Best ChromeOS Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 platforms from operating systems ranked against ChromeOS on the same published basis.
- 1ChromeOS vs pfSense
- 2ChromeOS vs Ubuntu Server
- 3ChromeOS vs Rocky Linux
- 4ChromeOS vs HPE Morpheus VM Essentials Software
- 5ChromeOS vs Manjaro Linux
- 6ChromeOS vs Nix
- 7ChromeOS vs AlmaLinux OS
- 8ChromeOS vs Debian
- 9ChromeOS vs OPNsense
- 10ChromeOS vs CentOS Stream
- 11ChromeOS vs Fedora Linux
- 12ChromeOS vs Kubuntu
- 13ChromeOS vs MX Linux
- 14ChromeOS vs SUSE Multi-Linux Manager
- 15ChromeOS vs OmniOS
- 16ChromeOS vs Pop!_OS
- 17ChromeOS vs postmarketOS
- 18ChromeOS vs Raspberry Pi Imager
- 19ChromeOS vs Wind River Conductor
- 20ChromeOS vs Amazon Linux
ChromeOS alternatives compared
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | pfSense | 7.6 | Free plan | — | Linux, self-hosted, Web |
| 2 | Ubuntu Server | 7.6 | Free plan | $2.08/mo | Linux, self-hosted |
| 3 | Rocky Linux | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted, Windows |
| 4 | HPE Morpheus VM Essentials Software | 6.9 | No | $50/mo | Linux, self-hosted, Web |
| 5 | Manjaro Linux | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | Linux |
| 6 | Nix | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Windows |
| 7 | AlmaLinux OS | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted, Windows |
| 8 | Debian | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted |
| 9 | OPNsense | 6.7 | Free plan | — | API, self-hosted, Web |
| 10 | CentOS Stream | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted |
| 11 | Fedora Linux | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted |
| 12 | Kubuntu | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Linux |
| 13 | MX Linux | 6.2 | Free plan | Free | Linux |
| 14 | SUSE Multi-Linux Manager | 6.1 | No | — | API, Linux, self-hosted, Web |
| 15 | OmniOS | 5.9 | No | — | Linux |
| 16 | Pop!_OS | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Linux |
| 17 | postmarketOS | 5.9 | No | — | Linux |
| 18 | Raspberry Pi Imager | 5.9 | No | — | Linux |
| 19 | Wind River Conductor | 5.9 | No | — | Windows, Linux |
| 20 | Amazon Linux | 5.8 | No | — | Linux |
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Questions about ChromeOS alternatives
What is the best alternative to ChromeOS?
pfSense, number 1 in operating systems with a score of 7.6 out of 10. The others here: Ubuntu Server, Rocky Linux, HPE Morpheus VM Essentials Software and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to ChromeOS?
pfSense is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 13 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on.