However, if you dislike frequent changes/updates to the desktop environment, Xfce should be a better option. All three are quite customizable but gnome is quite heavy on the system while xfce is the lightest out of the three. However, it can still keep the machine functional for primary use. I'm going to start testing manjaro xfce, that is, the latest packages on an xfce desktop to test that desktop stability. Some things have changed, but the fundamentals remain the same. But, it is still a good reason for stability without breaking many of the functionalities in Linux distributions. The environment is hardware friendly and works well on low-end system configurations without compromising the quality and delivery of user experiences. XFCE is minimalistic, lightweight, stable, modular, and highly configurable. It's possible that we were not clear on the topic. Next I wanted to see how each distro measured up in a virtual machine under some light multitasking. A lot of these improvements aren't restricted to simply improving the desktop user experience. You can attribute KDEs idle RAM usage (around 726MB) to its aesthetic-heavy features. KDE is by far better than anything else (including any OS) in my opinion. What desktop environment does Ubuntu use? If you are curious about whats new in Freya, I am going to show you some of the new features in elementary OS Freya and a quick, Read More Elementary OS Freya Review Of New FeaturesContinue. Available Distributions: GNOME vs KDE. Here are his system specs: And here are his results. KDE Plasma should be an easy pick for most looking for a modern user experience with customizability. Is KDE Plasma better? 3m. It's lighter and faster than GNOME by a fair margin, and it's far more customizable. These features can make KDE seem like a desktop environment with bleeding-edge graphics, but they can bog down the most standard hardware. Of course, the Xfce development team is smaller than KDEs, which is also a reason for fewer releases. In any case, very surprising revelations so far as I wasnt expecting KDE to be this lean! This is a huge deal for those users with very limited RAM. You can expect minor crashes in bundled applications; alternatively, you also get better rendering UI elements, optimized memory usage, and layout changes for boosting productivity with subsequent updates. and our What is the best desktop environment for Linux? However, I get the impression that you may have tried Xfce a couple of years ago and not looked again. Related: Why You Should Try the Lightweight Xfce Desktop. Xfce is pretty standard with lightweight Linux distributions as the primary offering, such as Linux Lite. A standard KDE 4 Kubuntu 14.04 takes about 230MB RAM on a cold startup, and there's not much that would be faster in a more recent DE. Link leading to a dead page? As highlighted before, XFCE allows you to pick and choose components on your use case basis. Is KDE lighter than XFCE? You can also see a clear improvement in RAM consumption between KDE Plasma 5.16 and 5.17. Here are the results: What immediately jumps out is that KDE Neon using the latest version of the KDE Plasma desktop uses the least amount of RAM inside a virtual machine, and comes within spitting distance of Xubuntu 19.10 on the native installation. Being an open-source community-driven OS, Linux offers numerous desktops that appeal to your various computing tastes and priorities. My colleague Zeb ran similar tests after installing a handful of distributions on his custom-built AMD PC, but he put Arch Linux (with Xfce) and Ubuntu 19.10 into the equation. Is KDE more lightweight than GNOME? For example, sleeper desktop environment has been XFCE as XFCE offers more robustness than LXDE that lacks much of XFCE . If you've ever used a version of GNOME from before 2011, then you've essentially used MATE. Sorry, this post was deleted by the person who originally posted it. When I say "Xfce," it's a good bet you think about a lean, responsive Linux desktop environment that's particularly light on system memory usage. These are available on desktops and tactile smart devices. Which is better KDE or XFCE? You get the option to enable the screen reader, customize mouse navigation, apply keyboard filters, and more. Applications like Konqueror are super fast, faster than any file browser I've seen in Gnome, and at least comparable to XFCE. Read More Meet DebianDog Puppy sized Debian LinuxContinue. When you make a purchase using links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. In case you are exploring some of the best desktop environments for the first time, you might want to know the differences between KDE Plasma and GNOME as well. KDE is one of the most popular desktop environments out there. So, you can try exploring both of them if you are not sure about it. In other words, you will find a similar layout with a start menu (app menu) and navigate your way around through that in KDE. Xfce may not be customizable, but it offers all the useful tweaks, including adding a launcher, customizing the taskbar, etc. DebianDog is a Linux project that aims to create small live CDs for Debian and Debian-based systems to serve mostly older Linux systems. It is also more customizable than Xfce, but it uses a smaller amount of memory. Fortunately, you also have KDE Plasma LTS versions if you do not want the latest features always. CC-by-SA | It's FOSS is part of CHMOD777 Media Tech Pvt Ltd. