What linux looks like

5 Linux Distributions That are Inspired by the Look and Feel of macOS

Last updated April 17, 2021 By Abhishek Prakash 127 Comments

Brief: This article lists some macOS lookalike Linux distributions. The comparison here is based on similarity to macOS in looks and functioning.

There are several beautiful Linux distributions already present in the Linux world. But for some reason, people are fixated on the looks of Apple’s macOS.

Now, not everyone can afford or would want to buy a MacBook just to use macOS. You could go for a Hackintosh but that would mean ditching Linux, something a Linux lover like me wouldn’t do.

The good thing about Linux is that it has endless possibilities. When it comes to tweaking its looks, you can do wonders. Imagine making Ubuntu look like MacOS. It’s totally possible.

But why bother just tweaking when you have specific Linux distributions that imitate or take inspiration from the looks of macOS? Yes, there are several macOS lookalike Linux distributions, and in this article I’m going to list them for you.

Along with this list, you might want to check out one of our similar articles: Linux distributions that look like Windows.

Linux distributions that are inspired by the looks of MacOS

Before I show you the macOS-inspired Linux distributions, I’d like to mention Pear OS.

If you’ve been keeping up with Linux for the last 4 years, you might have heard of Pear OS. To put it simply, this was the macOS of the Linux world. Its logo was a bitten pear. It had its Pear Cloud, Contacts, Music app, color profile, search, etc., everything along the same line as Apple’s macOS.

But 4 years back, Pear OS suddenly announced its demise. Apparently, it was bought by an anonymous enterprise.

Pear OS aside, we still have a few Linux distributions that are macOS lookalikes or inspired by macOS. Let’s take a look at them.

Note: The list is in no particular order of ranking.

1. elementary OS

There’s no doubt that elementary OS was initially inspired by macOS. Of course, considering their improvements, they are trying to do better than macOS and that’s a good thing.

The elementary OS focuses heavily on improving the user experience. For that reason alone, it is undoubtedly one of the best distributions out there.

The dock panel is not the only thing that you’ll recognize from macOS. Overall, the design language or the approach of default apps blending in with the system theme also gives you a macOS feel.

Not just limited to the UX, they also have their own desktop environment (Pantheon) which is impressive. To make sure that you get a uniform experience across the board, they also have strict guidelines for developers to publish the apps in their app center.

All the goodness of Ubuntu and the work of elementary OS team takes the experience up a notch, this is a must-try!

2. Deepin Linux

After elementary OS, Deepin Linux could be the distro of your choice if you want your Linux system to look like the latest and greatest macOS version.

Deepin Linux was initially based on Ubuntu but now uses Debian as its base. They’ve created their own desktop environment along with a range of other Deepin-specific applications that blend perfectly to give you an aesthetic feel. As you can see in the video above, Deepin Linux is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful Linux distributions ever.

Just because they’re based in Mainland China, you may experience slow load times for app updates and accessing the app store. Other than that, you should be totally fine using it.

In either case, you can have a look at UbuntuDDE (which is just Ubuntu with Deepin desktop environment) if you want to avoid slow servers and have concerns over the privacy in Deepin OS.

3. BackSlash Linux (Fairly Active)

BackSlash Linux may not be a well-known entrant to the Linux distribution world. If looks are the most important thing for you, BackSlash Linux does a marvelous job of imitating the looks of macOS.

It also provides icons similar to macOS. You can maybe even consider it a Linux clone of macOS.

It’s based on Ubuntu and follows a similar release cycle. However, the official website does not seem to reflect any recent activity even though their GitHub page seems active.

So, you may go ahead and experiment on a spare system, but I’m not too comfortable recommending it on a production system.

4. Ubuntu Budgie

If you want the look and feel of macOS on top of Ubuntu, you can try Ubuntu Budgie. It features the Budgie desktop from Solus and incorporates a macOS-ish layout.

Of course, the icon pack and the overall theme does not scream macOS but having a similar dock for applications helps. Not just limited to that, it also offers some features like opening a specific app using a hot corner.

You will find a variety of useful native apps pre-installed, which try to blend in with the look and feel of Ubuntu Budgie. Try it out!

