# Arch Reviews **Vendor:** Arch Linux **Category:** [Operating Systems](https://www.g2.com/categories/operating-system) **Average Rating:** 4.4/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 42 ## About Arch Arch Linux is an independently developed, open-source Linux distribution renowned for its simplicity, flexibility, and user-centric design. It follows a rolling release model, ensuring users have continuous access to the latest stable versions of software without the need for major system upgrades. The default installation provides a minimal base system, allowing users to tailor their environment by adding only the components they require. Key Features and Functionality: - Rolling Release Model: Delivers continuous updates, granting users immediate access to the latest kernels, drivers, and software packages without the necessity for complete system reinstallations. - Pacman Package Manager: A powerful and efficient package management tool designed specifically for Arch Linux, facilitating easy installation, removal, and updating of software packages. - Arch User Repository (AUR): A community-driven repository that provides a vast array of user-contributed packages, extending the software availability beyond the official repositories. - Arch Build System (ABS): Allows users to build and customize packages from source, offering greater control over software installations. - Comprehensive Documentation: The ArchWiki offers extensive and detailed documentation, serving as a valuable resource for both new and experienced users. Primary Value and User Solutions: Arch Linux empowers users by providing a clean slate for building a personalized operating system tailored to their specific needs. Its rolling release model ensures that users always have access to the most current software, enhancing system security and performance. The combination of the Pacman package manager and the AUR offers a vast selection of software, while the ABS provides the flexibility to customize packages as desired. This user-centric approach, coupled with extensive documentation, makes Arch Linux an ideal choice for those seeking a customizable and up-to-date Linux distribution. ## Arch Pros & Cons **What users like:** - Users value the **customization and flexibility** of Arch, allowing for tailored installations and minimal setups. (3 reviews) - Users appreciate the **Arch User Repository** , enhancing flexibility and access to a wide range of applications. (1 reviews) - Users appreciate the **flexible community support** of Arch, enhancing their overall experience and satisfaction. (1 reviews) - Users appreciate the **easy installation** of Arch, allowing tailored setups without unnecessary boilerplate applications. (1 reviews) - Users value the **minimalistic and efficient package management** of Arch, ensuring they always have the latest versions effortlessly. (1 reviews) - Users value the **regular updates** in Arch, ensuring they always have the latest versions without major upgrades. (1 reviews) **What users dislike:** - Users find the **steep learning curve** necessary for Arch challenging, especially for those unfamiliar with Linux. (3 reviews) - Users report **installation difficulties** , finding the setup process challenging and prone to errors. (1 reviews) - Users find the **usage difficulty** of Arch challenging, especially without prior Linux knowledge. (1 reviews) ## Arch Reviews ### 1. Lightweight, Fast, and Free with Easy Setup and Strong Community Support **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Jinal D. | Senior Architect, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 01, 2026 **What do you like best about Arch?** It’s very lightweight and fast, and it’s totally free. Installation is simple, and there’s good community support as well. **What do you dislike about Arch?** The installer is user-friendly. However, users sometimes need to perform a few manual steps to complete the installation. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** I love how much customization it offers. It’s my favorite OS, and it includes plenty of integrations that are neatly done with other products. If you use Arch Linux in your day-to-day life, you’ll end up learning more about Linux than ever. ### 2. Minimal, Powerful Linux for Developers **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Information Technology and Services | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 10, 2026 **What do you like best about Arch?** What I like most about Arch is the amount of control it gives me over the system. The installation begins with a minimal base, so I can add only the components I actually need, rather than dealing with a bunch of unnecessary packages. Pacman is a fast, straightforward package manager, and the Arch User Repository (AUR) makes it very easy to access a huge range of community software. I also appreciate the rolling release model, since it keeps development tools and libraries up to date without forcing major system upgrades. **What do you dislike about Arch?** The biggest downside is the learning curve. The installation process and initial configuration require a solid understanding of Linux concepts, which can be tough for beginners. I’m a dev, so I figured things out pretty quickly, but others may run into difficulties. Because of the rolling release model, updates can occasionally introduce issues that require manual fixes. Even though the documentation is excellent, you still need to be comfortable troubleshooting your system when something goes wrong. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** It has helped me keep a lightweight, customizable development environment. Rather than working with a system packed with unnecessary software, I can build exactly the setup I need for development and testing. I also appreciate the rolling release model, since it keeps compilers, libraries, and tools up to date. That matters a lot when I’m working with modern software stacks and want my environment to stay current. ### 3. Unmatched Control and Customization with Arch **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Vishwjeet T. | Software Engineer, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 04, 2026 **What do you like best about Arch?