Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Fedora VS Arch Linux

Compare Fedora VS Arch Linux and see what are their differences

Fedora logo Fedora

Fedora creates an innovative, free, and open source platform for hardware, clouds, and containers that enables software developers and community members to build tailored solutions for their users.

Arch Linux logo Arch Linux

You've reached the website for Arch Linux, a lightweight and flexible Linux® distribution that tries to Keep It Simple. Currently we have official packages optimized for the x86-64 architecture.
  • Fedora Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-11
  • Arch Linux Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-29

Fedora features and specs

  • Cutting-edge Software
    Fedora is known for its bleeding-edge updates, incorporating the latest software versions, kernel updates, and features soon after they are released. This makes it ideal for users who want the newest technology.
  • Strong Security
    Fedora includes strong security features, such as SELinux (Security Enhanced Linux) by default, which provides advanced security policies and mitigates various types of attacks.
  • Developer Friendly
    Fedora offers a rich array of developer tools and software, making it a preferred choice for developers. It supports a wide range of programming languages and development environments.
  • Red Hat Sponsorship
    Fedora is backed by Red Hat, which adds a level of reliability, professionalism, and a stable foundation that many Linux distributions do not have.
  • Community Support
    Fedora has a robust community of users and developers who contribute to its development and provide assistance through forums, mailing lists, and other forms of support.
  • Modularity
    Fedora's modular repository allows users to choose different versions of software packages, accommodating the specific needs of various users and use cases.
  • Workstation Edition
    Fedora offers a Workstation edition that is specifically tailored for personal computers, offering a polished and user-friendly desktop environment.

Possible disadvantages of Fedora

  • Frequent Updates
    The cutting-edge nature of Fedora means frequent updates, which can be overwhelming for users who prefer a more stable and less frequently changing system.
  • Short Life Cycle
    Fedora has a relatively short life cycle of approximately 13 months for each release, meaning users need to upgrade more frequently compared to some other distributions.
  • Software Compatibility
    Due to its focus on free and open-source software, Fedora may not include some proprietary drivers and codecs by default, which may require additional setup to install.
  • Learning Curve
    While Fedora is user-friendly, it might have a steeper learning curve for new Linux users compared to more beginner-oriented distributions like Ubuntu.
  • Limited Corporate Support
    Unlike Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), Fedora does not come with official corporate support, which can be a drawback for business users who require enterprise-level technical support.
  • Hardware Compatibility
    Some users might experience hardware compatibility issues, especially with very new hardware, due to the rapid pace of updates and the lack of proprietary drivers.

Arch Linux features and specs

  • Customizability
    Arch Linux is known for its high degree of customizability. Users can tailor the operating system to fit their specific needs by installing only the necessary components and applications.
  • Rolling Release Model
    Arch Linux follows a rolling release model, which means that users receive continuous updates without needing to upgrade to a new version. This ensures that the system is always up-to-date with the latest software and security patches.
  • Performance
    Due to its minimalistic design and absence of unnecessary software, Arch Linux can offer high performance and faster boot times compared to more bloated distributions.
  • Comprehensive Documentation
    The Arch Wiki is one of the most thorough and well-maintained resources in the Linux community, making it easier for users to find help and learn more about their system.
  • User Control
    Arch Linux provides users with complete control over their system. This is particularly beneficial for advanced users who want to fine-tune every aspect of their operating environment.

Possible disadvantages of Arch Linux

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Arch Linux requires a higher level of technical knowledge to install and maintain compared to other distributions like Ubuntu or Fedora. This can be a barrier for beginners.
  • Lack of Official Support
    While the Arch community is active and supportive, there is no formal customer support. Users must rely on community forums, IRC channels, and the Arch Wiki for help.
  • Potential Stability Issues
    The rolling release model, while keeping the system current, can sometimes introduce instability or compatibility issues with new updates. This may require more frequent troubleshooting.
  • Manual Setup
    The installation process for Arch Linux is highly manual and time-consuming, requiring users to configure their system from scratch. This can be daunting for those used to automated installers.
  • Limited Pre-Packaged Software
    Unlike some other distributions that come pre-packaged with a variety of software and tools, Arch Linux starts with a base system. Users will need to manually install each application they need, which can be time-consuming.