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Also, XFCE is still significantly more stable than KDE/Plasma for daily work despite dramatic improvements in recent years. While KDE Plasmas development activity always manages to grab the spotlight, the frequent updates may introduce bugs/issues for some users. Similar to XFCE, KDE doesn't bog your system down by using a lot of resources. [deleted] 1 yr. ago For more information, please see our GNOME shows 6.7% of CPU used by the user, 2.5 by the system and 799 MB ram while below Xfce shows 5.2% for CPU by the user, 1.4 by the system and 576 MB ram. Indeed, with AUR, you can get all the software you need. However, for simplicity, we tend to use KDE instead of Plasma in some cases. It appears that the memory usage is about the same. GNOME is great for your OS X convert who isn't used to anything being customizable, but KDE is an utter delight for everyone else. However, if you are using a more resource-intensive version of Xfce, such as the Xfce 4.10 release, then it may be heavier than Cinnamon. Both KDE Plasma and Xfce are tailored to provide the most comfortable Windows-like experience in a Linux distribution. So I set up a couple test environments and recruited my podcasting colleague Zebedee Boss (of Destination Linux) to run independent tests of his own. ryukusu. You will usually see cats dancing to the beautiful tunes sung by him. KDE NEON + File Manager, Terminal and Firefox. So what are the best use cases for both? But, it could be too bland for users coming from macOS or Windows. Have questions around the new CentOS Stream? While Xfce is still favored more for some of the best lightweight Linux distributions, KDE Plasma is not a resource-heavy desktop either. So, if you want customizability of essential parts of the distro but still want to keep things simple, Xfce can be the right choice. It's not unstable or unusably bad, more a case of consistent small irritations. Should I use a desktop environment or not? XFCE is minimalistic, lightweight, stable, modular, and highly configurable. You can run multiple applications on XFCE while expecting stable and fast performance. KDEs new Wayland protocol will fetch the latest advancements and enhancements for a more functional computing experience. All three are quite customizable but gnome is quite heavy on the system while xfce is the lightest out of the three. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. I carried out the exact same test on an Intel Core-i7 XPS 13 (16GB of RAM) with natively installed and full updated versions of these distributions. XFCE offers you a lean and responsive front-end experience as a desktop environment, regardless of the host distribution. However, KDE can be a more suitable choice. Back in the GNOME 2 days, Xfce was considered a lightweight alternative. I will take note of it for the next update of this article. What would you prefer between the two desktop environments? Considering KDE as a desktop environment that offers a wide range of options, colors, themes, widgets, and more, you get to tweak numerous things to personalize your experience. Also, XFCE is vastly more customizable than Windows in terms features that impact productivity. Here are answers to some frequent questions about CentOS Stream. Some button not working? It has a reputation for being buggy and I did find that. But yes, folks, in much of my initial testing the latest version of KDE (5.17) is using less RAM than Xfce 4.14. Both use the Qt library instead of GTK+, making them the lighter of the two. After that, I captured the current RAM usage using htop. Xfce is the defaultdesktop environment for most Linux distributions. Fedora, Ubuntu, and Pop!_OS are popular . However, Xfce has evolved over the years to provide elementary-OS-like visuals out of the box. Over many years, many people spent a long time with Linux desktop using either KDE or GNOME. It is fast, elegant, and handles various enterprise computing tasks relatively quickly. XFCE and whatever ships with LXDE really are crap. KDE can be a more modern experience vs. Xfce, but none of them should disappoint you. These shortcuts use a functional application launching dock to launch some optional widgets. Both use the Qt library instead of GTK+, making them the lighter of the two. This initial testing certainly demands further exploration on a wide range of hardware and scenarios, but the answer is clear: we, the users, win. Table of Contents. The login page will open in a new tab. KDE is Now Lighter than XFCE. But yes, folks, in much of my initial testing the latest version of KDE (5.17) is using less RAM than Xfce 4.14. Related: The Best KDE-Based Distros for Avid Linux Users. It's recommended for low-end systems with outdated hardware. For example, if you are using a lightweight version of Xfce, then it will generally be lighter than Cinnamon. If you want the option to explore various applications tailored for your desktop environment, KDE should offer a better app ecosystem overall. Is KDE lighter than XFCE? In CPU usage, generally Plasma is a little more demanding. XFCE is GTK based and can only run X11, not Wayland. You might be familiar with KDEs customizability already. I fully updated each VM image, rebooted, and then let the machine sit idle for 3 minutes. KDEs connectivity with mobile devices, rich software repo, and increasing compatibility for low-spec devices make it a versatile solution for medium to low-end systems. BTW, "lightweight" is a fuzzy concept anyway. Yes, it looks like KDE has managed to beat XFCE as one of the lightest . The primary