Everyday apps
European desktop operating systems
Run your laptop on software built in Europe
Replaces: macOS · Microsoft Windows
A desktop operating system is the layer between your hardware and everything you run on it. It handles drivers, memory, storage, networking, user accounts and updates, and it decides how your files and applications are presented. The choice shapes which software you can install, how updates arrive, how long the machine keeps receiving security fixes, and how much telemetry leaves it.
Few decisions lock you in as thoroughly as an operating system, which is why the vendor behind it is worth a look. Ubuntu Desktop, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop and Zorin OS come from European companies, and their code is open, so you can inspect what the system sends home. Picking a European desktop operating system also puts support contracts and account handling under EU rules.
European options
| service | Country | Hosting | Open source | Free plan | Status |
|---|
Services without verified European control
Kept here for transparency, but excluded from the European options and totals. How we classify services →
Ubuntu Desktop
Linux desktop operating system from the United Kingdom
United KingdomOpen sourceFree plan Ownership reviewed, controller unresolved
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop
Enterprise Linux desktop from Germany
GermanyOpen sourceFree plan Ownership reviewed, controller unresolved
Zorin OS
Linux desktop operating system from Ireland
IrelandOpen sourceFree plan Ownership reviewed, controller unresolved
