Debian vs MX Linux
| Debian | MX Linux | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Free trial | No | No |
| Paid from | Free | — |
| Open source | No | No |
| Platforms | Linux, self-hosted | Linux |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Device types | Personal computers; cloud virtual machines | Desktop and laptop computers; removable USB media for live operation |
| CPU architectures | amd64, arm64, armhf, ppc64el, riscv64, s390x; i386 supported as a co-architecture for 32-bit software on amd64; armel upgrades only | 64-bit only for MX-25 official releases |
| Support lifecycle | Debian 13: five years, including three years of full Debian support through August 9, 2028 and LTS through June 30, 2030 | Major versions follow Debian Stable releases; support duration varies by release (official chart linked in FAQ, but not verified here). |
| Built-in management | APT package installation, removal, and distribution upgrades | MX Tools; MX Updater with package update checks, upgrade modes and scheduled unattended upgrades; MX Package Installer |
| App compatibility | Debian packages (.deb); APT package manager | Debian packages and repositories, Debian Backports, Flatpak, Snap on supported setups, AppImage |
| Deployment models | Physical computer installation; live boot from CD, DVD, or USB; OpenStack and QEMU cloud images; Amazon EC2 and Microsoft Azure images | Install on physical computers; live system from USB; customized live/remastered images |
Both are listed in Best Operating Systems. On Inferse, Debian scores higher on our published basis.