Mint vs Pop!_OS
Mint draws more interest (#2 vs #5).
your computer is older or low on memory or you want a desktop that feels like Windows.
you play games on PC, you write software or you run AI models or LLMs on your own GPU.
| Mint #2 · Debian | Pop!_OS #5 · Debian | |
|---|---|---|
| Popularity rank (12 months) | 2 | 5 |
| Rank last month | 2 | 9 |
| Index | 299 | 298 |
| Family | Debian | Debian |
| Based on | Ubuntu | Ubuntu |
| First released | 2006 | 2017 |
| Latest release | 22.3 LTS | 24.04 LTS |
| Supported until | Apr 2029 | May 2029 |
| GitHub stars | 5,652 | 5,290 |
| Commits, last 30 days | 103 | 0 |
| Telemetry (OS default) | None | None |
Pros and cons
Mint
Good
- Windows-style Cinnamon desktop that feels familiar
- Media codecs and drivers offered at install
- Built on Ubuntu LTS, so most Ubuntu guides apply
Trade-offs
- Newest apps and kernels arrive later than on Fedora or Arch
- Wayland support is behind GNOME and KDE
- No official ARM builds
Pop!_OS
Good
- NVIDIA ISO with drivers ready
- COSMIC desktop with built-in tiling
- Made by a hardware vendor (System76) that tests it on laptops
Trade-offs
- Release timing follows System76, not Ubuntu's calendar
- COSMIC is newer and less mature than GNOME or KDE
- Fewer desktop choices than Ubuntu flavours
Questions
Is Mint or Pop!_OS more popular?
Mint draws more interest over the last 12 months (#2 vs #5 in our popularity ranking). That measures interest, not installs.
Which is better for beginners, Mint or Pop!_OS?
Both suit people new to Linux. The choice mostly comes down to the desktop you prefer.
Is Mint or Pop!_OS better for gaming?
Pop!_OS is set up with gaming in mind. Mint can run Steam and Proton too, but needs more setup.
Which runs better on an older computer?
Mint is the lighter choice and is known for running well on older hardware.
Does Mint or Pop!_OS collect telemetry?
Mint: none. Pop!_OS: none. Apps you install have their own settings.
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. Release dates and support from endoflife.date (CC BY-SA 4.0).