5. Trenta OS [Under Slow Development]

There’s not enough information available about Trenta OS at this time. It’s under development and hasn’t even reached the beta stage.

From what I could surmise from their website, blog and social media accounts, it’s based on Ubuntu and uses the GNOME desktop environment.

The focus is on looks and UI. The Rainier icon theme that imitates macOS icons is the main USP here.

The terminal and some other regular applications are also tweaked to make it look like macOS.

I don’t have information on when the final version will be released, but you can follow them on their Twitter account to stay updated with developments. You can also watch the project on GitHub.

Of course, we will cover the news when the final version comes out 🙂

While elementary OS is widely popular in the Linux world, not many people have heard of Macpup Linux. You might guess from its name that it’s a macOS spin based on Puppy Linux.

Puppy Linux is one of the best lightweight Linux distributions for older computers. This would make Macpup a good option for you if you have a 15-to-20-year-old computer.

There’s one problem with it, though. Its latest release is based on Precise Puppy 5.5.0, which is based on Ubuntu 12.04. In a few months, support for this version will end.

Moreover, I’m not sure if Macpup is being actively developed either. Their forum is an abandoned place and their website doesn’t seem to have been updated in over a year.

For this reason, I wouldn’t recommend that you use it. Additionally, I didn’t even find it that close to macOS in looks. Maybe back in 2012 it might have looked like macOS, but not anymore.

Apricity OS is one of my favorite Arch-based Linux distributions. You could maybe call it a cloud-centric Linux distribution. Though its first stable version was released only a few months ago, it’s already gathered a good userbase.

Apricity OS may not be exactly like macOS but it does have a slightly similar feel. Its GNOME based clean user interface and beautiful icon themes make it a stunning looking Linux distribution.

MacOS lookalike or not, if one day you want to switch to the ‘Arch domain’, do consider Apricity OS among your options.

Gmac is short for GNOME + Mac. Unlike the above-mentioned macOS lookalike Linux distributions, Gmac is not a full-fledged distribution. It’s simply the GNOME desktop with a Mac theme.

That means you get Ubuntu Linux with a heavily customized GNOME desktop environment that looks a lot like macOS. It also means that you won’t have to do all the customization all by yourself to make Ubuntu look like MacOS. Gmac already does it for you. Plus you get to keep your Ubuntu distribution.

The one weird thing about Gmac Linux is that weird logo that’s a mix of the GNOME and Apple logos.

Your pick?

While obsessing over the macOS look is one thing, it deserves some attention considering Apple does have a good sense of design. And somehow it influences other projects. I think elementary OS could be the next big thing where they put attention to details while trying to outshine macOS, we’ll see.

What do you think of Linux distributions that look like macOS? Are they pointless or are they simply trying to provide a good user experience to end users? What’s your opinion on them?

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The Best Linux Clones of Windows, Mac, and Android

Make Linux look like a familiar Windows, macOS, or Android desktop

The diversity of desktop environments for Linux means that you can configure a distribution to look and act like Windows 7, Windows XP, or even macOS or a Chromebook. A combination of a base distribution and the selection of a specific window manager and theme files helps you build a system with the performance and appearance that meets your needs.

Zorin

Powerful operating system.

Limited desktop styles in free version.

Difficult to add items to desktop.

Zorin OS is a great replacement for Windows 7 users.

The general look and feel are the same as Windows 7 but it brings the security of Linux and it includes desktop effects and virtual workspaces.

Zorin OS comes with all of the applications that desktop users generally use including a web browser, audio player, email client, messenger app, remote desktop client, video editor, graphics editor, and office suite.

If you want to try a different look then you can always go for the Windows XP layout by using the Zorin Look Changer.

Incredibly light desktop environment.

Fast and easy installation.

Installing applications is not straightforward.

Lacking some documentation.

Q4OS is the perfect desktop replacement for Windows XP users.

It gives you an incredibly close experience to the Windows XP you are used to but is built on top of the more cutting-edge Linux operating system.

Install a common set of software applications such as Google’s Chrome browser, the LibreOffice suite, and Thunderbird—or you can simply install the applications you require one by one.

