Linux Mint vs RefreshOS: Best distro for new users

For years Linux Mint has been a top recommendation for newcomers, prized for ease of use, stability and a welcoming community. A newer option, RefreshOS, has emerged as a strong contender and prompted a head-to-head comparison. Linux Mint builds on an Ubuntu base and uses the Cinnamon desktop, which follows a familiar panel, start menu, system tray and clickable icons layout.

Its Welcome app walks users through choosing desktop colors, setting up system snapshots, installing drivers, introducing the update manager and software manager, and enabling the firewall. Mint ships with LibreOffice, Firefox, multimedia players and a fingerprint tool, and includes Flatpak for thousands of additional apps.

Despite not carrying the latest kernel, Mint performs responsively, even on older hardware. RefreshOS is Debian-based and ships KDE Plasma 6.3.6 with polished global themes, including a light and a hybrid light/dark option. It lacks a bespoke welcome app, though the KDE Plasma Welcome app is available.

linux mint, refreshos, cinnamon, kde plasma, ubuntu, debian, flatpak, welcome app, libreoffice, fingerprint tool