CachyOS vs Manjaro
CachyOS draws more interest (#1 vs #10).
Pick CachyOS if
you run AI models or LLMs on your own GPU.
Pick Manjaro if
you want a light, simple desktop.
| CachyOS #1 · Arch | Manjaro #10 · Arch | |
|---|---|---|
| Popularity rank (12 months) | 1 | 10 |
| Rank last month | 1 | 15 |
| Index | 300 | 295 |
| Family | Arch | Arch |
| Based on | Arch | Arch |
| First released | 2021 | 2011 |
| GitHub stars | 470 | 366 |
| Commits, last 30 days | 10 | 0 |
Pros and cons
CachyOS
Good
- Performance-tuned kernels and packages
- Gaming-friendly defaults
- Graphical installer with many desktop choices
Trade-offs
- Rolling updates need regular attention
- Optimised packages need newer CPUs for the fastest builds
- Young project with a smaller team
Manjaro
Good
- Arch-based with graphical tools
- Holds updates back for testing
- Several desktops to choose from
Trade-offs
- Delayed updates can clash with AUR packages built for current Arch
- Has had certificate and infrastructure mishaps
- Not supported by the Arch community
Questions
Is CachyOS or Manjaro more popular?
CachyOS draws more interest over the last 12 months (#1 vs #10 in our popularity ranking). That measures interest, not installs.
Rankings from our composite index: English Wikipedia article views, DistroWatch page hits, GitHub stars and views on this site, built 2026-11-12. All of these measure interest, not installs. Repository activity from GitHub. Ratings come from signed-in LinuxStatistics users. "Pick if", pros and cons are LinuxStatistics editorial notes based on each project's own documentation.