** what i like best about Arch is the level of control and customization it gives. **What do you dislike about Arch?** what i dislike about Arch is that it has a steeper learning curve and needs more manual setup and maintenance than most os. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Arch solves the problem of bloated , restrictive os by giving full control over what gets installed and how the system is configured. ### 4. Rock-Solid and Crazy Fast Once Set Up Right **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Biki D. | Head of Artificial Intelligence, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 02, 2026 **What do you like best about Arch?** Super nerdy and rock-solid, Arch Linux feels crazy fast, and I really like how stable it is when set-up property. **What do you dislike about Arch?** There’s a learning curve to doing things, which is why it can be challenging for a new user to get started on Arch Linux. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** There isn’t really much to say, but we use it to run our custom Linux application, and it’s an integral part of our testing suite. ### 5. Customizable OS for a Safer, More Secure Browsing Experience **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** sinister g. | Content Creator, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 14, 2026 **What do you like best about Arch?** I can customize my operating system and create a safe environment for surfing the internet. **What do you dislike about Arch?** I don’t have any specific dislikes, since it has a good community. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** It minimizes RAM usage and bloatware compared to Windows, and it provides a safe environment. ### 6. Free software with constant updates **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Luis R. | Engineer Support, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 31, 2026 **What do you like best about Arch?** Free Software with constant updates **What do you dislike about Arch?** in some applications the dictionary correction is not good **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Being license-free and customizable to the end user's liking ### 7. Reliable Linux Distro for Network Operations **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Deep A. | system architech, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 13, 2025 **What do you like best about Arch?** I like that with Arch, you can choose the specific cases you need when installing, so you don't have to install boilerplate applications. **What do you dislike about Arch?** I need more networking-based software and not more network base packages, so I can test applications more accurately. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Arch allows me to efficiently handle network operations like deploying applications and installing necessary tools, streamlining my development flow and testing processes. ### 8. Complete control **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Johnathan B. | Supervisor, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 30, 2025 **What do you like best about Arch?** I love the support and I love that it's extremely flexible. **What do you dislike about Arch?** The setup and how easy it is to break things. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Arch and Hyprland give me the flexibility to work in the way that suits me best, with a system that I have essentially customized entirely to my preferences. ### 9. Using Arch in everyday work **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Claudio S. | Senior Cyber Security Consultant, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 02, 2025 **What do you like best about Arch?** One of the biggest advantage is the Arch User Repository **What do you dislike about Arch?** For some the disadvantage, is that it does require a more knowledge of how Linux works (learning curve). **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** I would compare daily driving Arch to a labour of love: it is painful to switch to, especially at the beginning, because you will need to do a lot of googling and reading and learning to get the most basic things to work (like gnome/kde/others). However, if you put in the time and effort, you will learn how those things work together to form a functional OS. ### 10. Fast, minimal OS good for workstations **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Maxwell J. | Developer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 23, 2024 **What do you like best about Arch?** Arch allows you to always have the latest versions of packages, and is always very minimal with how you do things, never making you take unnecessary steps. **What do you dislike about Arch?** It isn't always user-friendly, make sure you know a bit about Linux before using it. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Arch allows users to always have the latest packages on a system, and doesn't force unnecessary bloat on you. ### 11. Archlinux - customizable and straightforward **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Abin K. | Support engineer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 25, 2024 **What do you like best about Arch?** Arch is really good option for those who like to customize. The package management is really great. Its a really stable OS for advanced linux users. **What do you dislike about Arch?** It could be very complicated for new linux users. Since its a rolling release, there is always a chance for it to break. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Its very much customizable and you have the freedom to install whatever softwares you like. The community support is really great and it helps me to solve complex issues. Archlinux is a really safe option considering the security aspect, but I prefer to use it for local systems (not on servers) ### 12. Arch standing out as a gem **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Pratik A. | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 10, 2024 **What do you like best about Arch?