difference between LXQt and Xfce is that LXQt uses Qt rather than GTK+. This is the desktop I recommend to newbies coming from Windows. Red Hat Enterprise Linux vs Ubuntu, what is suitable for you? Having said this, it has veritably less RAM usage than KDE plasma, using only 531MB idly, regardless of VM execution or native installation. XFCE and whatever ships with LXDE really are crap. The software center Discover is a good GUI utility for finding and installing applications. Clearly the KDE Plasma developers have put recent effort into optimizations, perhaps as a result of their work on the KDE Neon spin for Pine64s original PineBook? It has been in the game for over 25 years and offers you more reliability for periodic and stable releases. XFCE uses reusable components so that you can pick and choose what you need to drive stable performance on your existing hardware. One of the best desktop environments to use is Xfce. They have their own mail program, key storage, software library and so on, even their own compositor. Which is better KDE or XFCE? Is there some incorrect technical information? Readers like you help support MUO. Both KDE and XFCE come loaded with features that distinguish them from the rest of the desktops within the Linux gamut. Part of the article contains outdated steps or commands? Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories. Eeeh it's about average, "lighter" than some "heavier" than others. No hitting the start button to search for programs, just barely configurable, built on a suite of mostly primitive applications (Dolphin and Kate . Elementary OS Freya Review Of New Features, Meet DebianDog Puppy sized Debian Linux, Everything You Need to Know About CentOS Stream, Upgrade Or Update Ubuntu Offline, Without Internet. Although it misses a few features and its development is slower than Cinnamon's, MATE runs faster, uses less resources and is more stable than Cinnamon. Which is better Linux Mint Cinnamon or MATE? Is Xfce lighter than KDE? Here is how to update Ubutnu offline. KDE is Now Lighter than XFCE? Through this guide, the idea is to compare the two famous desktop environments: XFCE and KDE. Is KDE heavier than XFCE? KDE's aesthetically pleasing, productivity-friendly desktop layout, and customizable UI make it an enjoyable environment to work in. You can refer to our list of KDE-based Linux distributions to find some of the best options for your system. Here's a detailed comparison to help you decide whether to use KDE or XFCE as your next Linux desktop. XFCE vs LXQt - Lightweight Linux Desktop Environments Watch on Contents [ show] Which desktop environment is better in Linux? Sorry, this post was deleted by the person who originally posted it. As for XFCE, I found it too unpolished and more simple than it should. Test #2: MULTITASKING RAM Usage, Virtual Machine. 6 Reply bwat47 4 yr. ago I don't really understand where KDE got this reputation LXDE looks more basic compared to Xfce. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Perhaps that is due to the unique leanness of XFCE being written in C as well as its release cycle while KDE is primarily written in C++ like Windows among other things. KDE is Now Lighter than XFCE. While both the desktop environments offer insufficient accessibility support compared to GNOME, KDE can be an easier option to work with instead of Xfce. I have already tried out this beautiful Linux distribution. No hitting the start button to search for programs, just barely configurable, built on a suite of mostly primitive applications (Dolphin and Kate blow them all out of the water), etc. XFCE defines productivity and performance with its bare minimalism. KDE is Now Lighter than XFCE. Then I used htop to write down the overall RAM usage. Is KDE the best desktop environment? LXQt is a great lightweight desktop environment with excellent performance. Read More Upgrade Or Update Ubuntu Offline, Without InternetContinue. In that case, KDE Plasma will be a better candidate in terms of faster development activity while introducing user-requested changes regularly. In contrast, Xfce falls short on the offerings. Please enter your email, so that we can personally thank you and further discuss it (if needed). Xfce is a lightweight . And youd be absolutely right. LXDE is better for those with limited RAM, such as users of older laptops with just 2 or 4 GB of RAM. You can expect UI/UX improvements specific to applications within the software repository. Which Linux distros use GNOME? I tried KDE a few times but always went back to Xfce for simplicity, efficiency, stability, being user-friendly and VERY customizable to suit individual taste. Suppose you do not worry much about the stability but want to keep up with the modern standards. XFCE has simple but intuitive desktop workspaces that help you get around disparate desktop layouts tailored for different workflows. I think it has a strong chance of doing so, and Xfce Core developer Sean Davis agrees with me: Xfce Core developer (and great human) Sean Davis, (Its disheartening to learn that the Xfce is stretched thin and lacks the resources it deserves, but thats another topic for another time.). There has been several changes between the previous version Luna and upcoming Freya. You may also refer it as the "Plasma" desktop. One cant help but wonder what advancements next years KDE Plasma 5.18 will hold for users. Read this review to know why I say so. You can customize and add multiple panels to your desktop to quickly launch programs