I Tested 9 Arch-Based Linux Distros, Here's How I Rank Them

Want to try an Arch-based distro but don’t know where to start? Or maybe you’ve already been distro-hopping and still haven’t found the perfect fit? Here’s my personal ranking of the nine Arch-based distros I think are worth your time—based on real-world testing and my own preferences.

Arch Linux has earned the love of power users for its cutting-edge updates and minimal base, letting you build a personalized operating system from the ground up. Most Arch-based distros either preserve that minimalism while reducing complexity, or they go all-in on power, performance, and extra features. After testing many options, these nine stood out—and here’s how I’d rank them according to my needs and workflow.

9 SteamOS

The first time I experienced SteamOS was on my friend's Steam Deck, which I borrowed for a week to test. The gaming handheld really impressed me, and a lot of that comes down to the tight integration of its hardware and software. So, how does SteamOS perform when you strip it away from the default hardware?

Well, I tried to install it on my Ryzen 5 5600G system with an RTX 3060 and a B450M motherboard, but I couldn’t get it to work. After some digging, I found many people complaining on Reddit about NVIDIA driver issues (which I need) as a common stumbling block. This isn’t entirely surprising, as the official SteamOS site makes it clear that it’s only supported on the Steam Deck and Lenovo Legion Go S, with beta support for a few other handhelds. There’s no official compatibility chart for custom desktops.

While some people have had better luck than I did, my failed installation attempt means SteamOS ranks low on my list. That said, on the Steam Deck and officially supported hardware, SteamOS is an excellent distribution that delivers a polished gaming experience.

8 Artix Linux

My first impression of Artix Linux wasn’t great. Visiting its homepage felt like stepping back into the early 2000s—the design is old-school and not particularly user-friendly, giving it more of a hobby project vibe. I also had trouble finding the right ISO at first because of its cluttered, text-heavy interface.

For testing, I installed the Stable ISO with KDE Plasma. It featured a custom theme that partly resembled the Windows 7 Aero glass look in some parts of the interface, while many apps carried a minimal, Chromebook-like vibe. Of course, since it’s KDE Plasma, I could customize it to my liking, but the weak default aesthetic still cost Artix some points in my book.

Artix’s main selling point is that it ditches systemd as the default init system, letting you choose between dinit, OpenRC, runit, and s6. It also aims to deliver a light, minimal distro that stays true to the Arch philosophy. However, I personally have no issues with systemd and actually prefer distros that come with preinstalled apps or tools I plan to use—so Artix ultimately failed to win me over.

7 BlackArch

I was primarily drawn to BlackArch because of its appearance. In my opinion, it’s one of the few distros that really nails the Hollywood hacker aesthetic. I was also curious to explore its massive collection of cybersecurity tools available through the BlackArch repository. Little did I know, I was in for hours of troubleshooting.

Right out of the gate, installing the distro proved to be a major challenge. I tried both the Full ISO (22 GB) and the Slim ISO (5.5 GB)—each of which includes a graphical installer. Unfortunately, the installation failed on both, which I suspect was due to outdated or broken mirrors. I ultimately had success with the Netinstall ISO, but it was entirely terminal-based, and I had to follow a guide to get through it.

Overall, I think it’s a solid distro for its target audience—security professionals and cybersecurity specialists—but as a regular desktop user, I found it overly complicated. I also didn’t see much reason to run it, since its main feature is the BlackArch repo, which you can easily add to any Arch system, making the distro feel somewhat redundant.

6 Archcraft

I have been using Archcraft for the past couple of months, and I have to admit, it's one of the most visually appealing distros I've used, with an incredible level of customization options. By default, you get 15 unique themes, each offering different designs and aesthetics. Cycling through the themes will make you feel like you're using a completely different distro.

Furthermore, despite all these design layers, Archcraft is super lightweight—using around 10 GB of disk space following a fresh install and less than 500 MB of RAM at idle. This is possible because the distro uses the Openbox Window Manager instead of a desktop environment (DE) like KDE Plasma or GNOME.

Unfortunately, the lack of a desktop environment is why it ranks lower on my list. I am personally not a fan of window managers (WM) and prefer having a fully-featured desktop environment powering my operating system. That said, I can recommend Archcraft as a solid option for folks who are comfortable using WMs and want a minimal yet stylish distro!

There's a paid version of the distro called Archcraft Premium, which offers even more themes and support for more window managers, including Sway, Wayfire, River, Hyprland, and NEWM.