** Unlike some other distributions that come pre-packaged with a plethora of software and utilities, Arch follows a minimalist approach, allowing users to build their system from the ground up. The Arch installation process, although text-based, is straightforward and provides users with full control over every aspect of their system. **What do you dislike about Arch?** Not applicable, I havent found anything which could be disliked. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Its minimalist approach, rolling release model, extensive documentation, and vibrant community make it an ideal choice for both beginners looking to learn more about Linux and seasoned users seeking a lightweight and efficient operating system. ### 13. Extremely Dependable **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Information Technology and Services | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 09, 2024 **What do you like best about Arch?** Arch requires is a rolling release -- no "major upgrades" ever! It's very stable and that's why I stick with it. **What do you dislike about Arch?** The forums are not always friendly. There are sometimes bugs and once in a while, they are show-stoppers as well. Usually it's not too hard to get back up however. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** I needed a stable workstation and I have that. ### 14. Arch Linux Demistyfied **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Deepak N. | Student, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 12, 2023 **What do you like best about Arch?** Arch Linux is customizable to next instinct. It is one of the most underrated Linux, which every beginner and expert should use to learn Linux efficiently and through the base. **What do you dislike about Arch?** Learning arch is a do-it-yourself approach, making a steeper learning curve but worth it. It is the potential to break for new users. The community is not huge to get support while breaking down. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** It solves the customizability and flexibility of using the OS as required in the personal and professional environment. It is streamlined performance, and resource utilization is great too. Arch Linux is often favored by users who desire access to the latest software versions and bleeding-edge technologies. ### 15. Arch Linux review **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Shashwat S. | Software Engineer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 20, 2022 **What do you like best about Arch?** I am an advanced Linux user, and Arch is perfect for me. It is my daily driver and I use it everyday. The best thing about it is modularity and freedom. I am a huge security and privacy enthusiast, and arch is the best distro for me. **What do you dislike about Arch?** It keeps breaking without me doing anything. Sometimes I install dependencies using the AUR helper and that breaks pacman's dependancies. Causing havoc. It would've been better if arch improves that, otheriwse it's perfect. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** It is solving the problem of removing bloatware from my system. Multiple operating systems have extreme bloatware on their system. Useless apps that they don't require, and because of this the system slugs down. But arch fixes that. Perfectly! ### 16. Cool Desktop but lacking in driver development **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Swee San O. | Wordpress Plugin Developer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 20, 2023 **What do you like best about Arch?** A cool brand of Linux for more advanced users. **What do you dislike about Arch?** The lack of driver development compare to other popular distros **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** To create a stable desktop for software development. ### 17. Most customizable Linux out there, and there's no doubt about it. **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Anubhav M. | Electrical Engineer, Automotive, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 02, 2022 **What do you like best about Arch?** Arch has Pacman, that is better than using apt, which often installs the old packages and asks for updates every once in a while. Well, arch, it's stable, and you need not worry about anything; if the system is stable at launch, it's stable. More than anything else, that part is the most important. Arch is for people looking to deploy a specific project instead of tinkering. **What do you dislike about Arch?** For starters, definitely not recommended. The OS is streamlined and highly efficient, but boy, is it buggy. More than anything, if you aren't experienced in Linux for at least two years, I don't recommend it. There are a lot of problems, and those problems aren't easy to solve. Arch is excellent, only for experts. It is beautiful, the best Linux for limited hardware, and for a good reason. That being the base that is rock hard stable. But it is difficult to code in, and solving problems can be challenging, but nevertheless, it is fantastic. If you can get it to work, it's the best there is. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** ROS platforms. Robotics systems. IoT hardware all works as best as it can on Arch. Arch is the best form of Linux that exist. Now, I realize it isn't easy to use, but if you can deploy it here, that's the end game. It will work, and it will work great. ### 18. Arch Linux for Freedom & Full Control **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Erdem E. | Technical Support Services Deputy Manager, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** June 15, 2022 **What do you like best about Arch?** Arch Linux is one of the best Linux distros which allows a user to customize almost all the features and properties of the operating system. Besides a user can choose the components, services and applications which are going to be installed. **What do you dislike about Arch?** The first installation process is hard for inexperienced users. On the other hand, once a user forgets to install an application that is necessary for him/her; during a study or a process, it is very likely to have an error because of a missing application or dependencies. It has to be installed when it is needed, later. **Recommendations to others considering Arch:** You can start with Manjaro first if you are on your baby steps. