elementary OS vs Pop!_OS
| elementary OS | Pop!_OS | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Free trial | No | No |
| Paid from | — | Free |
| Open source | No | No |
| Platforms | Linux | Linux |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Device types | PCs and Macs; Apple Silicon and Raspberry Pi devices are listed as ARM download targets | Computers, laptops, desktops, workstations; ARM computers |
| CPU architectures | Intel or AMD 64-bit; ARM 64-bit | 64-bit x86; ARM64 |
| Built-in management | AppCenter and System Settings provide app and OS updates; automatic OS updates can be enabled | COSMIC Store app updates; OS Upgrade & Recovery; terminal package updates and upgrades; Repoman repository management |
| App compatibility | Curated AppCenter apps; Flatpak sideloading from third-party sources | Flatpak; .deb packages via apt/dpkg; Ubuntu-compatible software |
| Deployment models | Installable on physical computers; ISO installation media; OEM installation and custom disk imaging | Install on physical computers from ISO/USB; live USB environment |
| Support lifecycle | — | LTS release; the vendor describes Pop!_OS updates as continuous but does not state a specific support duration on the cited product pages. |
Both are listed in Best Operating Systems. On Inferse, Pop!_OS scores higher on our published basis.