Solus vs Ubuntu Server
| Solus | Ubuntu Server | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Free trial | No | Yes |
| Paid from | — | $2.08/mo |
| Open source | No | No |
| Platforms | Linux | Linux, self-hosted |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Device types | Personal computers (desktop and laptop hardware) | servers, virtual machines, cloud instances, IoT/edge devices |
| CPU architectures | x86-64 (64-bit) | amd64, arm64, armhf, ppc64el, riscv64, s390x |
| Support lifecycle | Rolling release; homepage describes weekly tested updates. No fixed support duration specified. | LTS: five years standard security maintenance; Ubuntu Pro extends coverage to 10 years, with Legacy add-on extending it to 15 years. |
| Built-in management | Software Center; eopkg command-line package manager supports package operations and rollback | Landscape centralized estate management; Kernel Livepatch; security updates and hardening |
| App compatibility | Solus package repository; Flatpak preferred for third-party applications; Snap and AppImage also work | Ubuntu package repositories (Main and Universe); cloud images; server ISO installation |
| Deployment models | Installable ISO images for physical computers; can be installed alongside another operating system | physical server, virtual machine, public/private/hybrid cloud, cloud image, IoT/edge device |
Both are listed in Best Operating Systems. On Inferse, Ubuntu Server scores higher on our published basis.