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Arch is an Operating System, which is a very good option as a Linux distro. When I compare Windows and Linux operating systems regarding their resource management; my choice is always Linux. However, when I have to choose a Linux Distro; Arch Linux is one of my best favorite distros. It needs very low system resources! So I can install it to my old fashioned laptop. ### 19. Arch Linux is the best DIY Linux distro for tinkerers **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Deepesh S. | Content Writer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 24, 2022 **What do you like best about Arch?** The best thing about Arch Linux is the DIY philosophy it is based upon. With Arch Linux, you've to set up everything yourself. The installation is command-based and post-installation, you'll only be left with a command line. You'll even have to install the desktop yourself. **What do you dislike about Arch?** Arch Linux is very complicated for new Linux users as setting it up demands at least intermediate knowledge of Linux. But Manjaro is a beginner-friendly version of Arch Linux that users can use if Arch is too sophisticated for them. **Recommendations to others considering Arch:** Arch Linux- I can't recommend it less to any Linux enthusiast and tinkerer. If you want to improve your knowledge of operating systems and want to add Linux administration to your repertoire, then Arch Linux is the perfect operating system for you, no doubt. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** By installing Arch Linux, I get a desktop that I truly have complete control over. I can even customize the smallest of things about the OS and my desktop. I like to personalize my devices and Arch lets me do that out-of-the-box. ### 20. It is the best distro that I've ever used after 25+ years of using Linux. **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Ángel V. | Senior Software Engineer, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 03, 2022 **What do you like best about Arch?** Arch is by far the only distribution that suits different types of needs that I have had over the history as a system administrator, software engineer and, of course, as a Linux user. It always had new versions of the most popular packages **What do you dislike about Arch?** It's not the friendliest for new users, but if you are willing to spend the time, you'll read the documentation (Arch Wiki) and you will figure out everything that you need to know and learn valuable knowledge. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** It always have new versions of the packages that I need, I get updates first on Arch than everywhere else. ### 21. I have used arch regularly for 5 years but I have not gone too deep. **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer Software | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 14, 2022 **What do you like best about Arch?** It is quite customizable. But my favorite thing about Arch is the package management "Pacman", it is very easy to use and straightforward. Another thing to take into account is the documentation, Arch has some very helpful documentation. **What do you dislike about Arch?** I have faced some issues when updating my OS. Sometimes I have been obligated to use the terminal to solve the problem because I'm not able to start the window manager or any other visual tool. These problems are regularly related to my graphic card drivers. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use Arch as my main OS, which I use when I'm working on my projects. Most development tools are available from pacman, otherwise you will probably find an AUR package with the tool you need. ### 22. Best Linux distribution out there **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Information Technology and Services | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 18, 2021 **What do you like best about Arch?** Not only is Arch an incredible and customizable distribution the arch wiki is incredible. It goes over every single aspect of the OS from installation to software and more. The resources you have available to you for free is simply outstanding and nothing compares. **What do you dislike about Arch?** If you have no knowledge of Linux systems then you may find it difficult to install even with the wiki. There are installation scripts available that may make it easier, but it isn't super simple like some OS's. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use this OS on my personal / work laptop. It helps me be more productive and less downtime than traditional OS like windows / mac os. You have full control over the device which is a must for me. ### 23. Arch Linux review **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Prateek U. | Associate software developer, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 19, 2022 **What do you like best about Arch?** First of all the thing I like the most in it is that it is so lightweight. I installed it in my pc as well as in the raspberry pi. **What do you dislike about Arch?** It's better if they provide updates sooner. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** I am a software developer so basically I used this OS so its make process faster during the development. ### 24. Great linux distribution for advance users **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Biki D. | Marketing Lead, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 25, 2022 **What do you like best about Arch?** Arch is not for everyone, it is for the professionals by the professionals, I loved it's open system architecture and learning curve. Used manjaro which is based on arch, truly amazing experience. **What do you dislike about Arch?** The learning curve can be bit good for new users, better nvidia graphic driver support for new laptops as we get to work a lot with it. Better memory management. