Comparison of open-source operating systems


These tables compare free software / open-source operating systems. Where not all of the versions support a feature, the first version which supports it is listed.

General information

NameLicenseKernel typeKernel programming languageKernel thread supportOS familyOldest non-EOL versionForks
LinuxMonolithic with modulesC1:1Unix-like4.4elks
FreeBSDMonolithic with modulesC1:1BSD, Unix-like13.5DragonFly BSD
OpenBSDMonolithicC1:1BSD, Unix-like6.4MirOS
NetBSDMonolithic with modulesC1:1BSD, Unix-like7.0OpenBSD
DragonFly BSDHybridC1:1BSD, Unix-like
OpenSolaris, illumosMonolithic with modulesC1:1, M:NUnix
Darwin, OpenDarwinHybridC, C++1:1BSD, Unix, Unix-like, OS X
OpenHarmonyMulti-kernel Various 1:1, M:N, POSIXHarmonyOS, LiteOS3.0.1 LTSOniro OS, HarmonyOS
OniroMulti-kernel Various 1:1, M:N, POSIXOpenHarmony3.2 LTS
MINIXMicrokernelCUnix-like
RedoxOSMicrokernelRustUnix-like
FreeRTOSRTOSCRTOS
FreeDOSMonolithicCDOS1.1
GenodeMicrokernelC++1:1Genode
HaikuHybridC, C++BeOS
HouseHaskellown/original
KolibriOSMonolithicASMMenuetOS
MenuetOSMonolithicASMown/originalKolibriOS
GNU or Monolithic C1:1Unix-like2.4 on Linux-libre kernel Linux
ReactOSHybridC, C++Windows-like
RISC OSMonolithic ARM assembly, C, BBC BASICRISC OSRISC OS 6
L4, Fiasco, PistachioMicrokernelC++L4
Plan 9HybridC1:1, 1:M Cothread style.own, Unix informedInferno, Plan B, 9front
AROSExokernelCAmigaOS
SyllableHybridC, C++1:1Unix-like, BeOS, AmigaOS, POSIX
InfernoCPlan 9OzInferno
NuttXRTOSCRTOS
eCosRTOSC, C++RTOS
RTEMSRTOSC and ASM with native support for other languages including C++ and AdaPOSIX, RTEID/ORKID, uITRONRTOS4.7.1
HelenOSMicrokernelCM:Nown/original
E/OSMonolithicASM, C1:1BeOS, Unix-like
TempleOSMonolithicHolyC, C, C++Commodore 64-like-
MicrokernelC, C++, Assembly, Makefile, IGOR ProOS/2-like
NameLicenseKernel typeKernel programming languageKernel thread supportOS familyOldest non-EOL versionForks

Supported architectures

Namex86, i386, x86 SMPXenIA-64x86-64PowerPCPowerPC SMPSPARC32SPARC SMPAlphaMIPSARMXScaleM68kPA-RISCOpenRISCElbrusLoongArchSuperHz/Architectureothershosted mode
LinuxFR-V, Cell, ETRAX CRIS, M32R, Xtensa, h8, s390, SuperHUML, coLinux, MkLinux,,
FreeBSDPC98
OpenBSD
NetBSDSuperH, ns32k, VAX, hppa, M68010, mipseb, mipsel, sh3eb, sh3el, sparc64
DragonFly BSD
OpenSolaris illumos
Darwin, OpenDarwin
OpenHarmony
Oniro
MINIX
FreeDOS
GenodeRISC-VLinux
HaikuRISC-V
KolibriOS
MenuetOS
GNUFR-V, Cell, ETRAX CRIS, M32R, Xtensa, h8, s390, SuperHUML,
ReactOS
RISC OSGenode
L4, PistachioGenode
Plan 9Seelguest, vx32
AROS,
Syllable
InfernoAMD Am29000, Texas Instruments OMAPMicrosoft Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, Plan 9, OS X, Solaris, Irix, UnixWare, HP-UX, Internet Explorer
FreeRTOSAVR, PIC, MSP430, HCS12, 8052, MicroBlaze, Cortex-M3, H8S
eCos, ColdFire, FR-V, h8,, Nios II, Microsoft Windows, Linux
RTEMSXenBlackfin, Nios II, Coldfire, Texas Instruments C3x/C4x, H8SLinux, Solaris, Cygwin, FreeBSD, multiple CPU simulators
HelenOS
E/OS
TempleOSQEMU, VirtualBox, etc.
Namex86, i386, IA-32x86 SMPXenIA-64x86-64PowerPCPowerPC SMPSPARC32SPARC SMPAlphaMIPSARMXScaleM68kPA-RISCOpenRISCElbrusLoongArchSuperHz/Architectureotherhosted mode

