Debian
A free operating system built by a volunteer association of individuals, distributed as a
Debian is a free operating system built by a volunteer project, combining a kernel (Linux or FreeBSD) with basic tools and application software. It addresses the need to install, update, and manage software consistently across many machines, shipping over 70,000 precompiled packages alongside the APT package manager and supporting utilities. Packages in the official distribution follow the Debian Free Software Guidelines, with separate archive sections for contrib, non-free, and non-free-firmware items.
The archive is organized into stable, testing, and unstable distributions, and users can browse package lists or search by package name, source name, or file contents. Security advisories are published for affected packages, coordinated with other vendors, and delivered through the debian-security-announce mailing list; advisories are CVE-compatible and use OVAL. The unattended-upgrades package can apply security and other updates automatically.
Debian targets individuals and organizations running personal computers or servers across a range of architectures, including older hardware. It is distributed as free software with no paid editions or seat-based plans; installation media can be downloaded or purchased at the cost of the media. Support is available through documentation, mailing lists, and IRC, and consultants can be hired for setup.
12 alternatives to Debian
Ranked by how well each tool replaces Debian: shared features, audience, price and popularity.
Enterprise open source operating system published by Canonical
Covers 1 of 15 key features.
Free planOpen source67 out of 100 matchContact sales- 66 out of 100 matchContact sales
- 65 out of 100 match—
A flexible, source-based Linux distribution
Covers 2 of 15 key features.
Free planOpen source63 out of 100 matchContact salesMinimal Debian OS optimised for single-board computers
Covers 7 of 15 key features.
Free planOpen source61 out of 100 matchFree- 60 out of 100 matchFree
- 59 out of 100 match—
GNU is the only operating system developed specifically to give its users freedom.
Covers 0 of 15 key features.
Open source59 out of 100 match—Powerful and flexible web-based server management control panel.
Covers 8 of 15 key features.
Open source58 out of 100 match—Nearly 90 free ready-to-use system images for virtual machines, the cloud and bare metal
Covers 4 of 15 key features.
Free planOpen source58 out of 100 matchFreeA Linux desktop operating system focused on ease of use and a polished interface.
Covers 3 of 15 key features.
Open source58 out of 100 match—