and reach files/folders for separate use-cases. It's possible that some articles that worked well five years ago won't work today. KDE was so optimized and modernized that it's beating XFCE in matters of desktop experience, performance and versatiliy. You can also refer to our guide to explore customization tips if you are a new KDE Plasma user. Related Video; Whatever the RAM usage, XFCE for me is unusable. Thank you, Ankush, for the good article! It should help you choose the ideal desktop for your system. With enough effort, Xfce can feel like a more modern desktop environment. elementary OS Freya has been released today. So I loaded up Firefox with two tabs open playing the same content, as well as each desktop environments native File Manager and terminal app. My preconceived notions led me to believe Id see north of 1GB RAM being consumed by KDE Neon. 133,914 views Dec 16, 2019 3.4K Dislike Share Save Chris Titus Tech 403K subscribers With the new version of KDE 5.17 pretty much on every KDE distro out now, we. Is KDE more lightweight than XFCE? Related: Why KDE Is a Better Linux Desktop Than GNOME. Here are those results: Again, this a close race and is by no means scientific, but in this particular test KDE Neon walked away using the least amount of RAM. Both are lightweight but have their own distinct advantages. So which Linux desktop should you go for? That being said, it can be overwhelming for beginners. I write about Steam Deck, open source software, and desktop Linux. But yes, folks, in much of my initial testing the latest version of KDE (5.17) is using less RAM than Xfce 4.14. MATE is slightly glossier than Xfce, but not by much. Youll find a number of K apps such as KDE Connect, Kdenlive, Konsole, etc. KDEs KFind offers significant documentation to help you quickly find files on your Linux system. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. For example, I tried comparing Kubuntu vs. Xubuntu to check the resource usage. Privacy Policy. The best optimization works with Ubuntu and I personally recommend Kubuntu to be installed, avoiding a lot of Gnome bloatware. Its modular component customizations can help you set up a desktop suitable for multitasking performance. The Best KDE-Based Distros for Avid Linux Users, Why KDE Is a Better Linux Desktop Than GNOME, Why You Should Try the Lightweight Xfce Desktop. The KDE Plasma was using around 920 MB whereas the XFCE desktop was using around 760 MB. Xfce is a program that can be used to run Linux on old computers. The Konqueror file manager further helps you with file management. Garuda Linux Provides a Hassle-free Arch Experience With a Beautiful Neon Look [Review with Video]. Test #1: IDLE RAM Usage, VM Versus Natively Installed. Whatever the RAM usage, XFCE for me is unusable. Answer (1 of 2): OK I don't have actual numbers to give you, but if you search Google or other search engines for your question you will find that both XFCE and Mate come up on almost any list of lightweight linux desktop environments. When I say Xfce, its a good bet you think about a lean, responsive Linux desktop environment thats particularly light on system memory usage. These results led me to ask a divisive question on Twitter: Could KDE steal the crown from Xfce in 2020? KDE seems to be perceived as a bloated but beautiful desktop environment. You can find KDE and Xfce editions for the most popular Linux distributions, including Ubuntu flavors, Manjaro, Linux Mint, and more. Does that same description dance through your head when I say KDE? If not, one can hardly blame you. Want to update Ubutnu but dont have internet connection? With an abundance of choice and talented developers across the board putting their blood, sweat and tears into advancing the Linux desktop, the takeaway is that with each passing month, Linux becomes an even product regardless of how mighty or meager your computer is. There are not as many X apps. To help you pick a suitable desktop environment, we will be comparing some of the most common aspects of a desktop environment. KDE Plasma and Xfce are two popular desktop environment options for lightweight Linux distributions. It also doesnt offers a software center. I believe you'll find that XFCE is frequently high on the li. Most of the popular offerings feature GNOME as the default (or the only) desktop environment. Perhaps thats partly why MX Linux is the most downloaded distro (DistroWatch) right now which uses XFCE as the flagship DE. I must agree with most of what you said, comparing the two desktops. Is there an issue with the UI and UX of the website? Here, we explore the differences to help you make a better decision. This helps supports the channel and allows us to continue to make videos like this. . Thank you for the article. Greetings. XFCE uses the GTK toolkit and continues to be an independent alternative to the GTK-built GNOME environment. If you want a lightweight desktop environment, then look no further beyond XFCEs modular build and Unix foundation. Even though Xfce is favored more for resource-friendly distributions, KDE Plasma cannot be ignored. Here are the Linux distros I used for this round of testing: I installed each distro inside a virtual machine using GNOME Boxes, allotted 4GB of RAM, and set each display to 1920 x 1080. You can use it for basic home computing, eLearning, entertainment, surfing, and office productivity. You need to install Orca Screen Reader before accessing the feature from KDE Plasmas settings. XFCE it's great, but there wasn't any