Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Xubuntu VS MX Linux

Compare Xubuntu VS MX Linux and see what are their differences

Xubuntu logo 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.

MX Linux logo MX Linux

MX Linux is an operating system - a cooperative venture between the antiX and former MEPIS...
  • Xubuntu Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-06-18
  • MX Linux Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-26

Xubuntu features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Xubuntu's use of the Xfce desktop environment ensures it is lightweight and consumes fewer system resources, making it ideal for older or less powerful hardware.
  • User-Friendly
    The interface is intuitive and straightforward, allowing both new and experienced users to navigate and manage the system with ease.
  • Customizability
    Xubuntu offers a high degree of customization, enabling users to tailor the system's look and behavior to their preferences.
  • Stability
    Based on Ubuntu, Xubuntu benefits from a solid and stable foundation, providing a reliable operating system experience.
  • Extensive Software Repository
    Users have access to Ubuntu's extensive software repositories, making it easy to find and install a wide variety of applications.
  • Community Support
    There is a large and active community of users and developers who provide support, documentation, and resources for troubleshooting.
  • Security
    Regular updates and security patches are provided, ensuring that the system remains secure against vulnerabilities.

Possible disadvantages of Xubuntu

  • Limited Out-of-the-Box Features
    Compared to some other desktop environments, Xfce might feel a bit barebones initially, requiring users to customize and install additional software to meet their needs.
  • Not as Polished
    The visual appeal and polish might not be on par with more modern desktop environments like GNOME or KDE, which could be a downside for users who prefer a more aesthetically pleasing interface.
  • Hardware Compatibility
    While generally good, Xubuntu might still encounter hardware compatibility issues with very new or very obscure hardware components.
  • Less Corporate Support
    Unlike Ubuntu, which has substantial backing from Canonical, Xubuntu does not receive the same level of direct corporate support, potentially limiting official resources and development funding.
  • Learning Curve
    For those unfamiliar with Linux or coming from a different desktop environment, there may be a learning curve involved in getting accustomed to Xfce and Xubuntu’s way of doing things.

MX Linux features and specs

  • User-Friendly
    MX Linux offers a highly intuitive and easy-to-use interface, making it a great choice for beginners who might be new to Linux.
  • Performance
    The distribution is lightweight and optimized to run smoothly even on older hardware, ensuring good performance.
  • Stability
    Built on the Debian Stable base, MX Linux is known for its robustness and reliability, providing fewer system crashes and bugs.
  • Customization
    MX Linux allows extensive customization, enabling users to tailor their system’s appearance and functionality to their liking.
  • MX Tools
    The distribution includes a unique set of tools, such as MX Snapshot and MX Package Installer, that enhance user experience by simplifying complex tasks.
  • Community Support
    MX Linux has an active and helpful community, offering extensive forums and documentation to assist users in troubleshooting and optimizing their systems.

Possible disadvantages of MX Linux

  • Slower Updates
    Being based on Debian Stable, MX Linux may not have the latest software and feature updates, lagging behind more cutting-edge distributions.
  • Limited Software Availability
    The software repositories, although extensive, may not have as wide a selection as some other distros, requiring users to sometimes rely on external sources.
  • Aesthetic
    While functional and customizable, the default look and feel might not be as polished as some other distributions designed with visual aesthetics in mind.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Customization
    While it is user-friendly for basic tasks, more advanced customization and optimization may require a steeper learning curve for those unfamiliar with Linux internals.
  • Hardware Compatibility
    Though generally good, there can be occasional issues with hardware compatibility, especially with very new or very old devices.

Xubuntu videos

Thoughts on Xubuntu 19.04 - Linux distro review

More videos:

  • Review - Xubuntu 18.04 LTS Review
  • Review - Xubuntu 19.10 Review - Now with XFCE 4.14 Desktop

MX Linux videos

MX Linux 19.1 Xfce Review | Distro Delves S2:Ep9

More videos:

  • Review - REVIEW: MX LINUX 19 : "BLAZING FAST!"
  • Review - Why is MX Linux So Popular?

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Xubuntu and MX Linux)
Linux
51 51%
49% 49
Operating Systems
51 51%
49% 49
Linux Distribution
53 53%
47% 47
OS & Utilities
53 53%
47% 47

User comments

Share your experience with using Xubuntu and MX Linux. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Xubuntu and MX Linux

Xubuntu Reviews

Best Top 20 Ubuntu Linux Alternatives (Pros and Cons)
Xubuntu is a community-maintained and built with Ubuntu as a base. Instead of Ubuntu’s GNOME desktop environment, Xubuntu uses the Xfce desktop environment. It ‘s goal is a light, stable and configurable desktop environment with conservative workflows.

