Manjaro is an open-source and freely available Arch-based Linux operating system. This Linux distribution provides accessibility and friendliness to all users and comes with various pre-installed applications and software. Linux Mint is an Ubuntu- or Debian-based, community-driven Linux operating environment, and contains several open-source applications. Linux Mint also provides full support to some proprietary software, such as multimedia codecs.

Manjaro vs. Linux Mint – Which Is Best?

When we comparing the Linux Mint and Manjaro distributions, it is necessary to compare the following similarities and differences between them. This article will draw a structured comparison between Linux Mint 20 and Manjaro. So, the question arises, which one is the best Linux environment? Let us explore the most important differences between these two distributions.

Specifications

Specs Linux Mint Manjaro
Based On Debian>Ubuntu LTS Arch Linux
Place of Origin Ireland Germany
Default Desktop Environment Cinnamon, MATE, XFCE KDE, GNOME, and XFCE
Main Usage Desktop, Showcase for Cinnamon and MATE desktops Desktop in which recent packages have been tested for slightly longer than in Arch
Init-System Systemd Systemd
OS Family GNU Linux GNU Linux
Official Supported Architectures i386, AMD64 x86-64 (AMD64)
Package Manager Debian Package Manager Pacman
Release Schedule 2-Year LTS or 6-Month Rolling
Current Linux Kernel 5.4 5.6.12

Pros

Linux Mint

Linux Mint OS is good for both beginners and advanced users. It is compatible with Ubuntu / Debian packages and repositories and has a user-friendly interface. Linux Mint has a large software repository bundle for editing pictures, watching videos, browsing the web, storing and editing files, and Office suites. An average user can install Linux Mint and use all the software that comes with the Linux Mint distro within minutes. The installation and configuration of Linux Mint can be done quite easily. Linux Mint also provides long-term support for continuously updated versions, with a dedicated upgrade process.

Manjaro

Manjaro allows users to access the large Arch packages repository. It has a user-friendly desktop environment and consumes less RAM than other distributions. This distribution supports multiple kernel versions, meaning that you can easily install these versions on your system when this distribution is in use. All packages from the Arch repositories are tested for improved stability. Manjaro also installs updates regularly. So, this distribution offers stable and consistent updates, and you can easily install new software updates without re-installing the software. Manjaro has an excellent graphical package manager called ‘Pacman’. Manjaro has good documentation, supported forums, and a friendly community.

Cons

Linux Mint

The Linux Mint website was hacked in 2016 and its download link was modified by ISO, which contains spyware. In Linux Mint, many available options are outdated. When you install updates on an installed system, then there is a slight chance that something will go wrong. Linux Mint cannot handle multiple languages at once very well. Moreover, the Linux Mint Kernel can crash suddenly, with no way to fix it.

Manjaro

Manjaro has an unstable repository that is slow to sync with the Arch stable repository. The installation of Manjaro can also be extremely buggy. The development process is slow on 32-bit hardware. Manjaro must be updated weekly, which can be annoying to users. There is also nothing new about this distribution, as compared to other Arch-based Linux distributions. You cannot change the default Manjaro theme in some applications. Finally, Manjaro is unable to correctly handle some dependencies.

Conclusion

Manjaro is ranked at 9th and Linux Mint is ranked at 17th in Linux distributions. This is the main reason why many people prefer to use the Manjaro distribution over Linux Mint. This article discussed some similarities and differences between Linux Mint and Manjaro. You can choose whichever Linux distro you prefer, based on your requirements. Form the above discussion, I hope that you can now easily understand which distribution is best suited to your needs.

About the author

Linux Mint vs. Manjaro Linux Mint Manjaro

Karim Buzdar

Karim Buzdar holds a degree in telecommunication engineering and holds several sysadmin certifications. As an IT engineer and technical author, he writes for various web sites. You can reach Karim on LinkedIn.