Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Salient OS VS ReactOS

Compare Salient OS VS ReactOS and see what are their differences

Salient OS logo Salient OS

Download Salient OS for free.

ReactOS logo ReactOS

ReactOS is a free, modern operating system in alpha stage, based on the design of Windows XP/2003.
  • Salient OS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-15
  • ReactOS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-21

Salient OS features and specs

  • Performance Optimization
    Salient OS is designed with performance in mind, featuring optimizations that make it well-suited for multimedia applications, gaming, and general use.
  • User-Friendly Interfaces
    The distribution offers easy-to-use desktop environments like KDE Plasma and Xfce, making it accessible for both new and experienced users.
  • Pre-installed Software
    Salient OS comes with a variety of pre-installed software, providing users with tools for multimedia production, gaming, and general productivity right out of the box.
  • Rolling Release Model
    Based on Arch Linux, Salient OS uses a rolling release model, ensuring that users have access to the latest software updates and features without the need for major OS upgrades.
  • Customizability
    Being based on Arch Linux, Salient OS is highly customizable, allowing users to modify and configure the system to fit their specific needs.

Possible disadvantages of Salient OS

  • Not Officially Supported
    Salient OS is a community-driven project and not an officially supported distribution, which might result in less frequent updates or support compared to larger distributions.
  • Arch Linux Base Complexity
    While Arch Linux provides flexibility and cutting-edge software, it also requires more technical knowledge and understanding, which might be challenging for some users.
  • Limited Community
    The community around Salient OS is relatively small compared to larger distributions, which might affect the availability of help and resources.
  • Potential Stability Issues
    As it follows a rolling release model, there is a potential for encountering stability issues due to constant updates, which may not be ideal for users seeking a rock-solid system.
  • Gaming Focused
    The operating system is particularly tailored towards gaming and multimedia, which might mean that it lacks certain features desired by users with different needs.

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 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.

Salient OS videos

Salient OS | My Final Thoughts

More videos:

  • Review - Salient OS Review!
  • Review - Is Salient OS The Best Linux Distribution For Gaming? – Proton / Wine / DXVK ⁄ Esync / Lutris

ReactOS videos

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 Salient OS and ReactOS)
Linux
24 24%
76% 76
Operating Systems
31 31%
69% 69
OS & Utilities
100 100%
0% 0
Linux Distribution
20 20%
80% 80

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, ReactOS seems to be a lot more popular than Salient OS. While we know about 78 links to ReactOS, we've tracked only 1 mention of Salient OS. 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.

Salient OS mentions (1)

  • switching to Linux!
    If you're looking into gaming specifically, I can heartily recommend SalientOS - I've been using it near exclusively for over a year and loving every moment. Unfortunately there's damned near no community around it other than the vaguely active Discord. The maintainer, Silent Robot, is super-helpful and usually responds to questions quite rapidly. Source: almost 5 years ago

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
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What are some alternatives?

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

Anarchy Linux - A distro that helps setting up a Archlinux system.

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

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..

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

SparkyLinux - The project page of SparkyLinux distribution

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