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** We are solving day to day devops operations with arch, our devops team use it everyday here to stay productive. We mostly use it ssh features here in the team regularly. ### 25. It's more streamlined than other linux operating systems **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Arnab T. | Software developer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** June 30, 2021 **What do you like best about Arch?** The user experience to be specific. With the power of an amazing security as well as the terminal commands, it makes it easier and faster to navigate across the folders and do much more than just writing commands. **What do you dislike about Arch?** Didn't really like the way the UI looks like. Though, the UX is amazing, UI took a big hit on this one. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** We were using the OS to handle AWS connections and everything related to AWS services. ### 26. Best Linux Distro **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer Networking | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 10, 2021 **What do you like best about Arch?** High degree of package availability when in cluding the AUR in the repositories. It's relatively easy to install if you just watch youtube videos honestly. The only challenge there is perhaps if you have some issues with the EFI boot options. Buit those are usually surmountable **What do you dislike about Arch?** Had some stability issues with complex hardware interfaces. If you can't figure it out you can always try manjaro for additional stability **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Well you need an OS to install packages and it just holds the greatest breadth of software options ### 27. The Os for people who know (or wants to know) Linux. **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Giovanni P. | Programmer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 22, 2020 **What do you like best about Arch?** You have the ability to customize everything about Arch. From the desktop environment to the kernel. The repository is full of all software imaginable and the AUR (Arch user repository) provides what isn't yet available. It is also a rolling release, but in Arch case, everything is stable anyway, as I have never experienced crashes or bad perfomance. **What do you dislike about Arch?** Your first installation of Arch is slow and prone to error, but then you became much more quicker. It misses good defaults so to get an usable experience you have to thinker a lot. As a rolling release it could break, so it's not advisable to use Arch as a server, but you can always try. **Recommendations to others considering Arch:** The Arch wiki is your best friend! Everything you need to know is written there. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** I wanted a system where everything was decided by me. The Arch package manager (Pacman) is the best of all distros, super simple to use and fast. ### 28. Arch Linux Review from daily user **Rating:** 2.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Information Technology and Services | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 15, 2020 **What do you like best about Arch?** There is no predefined template or software list, you have the freedom to install what you want plus you get latest version of software. **What do you dislike about Arch?** There is an element of uncertainty as you are using latest software. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** I get a lightweight simple linux distro which you can design to your liking ### 29. Arch, an operating system with the latest updates **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Louis H. | Sales Manager, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 11, 2019 **What do you like best about Arch?** What I liked the most about Archlinux is that when installing it the user selects and installs only those programs that he needs and nothing else, I have used many operating systems and they all come with applications that I never use but I can not uninstall and personally it is very annoying because they occupy space unnecessarily, This with Archlinux has been solved to the point that the user chooses which desktop to use. (CInnamon, GNOME, KDE ...) Another aspect to highlight Archlinux is its community, which is by far the most active after Ubuntu, which is surprising because ArchLinux is far from being one of the most used operating systems, its position in the ranking is 9. The facility to update the system is also something that characterizes Archlinux, we must simply execute a command from the terminal and confirm that we want to update, unlike the popular belief, update Archlinux is very safe and in the many years that I have been using it has never been damaged. **What do you dislike about Arch?** The only problem I have had with Archlinux has been with its repositories which sometimes, when updating, have failed since the server had problems and appeared numerous errors (404) so I was forced to use another different location to USA. **Recommendations to others considering Arch:** I recommend Archlinux for very advanced users in the Linux world in case you are thinking of using this system in your work, I must warn you that it is not easy to configure this OS for the first time, so if you can not waste time looking for solutions in Internet, you should choose other Arch-based OS that require less configuration. I also recommend that you use the official documentation of the Arch Wiki since it is very complete and personally I have always been very useful. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Personally, I use Archlinux as the main OS both at home and at work, where I can use the OS with which I feel most comfortable when working. In my case I chose Archlinux because it is a distribution that once customized to the user's taste is very easy and quick to use. It also does not require licenses so it is completely free. ### 30. For Linux connoisseurs **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Alicia A. | Solution Alchemist and Dream Manager, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 29, 2019 **What do you like best about Arch?