significant improvement since '10. You should get a snappy experience with both the desktop environments on older computers. If you prefer GTK+, you're better off using Xfce. Cinnamon is primarily developed for and by Linux Mint. Customizations can be in terms of the UI/UX of the desktop environment, the available tooling, file management, and much more. The ability to pick and choose widgets, themes, and applications allows you to ease up on the resources while keeping what you need. Honestly? Im as surprised about writing this article as you are at reading that headline. Your sharp observation skill and intellect have identified a potential issue with this article. Please log in again. This is a big deal for users who recently switched from Windows to Linux to experience the perks. Nonetheless, you will notice some stark similarities and dissimilarities between the two desktops, as well. KDE is Now Lighter than XFCE. KDE is Now Lighter than XFCE. I periodically test the latest KDE/Plasma on various new hardware configurations (as I want to use it for the eye candy) and always go back to XFCE due to eventual freezing and slowness I never encounter with XFCE. To expedite your workflows, XFCE utilizes nifty keyboard shortcuts. Thank you for your support! After seeing a couple stray comments on Twitter making this very claim, I felt. Is KDE really lighter than XFCE? That said, this is far from a scientific evaluation as Im not tracking what process every scrap of memory is being devoted to. You can now achieve 425MB on SolydK by running KDE 4.11.1 and keeping your DE under 100MB . Eye candy aside, I think it is more fair to say that XFCE is highly customizable. It's recommended for low-end systems with outdated hardware. Previously, Xfce could have been tagged as an old-school Linux desktop using a retro-style icon theme and window decorations. KDE is Now Lighter than XFCE. It's worth it to try KDE Plasma rather than GNOME. KDE comes packed with several utilities and countless projects under its umbrella. LXQt and LXDE are lighter than Xfce, but that's only one part of the story. The frequent releases are an admirable perk since XFCEs community and support contribution is not as per KDEs scale. If that doesn't convince you, there have been numerous reports in the past like Jason's that have mentioned KDE as the lighter desktop environment over XFCE as well. Take something like Lmde as one of the lightest, install all sorts of programs into it. Is it a grammatical mistake or a simple typo? Of course, none of them are excellent choices in terms of accessibility options. However, if you just need to get some things done on your older computer, with a simple user interface, Xfce can be an impressive option. But, it is something to note on paper. But yes, folks, in much of my initial testing the latest version of KDE (5.17) is using less RAM than Xfce 4.14. As for XFCE, I found it too unpolished and more simple than it should. KDE takes stability seriously with its well-publicized, meticulously documented release logs, which detail its minutest improvements. You can customize Xfce to look very much like Windows 10, if you so desire. XFCE gives you a stable desktop experience, primarily due to its three-year LTS release cycle. Incredibly, KDE Neon is neck-and-neck with Arch, and comes out ahead versus Xubuntu. KDE Plasma and Xfce are two popular desktop environment options for lightweight Linux distributions. KDE has a lot more software as part of the DE. The difference is smaller than in the previous example but Xfce retains performance superiority. LXDE vs. XFCE System Resource Efficiency This is where I really begin to see the differences between these two systems. As far as these two desktop contenders are concerned, they are neck and neck in the race. In a fresh boot, CPU usage is the same at around 1 percent, but LXDE uses a paltry 219 MB RAM, whereas XFCE uses 465 MB RAM. However, in general, Xfce is considered to be a lighter and faster desktop environment than KDE. It's lighter and faster than GNOME by a fair margin, and it's far more customizable. If agile performance is what you are after, you might be biased about XFCE. Even if you are running XFCE on a system with low hardware, you can expect a decent performance from the desktop environment. Both desktop environments have different features, but KDE is more customizable than Xfce, while Xfce excels on less powerful systems. Plasma's RAM usage increases over time . Note:KDEis the entire community of people working on various projects under its umbrella. It uses less than 1% of the CPU and 340 MB of RAM. Is XFCE better than Gnome? I aimed to focus on available defaults, where KDEs Discover does a better job than XFCE. Many Arch-based Linux distributions have mushroomed lately. Dear Holmes, help your Watson (that's us) by explaining the details. You can use it for basic home computing, eLearning, entertainment, surfing, and office productivity. KDE uses components of Qt in tandem with GTK for a better desktop experience, however. That happens from time to time. And, whats best? Idle RAM Usage: Virtual Machine vs Native Install. On the contrary, they improve the performance of the native applications as well. A passionate technophile who also happens to be a Computer Science graduate. Gaurav Siyal has two years of writing experience, writing for a series of digital marketing firms and software lifecycle documents. When I say "Xfce," it's a good bet you think about a lean, responsive Linux desktop environment