Supported hardware

General

NameATASATASCSIUSB 3.0USB 2.0USB 1.1FireWirePCMCIA/PC cardAGPNvidia official driver IA-32Nvidia official driver IA-64Nvidia official driver AMD64ATI official driver x86ATI official driver x86-64ATI r200 free software driverATI r300 free software driverNvidia free software driverAudioTV tuner, video editing, or webcam
Linux 2.6.31+,nv, nouveau
FreeBSD 8.2+
OpenBSD 5.7+2d only2d only
NetBSD 8.0+
DragonFly BSD
OpenSolaris, illumos
Darwin, OpenDarwin
OpenHarmony
Oniro
MINIX
FreeDOS
Genode
Haiku
KolibriOS
MenuetOS
GNU
ReactOS
RISC OSTV tuner
L4, Fiasco, Pistachio
Plan 9
AROSown2D only
Syllable
Inferno
FreeRTOS
eCos
RTEMS
HelenOS
E/OS
NameATASATASCSIUSB 3.0USB 2.0USB 1.1FireWirePCMCIA/PC cardAGPNvidia official driver IA-32Nvidia official driver IA-64Nvidia official driver AMD64ATI official driver x86ATI official driver x86-64ATI r200 free software driverATI r300 free software driverNvidia free software driverAudioTV tuner, video editing, or webcam

Networking

NameNetworking supportNE2000/RTL8029RTL8139Gigabit Ethernet10 Gigabit EthernetWireless LANBluetoothIrDA
Linux
FreeBSD
OpenBSD
NetBSD
DragonFly BSD
OpenSolaris, illumos
Darwin, OpenDarwin
OpenHarmony
Oniro
MINIX
FreeDOS
Genode
Haiku
KolibriOS
MenuetOS
GNU
ReactOS
L4, Fiasco, Pistachio
Plan 9
AROS
Syllable
Inferno
FreeRTOS-
eCos
RTEMS
HelenOS
E/OS
NameNetworking supportNE2000/RTL8029RTL8139Gigabit Ethernet10 Gigabit EthernetWireless LANBluetoothIrDA

Supported file systems

NameBcachefsBFSFAT16, dosfs; FAT32, vfatNTFSExt2Ext3XFSReiserFSUFSUFS2HFSHFS+MINIXfsISO 9660UDFNFSSMBFSRAM disk, tmpfsZFSOther special file systems
Linux9P, FUSE, sysfs, configfs, Reiser4, JFS, Btrfs, UnionFS, Ext4
FreeBSDFUSE, nullfs, UnionFS
NetBSDPUFFS, LFS, EFS
OpenBSDAFS
DragonFly BSDHAMMER, nullfs, PUFFS
OpenSolaris, illumos SMB, QFS
Darwin, OpenDarwin
OpenHarmonyEx4, F2FS, EROFS, HMDFS
OniroEx4, F2FS, EROFS, HMDFS
MINIX
FreeDOS
GenodeExtensible VFS layer
Haiku
KolibriOS
MenuetOS
GNU
ReactOS
L4, Fiasco, Pistachio
Plan 9Fossil, Venti, most system services
AROSSFS, AFFS
SyllableAFS
Infernokfs, most system services
FreeRTOS
eCosMMFS, ROMfs, JFFS2, YAFFS
RTEMSTarFS, TFTP FS, IMFS, miniIMFS
HelenOSlocfs, exFAT
E/OS
NameBcachefsBFSFAT16, dosfs; FAT32, vfatNTFSExt2Ext3XFSReiserFSUFSUFS2HFSHFS+MINIXfsISO 9660UDFNFSSMBFSRAM disk, tmpfsZFSOther special file systems

Security features

Operating systemMandatory access controlSoftware executable space protectionOperating system-level virtualizationVirtualisationUserspace protectionOthers
LinuxIPFilter, Iptablesgrsecurity, RSBAC
FreeBSD TrustedBSDIPFW, PF, IPFilter
DarwinIPFW
OpenBSDPF
OpenSolaris, illumosTrustedBSDKVMIPFilterRBAC
OpenHarmonyappverifyRBAC
OniroappverifyRBAC
Plan 9
Inferno