What desktop environment does Ubuntu use?

The desktop environment is usually the core of your Linux desktop system for how it looks/feels. If you dont get a good user experience, it will be difficult to use a Linux distro on your desktop, right?

So, which is the best desktop environment available?

Trying out each and every desktop environment is a very time-consuming and tiring task.

So, here, weve created a list of the best desktop environments available for Linux distros along with their pros and cons for you. We tried them so that you dont have to.

Best desktop environments for Linux distributions

Just to mention, this list is in no particular order of ranking.

1.KDE

KDE is one of the most popular desktop environments out there. You may also refer it as the Plasma desktop. Even though its not my primary choice, it is highly customizable and extremely lightweight.

Yes, it looks like KDE has managed to beat XFCE as one of the lightest desktop environments. Not just limited to Jasons test, you will find numerous benchmark comparisons and tests that point to the same result.

KDE also makes it easier to connect your phone with your Linux system using KDE Connect. You will also find Plasmas browser integration that connects your phone directly to your browser for establishing quick communication.

Overall, it looks like KDE is an incredibly lightweight desktop environment while being one of the most flexible as well.

Some Linux distros using KDE as the default are openSUSE, Kubuntu and KDE Neon. You may also refer to one of our tutorials to install KDE on Ubuntu, if thats what you want.

2.MATE

MATE Desktop Environment is based on GNOME 2. MATE was initially developed for the users who were disappointed with the latest iteration of GNOME shell GNOME 3.

Even though its based on the good-old GNOME 2, the MATE team has improved the desktop environment on a lot of grounds. To get some idea, you might want to check out what Ubuntu MATE 20.04 has to offer.

If we take the example of Ubuntu MATE 20.04, MATE desktop is suitable for almost everyone. And, of course, especially for the ones who loved GNOME 2 but hate the new GNOME. In addition to the user experience, it is also worth noting that it is a lightweight desktop environment as well.

MATE comes witha collection of basic applications and includes a number of built-in useful tools.

Ubuntu MATE is one of the official flavors of Ubuntu that utilizes the MATE desktop. Some other popular Linux distributions like Linux Mint, Manjaro, etc, also offer MATE editions of their distributions.

3.GNOME

GNOME is arguably the most popular desktop environment out there. Many of the popular Linux distros use GNOME as their default desktop environment and it has some popular forks,such as Cinnamon.

GNOME is designed to be easy to use and customizable. The user interface aims to provide a unique experience [kind of tailored for both mobile and desktops].

Unfortunately, GNOME isnt a lightweight desktop environment. So, its not a great choice to go with if you are looking to install a Linux distribution on older computers or systems with less than 4 Gigs of RAM.

Its good to see that GNOME is also focusing on the performance side of things with their recent GNOME 3.36 release.

So, if you want a good user experience with something that looks different from the likes of a traditional Windows layout, GNOME should be the perfect pick.

Some major distros using GNOME are Debian,Fedora, openSUSEand Ubuntu. Not to forget Pop OS 20.04 also features many good things along with GNOME desktop environment.

4.Cinnamon

Cinnamon, a fork of GNOME 3, was initially developed to be and is the default desktop environment forLinux Mint. It is known for its similarities with the Windows user interface which helps new Linux users get comfortable using easily.

Cinnamon tries to present itself as a modern desktop environment while offering a traditional user interface. And, being somewhat light on resources makes Cinnamon a balanced choice for many Linux users.

5. Budgie

Budgie desktop has been developed by the Solus project. In case you didnt know, Solus is an independently developed Linux distro where they utilize GNOME technologies such as GTK to develop the Budgie desktop environment.

Its a mixed bag of modern UI and a traditional user interface. Its not exactly resource heavy but not a complete lightweight desktop environment either.

Ubuntu Budgie an official Ubuntu flavour features the Budgie desktop as the default. Not a lot of major distributions support Budgie desktop environment out of the box. So, youd be better off using Solus or Ubuntu Budgie for the most part.

6. LXQt

LXQt is a lightweight Qt desktop environment. When compared to LXDE, its safe to say that LXQt is indeed a lightweight desktop environment while providing a better user experience than LXDE [in terms of its look and feel].

Not just theoretically, but we also found it to be a great replacement to LXDE on Lubuntu 20.04.

Even though LXQt tries to present a modern look without comprising the performance, it is still not the most intuitive experience out there. Of course, if you need performance over the look and feel, LXQt is an impressive choice.

7.Xfce

Xfceis one of the most lightweight desktop environments out there. Unlike LXQt, you will find a lot of major Linux distributions support XFCE editions.

Xfce is light on resources but proves to provide a feature-rich user experience. If you need a performance-centric desktop environment without needing advanced customizations, Xfce is a great choice to go with.

To give you an example, Id recommend you check out our initial impressions on Zorin OS 15 Lite which includes Xfce desktop environment as the default.

Major Linux distributions like Manjaro Linux, Xubuntu, MX Linux, Zorin OS Lite, and several others feature Xfce as the default desktop environment.

8. Deepin

Sometimes its not enough to offer customization options or being light on resources. Theres a lot of users who prefer an eye candy user interface by compromising the performance of the desktop environment.

Thats when the Deepin desktop environment comes to the scene. It may offer a macOS-ish interface in a way but because of the animations and the layout, the looks and feel of Deepin desktop environment is something to appreciate.

Originally, it was only available on Deepin OS, but it is now gradually being added to some other distributions as well. Recently an interesting project [UbuntuDDE] has managed to incorporate it on top of Ubuntu. It isnt fairly new but it is being slowly adopted by other Linux distributions.

So, which is the best desktop environment?

The reason why different desktop environment exists because theres no ultimate desktop environment. Every user has a different set of requirements. Some look for a fast experience while some drool over an eye candy UI.

Even though weve already mentioned the best available in this article, there are a few other desktop environments that deserve the mention. Some of them are:

• Trinity Desktop
• Lumina Desktop

What desktop environment do you prefer and why? Feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments below.