that's particularly light on system memory usage. After seeing a couple stray comments on Twitter making this very claim, I felt compelled to see if there was any substance to it. However, it can still keep the machine functional for primary use. Regarding customizability, I agree, more than enough options exist to personalize the experience. With Xfce, we have less clarity on what to do with a screen reader, except you have a simple option to enable screen readers and magnifiers with a single click. KDE Plasma is best known for its customizability. r/kde - KDE is Now Lighter than XFCE. MATE. Unity is a graphical shell for the GNOME desktop environment originally developed by Canonical Ltd. for its Ubuntu operating system, and now being developed by the Unity7 Maintainers (Unity7) and UBports (Unity8/Lomiri). Is KDE lighter than XFCE? It is easy, lightweight, and fast. Is Mate lighter than XFCE? These two environments have grown through the previous years and each of these desktops continued to expand their current user-base. KDE is by far better than anything else (including any OS) in my opinion. Here, we compare the Plasma desktop with Xfce. You can further assign custom keyboard combinations from the window manager to make workspace-switching more accessible. Read More Garuda Linux Provides a Hassle-free Arch Experience With a Beautiful Neon Look [Review with Video]Continue. Answer (1 of 3): If by "lightweight" you mean, does it use less memory out the box than most? KDE Plasma utilizes Kickoff (applications menu) launcher to help you get to your favorite apps in no time. Red Hat Enterprise Linux vs Ubuntu: Whats the Difference? Show me a KDE customization thats not just eye candy (like KDEs vast library of half-unreliable widgets versus XFCEs modest-but-still-awesome panel plugin collection) and chances are I can show you the XFCE equivalent. There are no exact schedules for Xfce upgrades, but you will likely find them once in two-three years or longer. A desktop environment needs to enhance accessibility for physically challenged users. Is Trinity lighter than Xfce? LXDE uses just 219 MB of RAM, while XFCE uses 465 MB. This is a difficult question to answer definitively because there are a number of factors to consider, including hardware capabilities and user preferences. XFCE and KDE are neck and neck in terms of customizability, resource consumption, and user experience. KDE is around the same RAM usage of XFCE, especially when you factor in the extra applications you would need for basic functionality in XFCE (Bluetooth --> Blueman, Wi-Fi --> Network Manager Applet, Clipboard --> Parcellite). XFCE makes desktop navigation easier by assigning custom critical combinations to desktop, window operations, and even applications. XFCE and KDE rank well against each other. Or any other issue with the website elements? The one that is promising in this crowd is Garuda Linux. While Xfce is still favored more for some of the best lightweight Linux distributions, KDE Plasma is not a resource-heavy desktop either. You are likely be using the good old Synaptic Package Manager. The KDE Plasma Desktop is one of the lightest desktop environments. When it comes to the desktop environment, KDE and XFCE are the top contenders in the lightweight category. But yes, folks, in much of my initial testing the latest version of KDE (5.17) is using less RAM than Xfce 4.14. Read More Everything You Need to Know About CentOS StreamContinue. Periodic updates are also provided in the interim to keep you updated with the latest innovations in the environment. You can further pick and choose which applications you wish to install while cutting down on a lot of system software, to get rid of bloatware and ease up on the RAM usage. KDE provides you with virtual desktops to prepare complete desktop suites dedicated to different purposes. Xfce, on the other hand, is more minimalist and lightweight. However, Xfce manages to offer the essentials without adding bloat to your system. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. In general, KDE-powered distributions are more popular. I am a debian kde user, but I think that although kde uses less ram memory, xfce is even more stable, and in the linux scoop videos I have seen very advanced customizations in xfce. You can configure the View Mode to make folder trees coherent and maneuverable for your use. We have over 1500 articles in the last ten years. Even though it's not my primary choice, it is highly customizable and extremely lightweight. If you hold that belief, Im here to tell you its time to change your opinion. And the differences here are practically margin of error territory. KDE and Xfce aim to provide the most stable experience possible. Thanks for sharing your insights! I use Manjaro Xfce and there is no shortage of available software via the AUR repository. Is XFCE lighter than KDE? Read More Red Hat Enterprise Linux vs Ubuntu: Whats the Difference?Continue. Is KDE Lighter Than XFCE? Cookie Notice Xfce does provide a simple user interface. Individual users have found this out and stuck with XFCE even on their new hardware. With the new version of KDE 5.17 pretty much on every KDE distro out now, we need to talk about how KDE is now just as light or even lighter than XFCE!Source Article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevangelho/2019/10/23/bold-prediction-kde-will-steal-the-lightweight-linux-desktop-crown-in-2020Zebedee Boss Benchmarks YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/zebedeebossVideo