited resources on your Acer Aspire One AOD 256 with 1 GB RAM, you’re already on the right track with lightweight distros. If you’re looking for an alternative to Slitaz with more up-to-date software, I’d recommend trying out Puppy Linux or Tiny Core Linux. Both are lightweight and can be customized to your preferences....
Source: linuxsimply.com
Best Top 20 Ubuntu Linux Alternatives (Pros and Cons)
Puppy Linux is an easy-to-use and memory-efficient Linux distribution with it’s entire system can be run from RAM, with current versions taking up around 600 MB (64-bit) and 300 MB (32-bit). Included are AbiWord, Gnumeric, MPlayer, several lightweight web browsers, and a utility for downloading other packages.
Best Linux distros of 2021 for beginners, mainstream and advanced users
Puppy Linux is one of our favorite distros for resurrecting old machines and putting them back into active duty. The project is in fact a family of distros, each based on a different underlying distro. For instance, there’s one based on Ubuntu and another based on Slackware.

Pop!_OS Reviews

10 Most Popular Linux Distros of the Year 2023
Although Pop!_OS is based on Ubuntu, it is still able to make its unique place among Dekstop users because of its fast performance, with a customized GNOME desktop environment to provide a polished interface and out-of-the-box installed software & drivers. The US hardware distributor System76 developers behind the Pop!_OS also offers Laptops and desktops with pre-installed...
12 Best Linux Distros You Should Use
Pop!_OS is based on Ubuntu and uses the COSMIC desktop environment, which is Pop!_OS’ homemade desktop environment based on GNOME. However, unlike GNOME, it’s a lot cleaner and has got a few neat tricks up its sleeve, like the keyboard shortcuts, which makes Pop!_OS one of the cleanest Linux systems. Overall, Pop!_OS is a great option for budding creators as well as folks...
Source: beebom.com
The best Linux distributions (operating systems)
Pop!_OS has been developed by System76 and is based on Ubuntu. The operating system offers GPU support for AMD and Nvidia as well as their programming interface CUDA. Pop!_OS has a high-quality desktop environment and offers a tiling function that benefits gamers.
Source: www.ionos.com
7 Best Rufus Alternatives To Create Bootable USB In 2022
Popsicle is a USB flasher shipped with Pop!_OS, one of the most popular Linux distributions. One of the best features of the tool is that it allows you to flash an ISO to multiple USB devices simultaneously.
Source: fossbytes.com
13 Best Linux distros for gaming in 2022
The Pop!_OS distro by hardware vendor System76 is one of the best options for gamers who want to assemble their own gaming installation.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Pop!_OS seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 456 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.

Puppy Linux mentions (0)

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

Pop!_OS mentions (456)

  • Part 1: Getting Started With Linux
    To start using Linux, I personally would recommend going with Pop!_OS. You got a few options here: either you can run it on a VM or install it on Bare Metal. Don't worry, I got you covered—you can use any one of the following methods:. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • The Future Is Niri
    Did you see Pop OS? https://pop.system76.com/ They follow ubuntu releases, kind of. The downside, they went all in into their new desktop env - cosmic, and until they release it they won't move on from 20.04.. I really loved the tiling feature in PopOS 20.04 which came out of the box. But then I bought a new laptop, and had to move to arch to use it.. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • Apple's Software Quality Crisis: When Premium Hardware Meets Subpar Software
    Please try a distro [0] maintained by a company making their own Linux laptops. [0] https://pop.system76.com/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • Perl 🐪 Weekly #707 - Is it ethical?
    What is Pop!_OS? Sounds like the name of one of the kids of Elon Musk. But no. It is apparently an Ubuntu-based Linux operating system for STEM and creative professionals. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Malibal and Coreboot Have a Disagreement
    > We no longer ship to Colorado due to the actions of System76's Principal Engineer (https://www.system76.com), Pop_OS! Maintainer (https://pop.system76.com), and Redox OS BDFL (https://www.redox-os.org) named Jeremy Soller (https://soller.dev). Source: https://portal.malibal.com/kb/a1064/why-dont-you-ship-to-colorado/ Err, what? I really can't follow the logic here. What does some dude have to do with Colorado. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Puppy Linux and Pop!_OS, you can also consider the following products

Lubuntu - Lubuntu is a fast and lightweight operating system with a clean and easy-to-use user interface. The core of the system is based on Linux and Ubuntu. Lubuntu uses the minimal desktop LXDE, and a selection of light applications.

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

Xubuntu - Xubuntu – Xubuntu is an elegant and easy-to-use operating system. Download XubuntuXubuntu – Xubuntu is an elegant and easy-to-use operating system. Feature Tour.

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

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

DistroWatch - 9 hours ago - It does include a proprietary software set optimized for business users, students, researchers and developers." A list of features and further details can be found in the company's release announcement.