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6 Linux Distributions to Replace Windows 10 & 7

Windows 7 is long gone but even in 2021, 100 million PCs were actively using it. You can either upgrade to Windows 10 or switch to Linux. Considering that you do not like Windows 10 or just cannot have your old system run Windows 10, you might want to consider using Linux instead.

If you want to have a similar user interface to Windows 10 / Windows 7 or better, you should try the Linux distributions that look like Windows.

Here, I have picked some of the best Linux distributions for Windows users that you’d find comfortable using.

Best Linux Distributions That Look Like Windows

While you may not find the same applications or tools on Linux — the user interface is what will make you feel comfortable using the OS.

Of course, if you don’t have a specific requirement but just want to have a Linux distro, you can take a look at the best Linux distributions out there.

So, in this article, I shall mention only the distributions that resemble the look and feel of Windows (to some extent, at least).

Once, you’re done choosing what you want — you can simply take a look around for the essential applications available on Linux, installing themes, and many similar resources available in our portal.

1. Linux Lite

Windows 7 users may not have the latest and greatest hardware — so it is essential to suggest a Linux distribution that is lightweight and easy-to-use.

Linux Lite targets Windows users with a similar UI offering a taskbar, Windows-inspired wallpaper, and a lot more to go on with that includes the Libre Office suite as well.

You do not need to upgrade your system just because Windows 10 is resource hungry. Linux Lite should work perfectly fine with an old configuration as well.

If you are curious to try other distros, you can check out our list of lightweight Linux distributions. But the user interface in most of the options may not be like Windows 10 or 7.

2. Zorin OS

Zorin OS is a beautiful Linux distribution based on Ubuntu. The user interface should make both Windows and macOS users feel right at home after installing it. In fact, I find it a great modern alternative to Windows 10 as well.

They also offer a lite edition to their OS if you have a slightly underpowered hardware configuration on your system. You can also take a quick look at our impressions on Zorin OS lite to know more about it.

It looks and feels incredibly good with a quick learning curve. For starters, if you want to make the most out of Zorin OS while having all the essential software tools bundled, you can opt to buy the Zorin OS ultimate edition.

3. Kubuntu

If you’re new to Linux — it is worth noting that there are different desktop environments.

If you want to try something that resembles the look and feel of Windows, you can try any distro with KDE’s Plasma on board. And Kubuntu is an official KDE flavor of Ubuntu.

You may not find this to be the prettiest Windows-like distro – however, if you want something that does the work reliably, Kubuntu should do the trick.

4. Linux Mint

Linux Mint also targets the Windows 7 users trying to make the switch to Linux. Many users also use it as a replacement to Windows 10 because of its familiar user interface and useful features.

Among all the others mentioned in this list, Linux Mint would be my personal recommendation. Linux Mint is reliable, performs great, and offers several desktop environment editions as well (including the MATE desktop).

If you’re curious, you can also take a detailed look at how it looks and works for one of its recent releases Linux Mint 20.

5. Ubuntu MATE

Ubuntu MATE is yet another Windows alternative Linux distribution that provides a snappy experience across a range of hardware configuration.

This may not directly resemble the UI of Windows in general – however, you will find it quite easy to get comfortable with. It is also interesting to note that Ubuntu MATE works well with NVIDIA’s Jetson Nano as well, which happens to be one of the raspberry pi alternatives.

If you want a slightly unique experience with a similar layout, you can try this!

6. Solus

Solus is one of the most beautiful Windows replacements. You may like it more than Windows 10. It is not based on Ubuntu, so unless you are not comfortable taking up a slight learning curve, you should stick to the options mentioned above.

This is an independently developed Linux distribution aimed at making home computing experience elegant and easier. You will get several essential tools pre-installed to get started quickly.

It offers its own “Budgie” desktop and provides other desktop editions if you want.

Wrapping Up

Potentially, you can install any beginner-friendly Linux distribution, however, I do not want you to confuse yourself with a whole lot of choices available.

So, I recommend trying the distributions mentioned in this article if you’re switching from Windows to Linux in general. Also, if you’ve tried something else and you like it a lot – feel free to let me know about it in the comments below.

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