Fedora videos

omplete Guide: How to Download, Install and Review Fedora 38 Linux on VirtualBox 2023

More videos:

  • Review - Fedora 31 Workstation Review & Gnome 3.34.1 Walkthrough - Linux Distro Reviews
  • Review - Fedora 31 Review | Should You Use It? Find Out!
  • Review - Fedora Workstation 31 Full Review
  • Review - Fedora 34 Reviewed: A Great GNOME distro that's worth checking out!
  • Review - Fedora 34 | This is the ABSOLUTE Best Linux Distro of 2021 Yet (NEW RELEASE!)
  • Review - Review - Fedora Workstation 33 (and why you should avoid it)

Arch Linux videos

Top Five Reasons To Run Arch Linux

More videos:

  • Review - Ubuntu Vs Arch Linux | Which is the Best Linux Distro?
  • Review - Arch Linux - Simple, Fast, & Custom Distro Overview + Gameplay
  • Review - Arch Linux Is A Great Distro But You Shouldn't Use It
  • Review - Fedora vs Arch Linux - Battle of the Best!
  • Review - Fedora vs Debian and Arch Linux

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Fedora and Arch Linux)
Operating Systems
50 50%
50% 50
Linux
46 46%
54% 54
Linux Distribution
48 48%
52% 52
Distributions
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Fedora and Arch Linux

Fedora Reviews

10 Most Popular Linux Distros of the Year 2023
It is available in different editions: Workstations for everyday use, CoreOS for container-focused OS, Server for server-related systems, Fedora Cloud for private and public clouds, and IoT for IoT-related work. Fedora is good for desktop users or developers who want RPM Linux with the latest features.
12 Best Linux Distros You Should Use
And since Fedora is open-source, it also has a few community versions called Spins. Some of the popular spins are Plasma, Xfce, LXQT, MATE, and Cinnamon. Overall, Fedora might not be the best option for absolute beginners, but it’s great for those who know their way around Linux. Besides, Fedora’s got one of the most active distro communities on Reddit. Hence, if something...
Source: beebom.com
Finding the Best Linux Distro for Your Organization
Fedora is a popular, community-driven Linux distro known for its emphasis on new features and technologies, open source collaboration, and strong ties to the upstream software development communities (RHEL). It aims to provide a platform for both desktop and server users, offering the latest software while maintaining a balance between innovation and stability. Fedora users...
The best Linux distributions (operating systems)
Fedora is a free alternative to RHEL but does not provide long-term support. The focus of the operating system is primarily on up-to-dateness, which may come at the expense of stability. Fedora is equally suitable for servers and desktops and uses RPM (known from Red Hat) for package management.
Source: www.ionos.com
6 Best Free Alternatives to Windows for Advanced Users
Considering all this, Fedora is not intimidating to beginners and could be a great first-time Linux experience.
Source: techcult.com

Arch Linux Reviews

Top 9 Fastest Linux Distros in 2024
One of the defining features of Arch Linux is its package management system, ‘Pacman’, which is designed to be fast, and reliable as it uses a simple command-line interface and a binary package format. Moreover, it makes the OS easy to install and manage software on the system.
Source: linuxsimply.com
Finding the Best Linux Distro for Your Organization
Arch Linux is a lightweight and highly customizable Linux distro that emphasizes simplicity, minimalism, and a "do-it-yourself" approach. It is designed for experienced users who want to build a tailored and efficient operating system environment according to their specific needs. Arch Linux rolling-release model provides continuous updates to the latest software packages...
The best Linux distributions (operating systems)
Fans of Linux consider Arch Linux the “pure” distribution. The minimalistic operating system forgoes any graphical tools. As such Arch Linux is slim and customizable, but this could scare away newcomers. Simplicity is part of the basic idea of Arch Linux, but here it refers to the distribution’s features. Arch Linux is managed with Pacman and is a suitable base for most...
Source: www.ionos.com
6 Best Free Alternatives to Windows for Advanced Users
Arch Linux users enjoy the latest updates on other Linux distributions before most users. All you need to do is use Pacman, Arch Linux’s package manager.
Source: techcult.com
Best Top 20 Ubuntu Linux Alternatives (Pros and Cons)
Artix Linux is a rolling-release distribution based on Arch Linux, which uses OpenRC, runit, s6, suite66, or dinit as init rather than systemd. It is possible to utilize packages from the Arch Linux repositories or any other derivative distribution, even those that expressly depend on systemd, on Artix Linux, as it is a pacman-based distribution. AUR (Arch User Repository)...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Arch Linux should be more popular than Fedora. It has been mentiond 258 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Fedora mentions (124)