MX Linux Reviews

Top 9 Fastest Linux Distros in 2024
MX Linux is a mid-weight distro that uses the Xfce desktop environment. It is known for its stability, ease of use, and performance.
Source: linuxsimply.com
10 Most Popular Linux Distros of the Year 2023
MX Linux is always able to make its place in our list when it comes to selecting the best mid-weight Linux distros. Out of the box it uses a lightweight XFCE desktop environment and being built on Debian, stability is always not an issue. The user-friendly approach to this distro and multiple sources to install popular Linux packages make it an excellent choice for old and...
The best Linux distributions (operating systems)
MX Linux is based on Debian and is suitable for use on older and less powerful computers because of its slim Xfce desktop. Compared to other professional Linux distributions, MX Linux is much more user-friendly. However, because of its many options it is also an interesting distribution for experienced users.
Source: www.ionos.com

Social recommendations and mentions

MX Linux might be a bit more popular than Xubuntu. We know about 91 links to it since March 2021 and only 64 links to Xubuntu. 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.

Xubuntu mentions (64)

  • One must imagine Sisyphus writing a new JS framework
    You can install a light weight Linux distro (free of course) on almost any old piece of junk with a CPU and you'll get a perfectly good programming machine. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Can I run Linux on my old PC ?
    Yeah, for sure you can give It a try! Imo you have to use a lite desktop environment like xfce maybe . You can have a pretty good idea of what can be your experience Just running a live distro like Ubuntu xfceUbuntu xfce or Linux Mint xfce, if you are really desperate you can also try a very very lightweight like puppy linux. I Will try One of the First 2 in live mode and if It runs well you can install It on the... Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Can my computer run linux VM?
    If you still want to try it on a VM, I'd recommend assigning just 1 GB to it, coupled with a lightweight desktop environment, like XFCE (you can use Xubuntu). Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Should I use Ubuntu 16 in 2023?
    To get a modern lightweight Linux experience you can use a recent version of one the Ubuntu flavours that is optimized for low-resource machines: either Xubuntu (with XFCE) or Lubuntu (with LXQt). Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Why does resizing windows in Linux desktop don't feel quite as "snappy" as in other OSes?
    It works just fine for me in Xubuntu (Ubuntu with Xfce Desktop environment : https://xubuntu.org/ ). Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

MX Linux mentions (91)

  • Linux market share approaching 4.5% for first time, could hit 5% by 1Q25
    Does one really care? Have you looked at https://www.clearlinux.org/ https://github.com/clearlinux https://github.com/CachyOS https://github.com/MX-Linux ? Would they lack anything? I picked these three specifically because I tested them recently on new hardware I got. What they have in common is their focus on encapsulating 4. For mere mortals, while not doing 5, or at... - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Ask HN: What if I don't want constant OS upgrades?
    I like Manjaro XFCE, it's rolling updates so it's as packages come out you can update to the newest (it pulls latest from github, but has other repos) if you want oldschool oldschool, check out antiX linux, MX Linux is based on AntiX but looks semi-better, they're based on Debian. Remember though, debian is like 5 package versions behind, because that's what they do with their auditing for stability. MX Linux has... - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • what happened to my linux mint laptop and how do I fix it?
    If you want something new you probably want to aim light. I'd opt for AntiX full version as it's very light, stable and comes with a variety of lightweight desktops, themes and other stuff to choose from at login. The sister project MXLinux could also be worth a look for a more traditional system, but I'd try the Fluxbox option to keep things light. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Installing MX Linux
    I'm getting an error of - Could not find file antiX/linuxfs - searched devices /dev/sdc1 /dev/sdb1 etc. Gives me an ooption to contact Bitjam at mxlinux.org and then says P=power off, r=reboot. I've tried to look around but I'm not finding any details on what's going on. There was a mention of bad hardware, but if my other ISO's are booting no problem I dont think that is the issue. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Arch, void or something else entirely?
    I thought I would never say this, but I think you should try the KDE edition of https://mxlinux.org/. Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Xubuntu and MX Linux, you can also consider the following products

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

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

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

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

Fedora - Fedora creates an innovative, free, and open source platform for hardware, clouds, and containers that enables software developers and community members to build tailored solutions for their users.

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.