Essence Alternatives

Essence is described as 'A desktop operating system built from scratch, for control and simplicity' and is a operating system in the os & utilities category. There are more than 100 alternatives to Essence for a variety of platforms, including Linux, Self-Hosted, BSD, Mac and Windows apps. The best Essence alternative is Arch Linux, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Essence are ReactOS, Lubuntu, Raspberry Pi OS and Puppy Linux.

More about Essence

Essence alternatives page was last updated Jan 17, 2022

UbuntuDDE
6 likes
UbuntuDDE, also known as Ubuntu with Deepin Desktop Environment, is a Linux distribution that combines the user-friendly Ubuntu system with the modern and elegant Deepin desktop environment.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application types
Linux Distro
Operating System
Platforms
Linux
+3
Is UbuntuDDE a good alternative to Essence?
NomadBSD
8 likes
NomadBSD is a persistent live system for USB flash drives, based on FreeBSD. Together with automatic hardware detection and setup, it is configured to be used as a desktop system that works out of the box, but can also be used for data...
163 NomadBSD alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (BSD-2-Clause)
Application type
Operating System
Origin
Germany
EU
Platforms
BSD
Is NomadBSD a good alternative to Essence?
SerenityOS
4 likes
Serenity is a graphical 32-bit Unix-like operating system with 90s aesthetics and built for x86 systems.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (BSD-2-Clause)
Application type
Operating System
Origin
Sweden
EU
Platforms
Self-Hosted
Is SerenityOS a good alternative to Essence?
Archcraft
6 likes
A Fast, friendly, open-source operating system, for newbies, geeks & DIY enthusiasts.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (GPL-3.0)
Application type
Linux Distro
Origin
India
Platforms
Linux
+1
Is Archcraft a good alternative to Essence?
MidnightBSD
7 likes
MidnightBSD is a new BSD-derived operating system developed with desktop users in mind. It includes all the software you'd expect for your daily tasks — email, web browsing, word processing, gaming, and much more.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application type
Operating System
Origin
United States
Platforms
Linux
Self-Hosted
Is MidnightBSD a good alternative to Essence?
Bedrock Linux
4 likes
Bedrock Linux is a meta Linux distribution which allows users to utilize features from other, typically mutually exclusive distributions. Essentially, users can mix-and-match components as desired. For example, one could have:
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application types
Linux Distro
Operating System
Platforms
Linux
Is Bedrock Linux a good alternative to Essence?
AROS
11 likes
The AROS Research Operating System is a lightweight, efficient, and flexible desktop operating system, designed to help you make the most of your computer. It's an independent, portable and free project, aiming at being compatible with AmigaOS at the API level (like Wine...
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application type
Operating System
Origin
International
Platforms
AROS
+9
Is AROS a good alternative to Essence?
ArchBang
21 likes
ArchBang is a simple GNU/Linux rolling release distribution which provides you with a lightweight Arch Linux system combined with the Openbox Window Manager.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application types
Linux Distro
Operating System
Platforms
Linux
Is ArchBang a good alternative to Essence?
Node OS
12 likes
NodeOS is a lightweight operating system using Node.js as userspace and managed by npm. Any package in npm is a NodeOS package, which at last count was 244,180 packages. The goal of NodeOS is to provide just enough to let npm provide the rest.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (MIT)
Application types
Linux Distro
Operating System
Platforms
Linux
Self-Hosted
Is Node OS a good alternative to Essence?
hello System
5 likes
Desktop system for creators with focus on simplicity, elegance, and usability. Based on FreeBSD. Less, but better!
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application type
Operating System
Platforms
BSD
FreeBSD
Is hello System a good alternative to Essence?
illumos
19 likes
illumos is a free and open-source Unix operating system. It derives from OpenSolaris, which in turn derives from SVR4 UNIX and Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD). illumos comprises a kernel, device drivers, system libraries, and utility software for system administration.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application type
Operating System
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Is illumos a good alternative to Essence?
Parabola
17 likes
A project providing a fully free (as in freedom) derivative of Arch Linux. Inheriting Arch's lightweight and flexibility, Parabola offers software freedom plus all power to the users.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application types
Linux Distro
Operating System
Platforms
Linux
Is Parabola a good alternative to Essence?