Alpine
Independent · first released 2005
- Popularity rank
- #29
- Index
- 285
- Released
- 2005
- Latest release
- 3.24.4
- Supported until
- Jun 2028
you want full control and don't mind the terminal, you write software or you prefer tested updates on a fixed schedule.
Pros and cons
Good
- Tiny and fast
- Security-minded defaults
- Standard base for containers
Trade-offs
- musl libc breaks some prebuilt software
- Minimal desktop experience
- Uses OpenRC, not systemd
How Alpine fits what you do
Everyday use: Not the best fit
Good
Nothing that stands out for this.
Trade-offs
- Expects you to set things up yourself
- Not mainly built as an everyday desktop
Gaming: Not the best fit
Good
Nothing that stands out for this.
Trade-offs
- NVIDIA cards are poorly supported
- Graphics drivers and kernels update more slowly
- Steam and gaming tweaks are up to you
Older computers: Can work
Good
- Runs in about 512 MB of RAM
- Still makes 32-bit images for very old PCs
- Offers a lightweight desktop
Trade-offs
None we know of.
Programming: Good fit
Good
- Popular with developers
- A stable base that doesn't change under you
- Also runs on ARM machines
Trade-offs
None we know of.
AI & Local LLMs: Not the best fit
Good
Nothing that stands out for this.
Trade-offs
- No official CUDA packages, so NVIDIA AI tools need workarounds
- AMD ROCm isn't officially supported
Servers & home labs: Good fit
Good
- Widely used on servers
- Fixed releases with tested updates
- Runs on ARM boards and Raspberry Pi
- Small footprint
Trade-offs
None we know of.
Privacy & security: Can work
Good
Nothing that stands out for this.
Trade-offs
- Usage data not checked by us yet
- Privacy tools like Tor or sandboxing are up to you
Music, video & graphics: Can work
Good
Nothing that stands out for this.
Trade-offs
- Creative apps and low-latency audio setup are up to you
- NVIDIA GPU acceleration is hard to set up
From our hand-written profile of Alpine. Take the quiz to compare it with other distros for your setup.
Rank over time
| Window | Rank | Index | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last month | #22 ▲ 7 | 289 | |
| 12 months | #29 | 285 |
Shorter windows react faster. A better rank there than over 12 months means interest is growing.
Telemetry
Not checked yet. We only list what we've confirmed in the project's own documentation.
Rate Alpine
Try Linux in the cloud
Affiliate links: we may earn a commission.
- Deploy a server on DigitalOcean →from $4/mo
- Deploy a server on Vultr →from $2.50/mo
Ranking 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. Release dates and support from endoflife.date (CC BY-SA 4.0). Ratings come from signed-in LinuxStatistics users.