Kubuntu vs Fedora KDE: Which KDE Plasma Distro Is Right for You?

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ZDNET Highlights

• Kubuntu and Fedora KDE both use the KDE Plasma desktop.
• Each distribution takes a different approach to the desktop.
• One of these may have an edge for new users.

KDE Plasma has won me over. It’s as gorgeous, intuitive, fast, and stable as any desktop available on the market. On top of all this, it has features that other desktops only dream of, including KDE Activities, KRunner, Window Rules, and KDE Connect.

But when you go to try KDE Plasma, you will find many distributions that offer open-source desktops. Which one should you try?

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In my opinion, there are two distributions prominent for those new to KDE Plasma or Linux: Kubuntu and Fedora KDE. Considering that both distributions default to the KDE Plasma desktop, you would expect them to be similar for the most part. They are not. And I’m here to help you choose.

Kubuntu: what is it and who is it for?

Kubuntu is essentially Ubuntu with the KDE Plasma desktop. This means you get all the user-friendliness of Ubuntu (like the apt package manager, snap packages, and massive default repositories), but instead of the Ubuntu-tweaked GNOME desktop, you get KDE Plasma.

Simple, right? Like.

Kubuntu distributes KDE Plasma in a way that makes it clear who it’s for: new (or new-to) Linux users. Even on first boot, you get two desktop launchers: one labeled How To Guides and another Kubuntu websites. (These launchers open the default browser (Firefox) for those respective sites.)

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The look and feel of Kubuntu leans slightly towards the past; It’s like Windows 7-ish, with a bottom panel that extends from one side to the other, a fairly traditional desktop menu, and a default theme that’s a mix of dark and light. To my eyes, Kubuntu’s look isn’t as modern as you might expect from KDE Plasma, but I suspect this is intentional to avoid scaring off new users.

And that’s the heart and soul of Kubuntu: it’s about bringing new users into it. This spin understands that the default Ubuntu desktop doesn’t appeal to the average user, while KDE Plasma does.

From installing the OS to using it, Kubuntu does its best to hold your hand through every step of the process.

Kubuntu’s preinstalled apps

Kubuntu comes with the usual collection of preinstalled apps. You’ll find Firefox, LibreOffice, Thunderbird, KDE Connect, Remina (for remote desktop connections), Elisa (music player), Haruna (multimedia player), and the usual KDE utilities (like the Kate text editor).

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Kubuntu includes not only the KDE Discover App Store, but also Synaptic Package Manager and a menu entry labeled Manage Software. Click on that entry (it’s in the System menu), and a pop-up will appear asking whether you want to open KDE Discover or Synaptic. If you’re new to Linux and KDE Plasma, ignore Synaptic; KDE Discover is by far the more user-friendly option.

I was surprised that Snap is not enabled by default in KDE Discover. Snap is installed, but out of the box, you have to use it from the command line. When I went to enable it in KDE Discover > Settings > Snap, I discovered that (for some reason) it refused. Because of this, I chose to enable Flatpak. To do this, I went to KDE Discover > Settings > Discover – “Flatpak Backend” and clicked Install.

Once the Flatpak backend was installed, I restarted the system and was then able to enable Flathub and install apps using the universal package manager.

What is Kubuntu for?

As you might have guessed, Kubuntu is ideal for people new to Linux and/or KDE Plasma. This Ubuntu spin goes out of its way to make using the KDE Plasma desktop easier than you might expect.

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On the other hand, if you are looking for a modern, out-of-the-box experience, Kubuntu is not for you. I found the look and feel of Kubuntu a bit strange. The good news is that this is KDE Plasma, so it doesn’t take much time to customize it to your tastes.

Fedora KDE: what is it and who is it for?

Fedora takes a different approach to the KDE desktop. It comes with a smooth, beautiful desktop that assumes you know what you’re doing.

And because it’s based on Fedora, you’re getting more updated software and more frequent upgrades. After installing Fedora KDE, I had to run the upgrade process (which requires a reboot) four times. After the fourth upgrade/reboot, it was finally decided it was up to date (for now), so I went to work.

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Fedora KDE has a much more modern look and feel than Kubuntu, and I’m in favor of that. Fedora KDE looks like KDE Plasma, right down to the floating panel.

Fedora’s preinstalled software

Similar to Kubuntu, Fedora KDE gives you everything you need. You’ll get Firefox, LibreOffice, Camel, KDE Connect, Dragon Player (video), Elisa (music), Kamoso (webcam), ColorPaint, and the usual KDE utilities.

Open KDE Discover, and you’ll find that Flatpak is enabled by default, but the Flathub repo is not. If you want to install proprietary apps like Slack and Spotify, you’ll need to enable Flathub by going to Discover > Settings > Add Flathub. Once you add Flathub, you’ll get a ton more apps to install.

Kubuntu and Fedora KDE both ship with KDE Plasma 6.6.4, but Fedora KDE has the edge because it also ships with KDE Frameworks 6.25, while Kubuntu ships with 6.24. KDE Frameworks is a collection of libraries and software frameworks that allow developers to create applications. This isn’t a big deal for standard users, but developers will appreciate the difference between versions.

My guess is that Fedora KDE will also receive the next major version of the desktop (6.7) before Kubuntu.

What is Fedora KDE for?

Fedora KDE is for those who want to give the KDE Plasma desktop a more modern, elegant look without spending much time customizing it (although you can). It is also for those who want the latest software releases. However, there is one strange exception here. While Kubuntu comes with LibreOffice version 26.2.2.2, Fedora comes with KDE version 26.2.1.2. This surprised me, because Fedora is considered a “leading edge” distribution, meaning it typically receives software updates faster than others.

Here’s a surprise: Fedora KDE installation is much easier (and more modern) than Kubuntu. This doesn’t mean that Kubuntu installation is challenging (it’s not), but if you want an easier way to install Linux, Fedora KDE is the way to go.

Which distro is right for you?

The answer to this question is a little more challenging than usual because of the mixed mix of new versus old. With Fedora KDE’s easy installation, you’d think I’d recommend it over Kubuntu for new users. But seeing as how Kubuntu installation is still easy and the entire distribution is geared towards new users, I have to say that if you’re new to Linux (and thus KDE Plasma), Kubuntu is the way to go.

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On the other hand, if you want a leading distribution that comes with a more modern looking desktop, then Fedora KDE is for you.

The truth is that any of these desktop distributions will be a great choice for you, no matter how much Linux knowledge you have.