Kubuntu vs. Fedora: Which Linux distro is right for your KDE Plasma desktop?

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Both Kubuntu and Fedora KDE Plasma are great distributions.
• One is based on Ubuntu, and one is based on Fedora.
• There are subtle reasons why you might gravitate toward one or the other.

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KDE Plasma has become one of my favorite Linux desktop environments. Not only is it beautiful, but it’s also highly flexible, fast, and reliable.

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

Also: The best Linux distros for beginners

You might wonder, “Isn’t KDE Plasma always KDE Plasma, no matter the distribution?” That 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’re 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 vast number of applications available for installation. Here’s a nice bit of trivia: You can purchase a Kubuntu laptop that performs incredibly well.

As Ubuntu (including all distributions based on Canonical’s OS) is one of the most widely used open-source operating systems, you can be certain 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 puts forth a fairly 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 there, unchanged by the development team. It’s beautiful, and it’s fast.

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

What distinguishes Kubuntu from Fedora? Subtlety. One thing that does set 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, the upgrades from one release to the next are as seamless as it gets.

Another big-ticket item that sets them apart is the default repositories. With Kubuntu, you get a massive amount of available apps, all from the standard repositories. You also get Snap packages, which are Canonical’s take on the universal package manager. Although Snap might not be the Linux community’s favorite universal package manager, it’s still a great option for installing all sorts of applications (including proprietary software).

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Snap packages do tend to be 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 consider Snap packages a bit more trustworthy. I’ve never had an issue with either Snap or Flatpak, so for me, it’s a wash.

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

Applications and kernels

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

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Another bonus: Kubuntu ships with the Hardware Enablement Kernel, which gives you improved support for modern hardware.

Is Kubuntu right for you?

It boils down to one 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 over DNF, if you’d rather use Snap packages over Flatpak, and if you’d enjoy a regular, timely release schedule, go with Kubuntu.

Fedora KDE Plasma

Second verse, same as the first. 

Fedora KDE Plasma is obviously 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 leans in to the Flatpak universal package manager, although you have to enable Flatpak support for the KDE Discover app store. To do that, go to Discover > Settings and click “Add Flathub” in the top right corner. 

Once you’ve added Flatpak, you’ll find a considerably larger selection of apps available to install.

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When you compare the default desktop settings between Fedora KDE Plasma and Kubuntu, the Fedora take looks a bit more modern, as it ships with the floating panel enabled. Other than that, different wallpaper, and different icons for the start menu, these two desktops look almost identical. 

They also behave the same.

The one difference I can consistently detect between these two is that Fedora KDE Plasma has a slight edge in terms of performance. Over the past five or so years, both Fedora and KDE Plasma have grown considerably faster, and when those two come together, it’s impressive. That’s not to say Kubuntu is a slouch, but Fedora KDE Plasma just seems to be a bit more performant.

As for software, Fedora is known for shipping with more recent releases. However, I was surprised to discover that Kubuntu and Fedora KDE Plasma shipped with the same version of Firefox, and Kubuntu had a new version of LibreOffice. Where Fedora KDE Plasma ships with LibreOffice 25.8.3.2, Kubuntu includes 25.8.4.2. The difference is minimal, but it took me by surprise, as I’m accustomed to Fedora shipping with more recent releases than Ubuntu.

Application installation

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

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

Finally, as I mentioned earlier, sometimes Fedora updates go the way of Windows and require a reboot (even if the kernel isn’t upgraded). For me, that’s kind of a deal breaker.

Is Fedora KDE Plasma right for you?

If you want a KDE Plasma-based distribution that’s slightly faster than Kubuntu, shrugs off Snap packages for Flatpak, uses the DNF package manager, and gives you a bit 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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Honestly, both of these distributions are outstanding, and both ship 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 modicum of Linux experience, go with Fedora KDE Plasma.