5 Manjaro

Manjaro was the first Arch-based distribution I ever used, and I suspect it’s the same for others as well—given it was a pioneer in making Arch user-friendly. It was one of the first distros that paired Arch with graphical tools to simplify the installation process and routine maintenance tasks. It also maintains its own repository where new package updates are released one or two weeks after they are made available in the official Arch repo. This is done to allow time for additional testing to iron out potential bugs.

However, for me, this delay is actually a sticking point. On paper, the additional testing period might make Manjaro appear more stable. In reality, system-breaking updates on Arch are relatively rare—and even when they do happen, you can generally fix them using system restore utilities like Snapper or Timeshift. Overall, Manjaro just feels slower than a regular Arch-based distro, and the practical benefits it offers can also be found in the distros listed below. As a result, I can’t rank Manjaro any higher than this, but I will say it’s an excellent distro, especially for Arch newcomers.

4 RebornOS

I’ve known about RebornOS for some time, but I only tried it for the first time while working on this project—and I came away impressed. I’ve only used it for about a week, so I can’t speak to its long-term stability, but so far, it feels like a well-thought-out distro, especially for people who want to jump into Arch and explore its capabilities.

The standout feature is the Reborn Fire utility, a graphical tool that makes it incredibly easy to install different desktop environments, window managers, and other packages with just a few clicks. Each environment or manager typically comes with sensible defaults, which I assume have been fine-tuned by the RebornOS team, making it a great way to quickly try out various setups and see what works for you.

RebornOS also has a Discord and Telegram group where you can engage in friendly chat or get troubleshooting assistance. Personally, I find this more convenient than navigating a web forum, and I wish more distros offered similar real-time, community-driven support.

3 EndeavourOS

EndeavourOS is similar to Manjaro in that it aims to make Arch more approachable, but its philosophy is different. While Manjaro focuses on simplifying Arch so you can just use it comfortably for day-to-day tasks, EndeavourOS is about helping you learn how to use Arch so you can eventually stand on your own as an Arch user.

You get a graphical installer with sensible defaults to make the initial setup painless, but once installed, you’re essentially running a vanilla Arch system. Yes, there are some graphical tools for routine system maintenance, but its real strength lies in its community. The EndeavourOS forum and Telegram channel are two of the friendliest in the Linux world—there’s no elitism, and newcomers are welcomed with open arms. As long as you’re willing to learn, experienced members are always ready to help you troubleshoot, guide you through issues, and teach you the ins and outs of Arch.

In my opinion, EndeavourOS is one of the best Arch-based distros available. The only reason it’s not at the very top of my list is because the other distros offer defaults or preinstalled applications that better suit my workflow. Still, for anyone wanting to learn Arch in a supportive environment, EndeavourOS is a fantastic choice.

2 CachyOS

At the time of writing, CachyOS is dominating DistroWatch as the most popular Linux distribution—and for good reason. It’s a performance-optimized Arch-based distro targeting modern high-end hardware. There’s even a dedicated edition for handheld gaming devices, reflecting the growing popularity of portable PC gaming.

CachyOS ships with its own custom kernel: the CachyOS kernel, along with optimized packages in its repository tailored for newer hardware—specifically Intel Haswell CPUs or later and AMD Ryzen processors. It also includes graphical tools to help you install missing drivers and handle routine system maintenance with ease. This makes it an outstanding choice for gaming or other high-performance workloads. The only reason it’s not topping my list is simply because I personally prefer one other distro a bit more—but in terms of raw performance and modern hardware optimization, CachyOS is hard to beat.

1 Garuda Linux

Garuda Linux isn’t just my favorite Arch-based distribution—it’s my favorite Linux distro, period. It’s been my daily driver for the past four years, and I love how thoughtfully it’s been put together. It strikes the perfect balance between ease of use and flexibility that power users crave.

At the forefront, you have Garuda Rani, a graphical maintenance app that lets you perform routine system tasks with just a few clicks. This is combined with the Btrfs filesystem and Snapper integration, which automatically create system snapshots, allowing you to roll back to a previous working state if something breaks.

While the distro supports many popular desktop environments and window managers, it has two flagship editions: Mokka and Dragonized, based on KDE Plasma. They feature a macOS-inspired layout, bold design aesthetics, and eye-catching desktop effects that really show just how customizable KDE Plasma can be. Overall, Garuda is a visually striking, feature-rich, and highly reliable distro that I’ve trusted for years, earning it the top spot on my list.

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There you have it—nine Arch-based distros ranked according to my personal preferences. Naturally, your list might look very different depending on what you value most—and that’s exactly how it should be, because Linux is all about choice! My goal here isn’t to impose my tastes on you, but rather to give you a quick look at what each distro offers and the overall user experience, so you can decide which one is right for you.