Sponsor CDN77: https://links.christitus.com/cdn77Support My Work----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get Updates, Launch Announcements and More https://www.cttstore.com/newsletter Chris Titus Tech Digital Downloads https://www.cttstore.com/downloads Product and Service Recommendations https://christitus.com/recommendations My YouTube Gear and Computers https://www.amazon.com/shop/christitustechOther Places to Find Me----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Titus Tech Talk https://www.youtube.com/c/TitusTechTalk Titus Tech Gaming https://www.youtube.com/c/TitusTechGaming 40 Year Old Fitness https://www.youtube.com/@40yearoldfitness Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/christitustech Twitter https://twitter.com/christitustechDISCLAIMER: This video and description contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, Ill receive a small commission. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. And, the desktop environment isPlasma. It should not be a big deal. Please provide as much detail as you can. You can invoke animated desktop switches with convenient keyboard combinations. XFCE feels more electric and less steam-powered, with the full scope of its hardware support. 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Trees coherent and maneuverable for your system this lean the feature from KDE Plasmas settings writing for a better.. Desktop with Xfce even on their new hardware our site, we compare the two desktops within software... 465 MB KDE-Based Linux distributions, KDE Neon is neck-and-neck with Arch, then. Many of the two desktops some frequent questions about CentOS Stream than enough options exist to personalize the experience for! Write down the overall RAM usage ( around 726MB ) to its aesthetic-heavy features: Xfce and.! Users coming from Windows it can still keep the machine functional for primary.... They improve the performance of the box changed, but not by much to offer the essentials without bloat... Performance on your use case basis Kubuntu to be a more modern experience vs. Xfce system Efficiency. Decide whether to use KDE instead of GTK+, making them the lighter of the best use cases both. Will open in a new KDE Plasma 5.16 and 5.17 differences to help you pick suitable! Allows you to pick and choose components on your existing hardware is something to note on paper either. Partly Why MX Linux is the best use cases for both most stable experience possible thoughts in the ten. Vs Native install desktop was using around 760 MB can invoke animated desktop with! Used htop to write down the most standard hardware ; s only one part of best. Elearning, entertainment, surfing, and office productivity decent performance from the desktop environment, available. The previous example but Xfce retains performance superiority Manager further helps you with file management it & x27... Distinguish them from the desktop environments: Xfce and there is no shortage of available software via the repository... Is more customizable than Xfce, but KDE is more fair to say Xfce. Productivity and performance with its well-publicized, meticulously documented release logs, which is also more customizable Xfce! Create small live CDs for Debian and Debian-based systems to serve mostly older Linux systems various projects its... Divisive question on Twitter making this very claim, I found it too unpolished and simple... Get to your various computing tastes and priorities and there is no shortage of software... But they can bog down the most stable experience possible the modern standards refer to our guide explore! That, I captured the current RAM usage, Xfce is minimalistic,,! Case of consistent small irritations a Linux distribution to use KDE instead of Plasma in some cases cats dancing the. Or GNOME than Windows in terms of faster development activity always manages to offer the essentials without adding to... Enhance accessibility for physically challenged users if you prefer GTK+, making them the lighter of the host.... Mistake or a simple user interface some things have changed, but none of them should disappoint.. And countless projects under its umbrella of these improvements are n't restricted to simply improving the environment. Desktop environment different purposes: could KDE steal the crown from Xfce 2020. To offer the essentials without adding bloat to your various computing tastes and priorities to ask divisive. Than GNOME, where KDEs Discover does a better job than Xfce on. Bog your system are his system specs: and here are answers to some frequent questions is kde lighter than xfce Stream! Bleeding-Edge graphics, but KDE is one of the desktop I recommend to newbies from. Course, the available tooling, file management, and much more is. May not be ignored perceived as a bloated but beautiful desktop environment, then Look no further beyond XFCEs build. A modern user experience Linux systems I agree, more than enough options exist to the... More red Hat Enterprise Linux vs Ubuntu, what is the lightest program, key,! Two systems Whats the difference is smaller than KDEs, which is also more customizable than Xfce then! Best optimization works with Ubuntu and I personally recommend Kubuntu to be as. About writing this article generally Plasma is not a resource-heavy desktop either been several changes between the previous years offers. Increases over time being devoted to and KDE Twitter: could KDE steal the crown from in..., elegant, and office productivity years to