  • what are some good laptops to buy?
    I am using HP Omen. I easily open it, clean it and change the thermal paste every 3 months (they have detailed guides on YouTube). My laptop had another SSD slot and I upgraded it with a new Samsung 1TB SSD and I am looking to upgrade the RAM from 16 GB to 64GB soon. Since I do not like Windows, I have installed Fedora on it. If I want I can turn in into a Hackintosh and install macOS too. The possibilities are... Source: over 1 year ago
  • How do I remove this Ubuntu Pro ad from apt?
    You can find the solution at https://getfedora.org /s. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Fedora Project has a new website!
    It looks.. Awesome way better than getfedora.org kudos to the website developers. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Telemetr(ule)y
    Install Fedora (or one of it's spins. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Quick question about Fedora website
    Fedoraproject.org is it a legit website or is getfedora.org the only website ? Source: over 1 year ago
View more

Arch Linux mentions (258)

  • Writing an AnythingLLM Custom Agent Skill to Trigger Make.com Webhooks
    If you don't already have it, download the AnythingLLM desktop application for your platform here. In my examples I'll be using my Macbook Pro to run AnythingLLM and connecting to llama-server running on an Arch Linux server with the Meta Llama 3.1 Instruct model (70B). However, you can do all of this just by linking AnythingLLM to the OpenAI API with an API Key. I will not go into the details of the initial setup... - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • The Home Server Journey - 1: Motivation and Approach
    If you've ever tried using a non-mainstream Linux distro, you probably know the pain of looking for a package, not finding it even in a third-party repository, trying to compile it from source and failing miserably over and over (Been there. Done that). Manjaro, as an Arch-based OS, at least has the very welcome access to the AUR, a community repository for compilation scripts that automate the process for us mere... - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Penguin, Chicken or Duck? (Eros, OC, Microsoft Bing AI Generated)
    Arch is a popular Linux distribution(basically an os). Him saying that he uses arch is basically a joke that arch Linux users will always mention that they use the distro. (Also a penguin is also the Linux mascot). Source: about 1 year ago
  • Arch Linux bugtracker migration to Gitlab completed
    Arch sends distribution news every week or so, usually in one or two paragraphs. https://archlinux.org/ I've followed the gitlab migration and every package and distribution change that warranted community notification for more than a decade. It's such an empowering feeling to have tracked all the changes to the distribution over a decade. The Arch maintainer culture has managed to provide consistent high quality... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Moving from Mint to Arch
    When searching for something just add Arch Linux to the and follow official archlinux.org and use duckduckgo.com for better results. You will get amazed how good arch wiki explained everything and how aur has very large apps. Source: about 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Fedora and Arch Linux, you can also consider the following products

Ubuntu - Ubuntu is a Debian Linux-based open source operating system for desktop computers.

Linux Mint - Linux Mint is one of the most popular desktop Linux distributions and used by millions of people.

Manjaro - Manjaro Linux is a linux distribution which is based on arch linux. It uses the PACMAN package manager.

Debian - Debian is a free distribution of the GNU/Linux operating system.

elementary OS - A fast and open replacement for Windows and macOS. Pay what you want or download for free.

openSUSE - openSUSE is a free and Linux-based operating system for your PC, Laptop or Server.