Kubuntu vs Fedora: Which Linux Distro Is Right for Your KDE Plasma Desktop?

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ZDNET Highlights

• Kubuntu and Fedora KDE Plasma are both great distributions.
• One based on Ubuntu, and one based on Fedora.
• There are subtle reasons why you may be attracted to one or the other.

KDE Plasma has become one of my favorite Linux desktop environments. It is not only beautiful, but also highly flexible, fast and reliable.

Once you’ve decided on the desktop environment that’s right for you, you’ll need to choose a distribution that complements your environment. With KDE Plasma, there are lots of options. Two of these will go head to head here: Kubuntu and Fedora KDE Plasma.

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You may wonder, “Isn’t KDE Plasma always KDE Plasma, no matter the distribution?” This may be a logical assumption, but it is not always true. Even subtle differences can be game changers.

Between these two distributions, there is no right or wrong choice – they are both fantastic. However, chances are that one of them will be better suited to your needs.

Let’s find out.

Kubuntu

The first thing to know is that Kubuntu is based on Ubuntu, which means it benefits from the user-friendliness of the APT package manager and the large number of applications available for installation. Here’s a nice piece of trivia: You can buy a Kubuntu laptop that performs incredibly well.

Since Ubuntu (including all distributions based on Canonical’s OS) is one of the most widely used open-source operating systems, you can rest assured that Kubuntu enjoys many of the same benefits, such as a very large community, extensive documentation, long-term support (up to 15 years), and rock-solid stability.

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Kubuntu presents an absolutely untouched KDE Plasma and, of course, ships with the dark theme enabled (why this is always the case, I’ll never know). All the usual KDE Plasma bits are present, unchanged by the development team. It’s beautiful, and it’s fast.

But that’s par for the course with KDE Plasma.

What differentiates Kubuntu from Fedora? Subtlety. One thing that sets Kubuntu apart is the regularity of Ubuntu and Ubuntu Spin releases. You can count on two releases per year: a .04 and a .10, and it’s like clockwork. Even better, upgrading from one release to the next is just as seamless.

Another big-ticket item that sets them apart is the default repository. With Kubuntu, you get a large number of apps available, all from the standard repositories. You also get Snap Packages, which is Canonical’s universal package manager. Although Snap may not be the Linux community’s favorite universal package manager, it is still a great choice for installing all types of applications (including proprietary software).

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Snap packages are a little slower to open than Flatpak apps, but they enjoy the same sandboxing. Snap packages are also pulled from a centralized repository (which is maintained by Canonical), whereas Flatpak is distributed. Because of this, some people consider SNAP packages to be slightly more reliable. I’ve never had any problems with Snap or Flatpak, so for me, it’s useless.

The version of KDE Plasma that you get with Kubuntu (out of the box) is running 6.5.3 on Wayland. I immediately ran the full update and found that the Kubuntu upgrade was slightly slower than the Fedora KDE Plasma update. However, Fedora KDE Plasma requires a reboot to apply upgrades (which is not the case with Kubuntu – unless the kernel is also upgraded).

Applications and Kernels

By default, Kubuntu comes with LibreOffice (v 25.8.4), Firefox (146.0), Thunderbird, Elisa, Haruna, and the usual KDE Plasma apps.

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Another bonus: Kubuntu comes with a Hardware Enablement kernel, which gives you better support for modern hardware.

Is Kubuntu Right for You?

It’s based on a simple question: Do you like Ubuntu and KDE Plasma? If so, Kubuntu is the ideal distribution for you. If you prefer the apt package manager in place of dns, if you want to use snap packages in place of flatpak, and if you want to enjoy a regular, timely release schedule, go with Kubuntu.

fedora kde plasma

Second verse, same as the first.

Fedora KDE Plasma is clearly based on Fedora, so it benefits from the same underpinnings, including the DNF package manager and the SELinux access control system. Fedora KDE Plasma also relies on the Flatpak universal package manager, although you must enable Flatpak support for the KDE Discover app store. To do this, go to Discover > Settings and click “Add Flathub” in the upper right corner.

Once you’ve added Flatpak, you’ll have a large selection of apps available to install.

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When you compare the default desktop settings between Fedora KDE Plasma and Kubuntu, Fedora Tech looks a bit more modern, as it comes with floating panels enabled. Apart from the different wallpaper and different icons for the Start menu, these two desktops look almost identical.

His behavior is also the same.

The one difference I can consistently identify between the two is that Fedora has a slight edge over KDE Plasma in terms of performance. Over the last five or so years, both Fedora and KDE Plasma have grown quite rapidly, and when the two come together, it’s impressive. This doesn’t mean that Kubuntu is a slouch, but Fedora KDE Plasma appears to be a bit more performant.

As far as software is concerned, Fedora is known for shipping with recent releases. However, I was surprised to learn that Kubuntu and Fedora KDE Plasma shipped with the same version of Firefox, and Kubuntu had a newer version of LibreOffice. While Fedora KDE Plasma comes with LibreOffice 25.8.3.2, Kubuntu includes 25.8.4.2. The difference is minimal, but it surprised me, as I’m accustomed to Fedora shipping with more recent releases than Ubuntu.

application installation

This is where Fedora KDE Plasma lags a bit behind Kubuntu. With Fedora KDE Plasma, you’ll find some apps available in the standard repositories, while others are only available through COPR, a repository that contains user-created/maintained apps.

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At the same time, Fedora uses Flatpak on Snap, but you need to enable Flathub within KDE Discover before you can install Flatpak apps via the GUI.

Finally, as I mentioned earlier, sometimes Fedora updates run like Windows and require a reboot (even if the kernel has not been upgraded). For me, this is kind of a deal breaker.

Is Fedora KDE Plasma Right for You?

If you want a KDE Plasma-based distribution that’s a little faster than Kubuntu, ditches Snap packages for Flatpak, uses the DNF package manager, and gives you a slightly more modern take on the look of KDE Plasma out of the box, then Fedora KDE Plasma is the distribution for you.

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To be honest, both of these distributions are excellent, and both come with KDE Plasma 6.5.4. If I’m forced to recommend one over the other, I’d say this: If you’re new to Linux, go with Kubuntu. If you have even a little Linux experience, choose Fedora KDE Plasma.