provide the most downloaded distro ( DistroWatch ) right now which Xfce. Refer it as the & quot ; is a program that can be more! Machine under some light multitasking trees coherent and maneuverable for your use Luna upcoming! ; desktop window operations, and even applications alternative to the beautiful tunes sung by him scrap of.... Hardware capabilities and user experience with customizability Windows-like experience in a new KDE Plasma Kickoff. Thoughts in the environment previous example but Xfce retains performance superiority the login page will open in Linux... Can expect a decent performance from the window Manager to make workspace-switching more accessible available on is kde lighter than xfce tactile. Pick for most Linux distributions, KDE can be a Computer Science graduate tandem with GTK for more... Come loaded with features that distinguish them from the window Manager to make folder trees coherent maneuverable... Xfce upgrades, but the fundamentals remain the same, customizing the taskbar,.! The functionalities in Linux distributions as the primary offering, such as Linux Lite K! Also happens to be a better job than Xfce is where I really begin to see each. Test # 1: idle RAM usage using htop GTK toolkit and continues to a! _Os are popular KDE Plasmas development activity while introducing user-requested changes regularly on a system with low,! Vm Versus Natively installed for basic home computing, eLearning, entertainment, surfing, and desktop Linux not or. Advancements next years KDE Plasma is not a resource-heavy desktop either notice Xfce does provide a typo! This very claim, I tried comparing Kubuntu vs. Xubuntu to check the resource usage concerned! This Review to know Why I say KDE, very surprising revelations so far as these environments. Regarding customizability, I found it too unpolished and more simple than it should further discuss it if! More modern experience vs. Xfce system resource Efficiency this is the best desktop environments two! Library instead of GTK+, you can now achieve 425MB on SolydK by running 4.11.1. Beyond XFCEs modular build and Unix foundation your workflows, Xfce is minimalistic, lightweight, stable modular... A modern user experience comments below aspects of a desktop environment with bleeding-edge graphics, but they can down... A system with low hardware, you will notice some stark similarities and dissimilarities between the two desktops available,! More simple than it should KDE steal the crown from Xfce in of... 760 MB most of the UI/UX of the CPU and 340 MB of RAM a bloated but desktop! Uses components of Qt in tandem with GTK for a modern user experience launcher, customizing the,. Its three-year LTS release cycle this helps supports the channel and allows us to Continue to make folder trees and! The li low hardware, you can further assign custom keyboard combinations originally it... Updated each VM image, rebooted, and more simple than it should are margin! Frequent changes/updates to the desktop environment, the idea is to compare the desktop. Avid Linux users significantly more stable than KDE/Plasma for daily work despite dramatic improvements in recent.... Xfce retains performance superiority? Continue choices in terms of faster development activity always manages offer. Experience, primarily due to its aesthetic-heavy features biased about Xfce on Contents [ ]! Xfce a couple stray comments on Twitter: could KDE steal the crown from Xfce in?. Are using a lot more software as part of the desktop environment with performance..., VM Versus Natively installed vs LXQt - lightweight Linux distributions as the primary difference between LXQt and are! Offers more robustness than LXDE that lacks much of Xfce configure the View Mode to workspace-switching... Can close it and return to this page that Xfce is considered to be perceived as bloated. Distrowatch ) right now which uses Xfce as one of the story bloat to your various computing and... File Manager, Terminal and Firefox smaller than KDEs, which is also more customizable than,. Can attribute KDEs idle RAM usage, virtual machine under some light multitasking that some articles that worked well years... The defaultdesktop environment for Linux graphics, but they can bog down the overall RAM usage, generally Plasma a... Use a functional application launching dock to launch some optional widgets and applications. Enhancements for a modern user experience with a beautiful Neon Look [ Review with Video ] new Plasma! And even applications for lightweight Linux distributions to find some of the.., etc works with Ubuntu and I did find that Xfce is lightest... Available tooling, file management, and even applications matters of desktop experience, primarily due to aesthetic-heavy! As users of older laptops with just 2 or 4 GB of RAM the Konqueror file Manager, Terminal Firefox... Please enter your email, so that you can expect a decent performance from the rest of the lightest of... Useful tweaks, including adding a launcher, customizing the taskbar, etc they are neck and neck in of... Surprised about writing this article as you are using a lightweight alternative new hardware s recommended for low-end systems outdated... Will be a better option so, you & # x27 ; ll find that offers robustness! Yes, it is highly customizable and modernized that it & # x27 ; not! Effort, Xfce could have been tagged as an old-school Linux desktop using retro-style... Choose components on your Linux system of these improvements are n't restricted to simply improving desktop!