** It's a clean linux distribution ready to grow to the needs and wants of the user. It's package system is really solid but you can also compile additional packages thanks to it's AUR (Archlinux user repository) **What do you dislike about Arch?** As with everything Linux video drivers are not the best, sometimes framerates and framebuffers are glitchy. I find annoying that the makers of graphic cards don't thake this into account and in Linux the performance is hindered where it's not in other OSs. **Recommendations to others considering Arch:** Try it, specially if you are more freedom oriented. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Productivity. For developers finding a Linux distribution that you're comfortable with is gold. ### 31. Powerful rolling release **Rating:** 3.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Information Technology and Services | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 13, 2019 **What do you like best about Arch?** Arch is best if you want to have full control over your Linux environment. The rolling release style of updates mean that you almost never need to reinstall. **What do you dislike about Arch?** There is a steep learning curve using Arch, over other distros, like Suse or Red Hat. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Arch is great for testing with bleeding edge software. ### 32. Bleeding edge lightweight software with some risk **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Jaime M. | Software Developer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 08, 2018 **What do you like best about Arch?** You always have the latest version of any program. It has an awesome wiki that helps with anything. Very easy to customize (you install only what you want). Huge software repositories, which provide any software you might want. **What do you dislike about Arch?** Because it is rolling release, your installation might break sometimes. Somewhat difficult to install and maintain for the first time. Sometimes it is difficult to get help from the community as they aren't really that friendly to new users, it is recomended to start with other distros before Arch. **Recommendations to others considering Arch:** Make sure you are knowledge enough and have enough experience with Linux before trying out Arch, it has a steep learning and adaptation curve. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** A very lightweight distro that allows you to only run software you want, I would say it is very good for staging or pre-staging. It also allowed me to use software I would not be able to use in other Linux distributions without doing funny stuff. And if you have some experience with Arch it is pretty easy to fix problems with drivers, updates, etc. ### 33. Not for the faint-hearted. **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Jerome I. | Software Engineer, Computer Software, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 18, 2018 **What do you like best about Arch?** What do you get out-of-the-box in this distro? Trick question: it doesn't come in a box. With Arch, you configure your operating system yourself. Arch Linux is simply the most vanilla you can get when it comes to Linux operating systems. Sure, a lot of people will discourage you to jump into it because of the steep learning curve, but it's absolutely worth it. It might take you an entire week to just install it, but just by getting into a tty terminal of your newly-installed system, you've already learned so much about how Linux works. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. With Arch, you're getting yourself in full control of your system, choosing all your configurations along the way and learning bits and pieces about how Linux and computers work in general. Ultimately, the best thing about Arch is its simplicity and its philosophy. There is absolutely no bloat. All you ever start with are the essentials to make your computer beep. Just add what you need when you need it. And since you put everything together yourself, you can tailor each Arch installation specific to your needs. Need to install Arch on a 30-year-old laptop? Or perhaps you want a portable Arch installation on a 4GB thumb drive? Configure your system in the best way possible for your use-case. Personally, I was attracted by Arch because I never really liked the window managers bundled with any OS ever. Replacing it with another leaves my system with unused packages I may never see again, and that just feels dirty to me. The other beauty of Arch is its package repositories and the AUR. If it's on linux, you can probably bet that there is an Arch package for it. All the packages are just so diverse, and you can easily build your own PKGBUILD configurations if none exist for the program you need. Lastly, Arch Linux is a rolling release distro. Personally, I find this as an advantage since it's much less of a hassle to upgrade especially when you can do it more often. It has been a very rare case that I break existing packages when upgrading, unlike on biannually-releasing distros like Ubuntu. **What do you dislike about Arch?** I really can't say too much bad things about Arch Linux. Since it puts you in control of everything, it is only your fault if something goes wrong with your setup. This is the way Arch Linux is designed and the way that it should be used. The biggest issue with Arch is perhaps the AUR being unmoderated. The AUR repository may be full of wonderful packages, but without prior knowledge and careful checking of each PKGBUILD, there is no way of knowing if the package you're installing is trying to get root access and doing some funky business with your system. **Recommendations to others considering Arch:** 1: I would highly suggest for you not to use bulky Arch derivatives like Antergos and friends. It certainly makes installation exponentially easier, but if that's what you're after then you're probably better off with another pre-packaged distro like Ubuntu. 2: If you're considering Arch for your business solutions (deployment servers, for example), Vagrant or other image management tools might help greatly. 3: A bit of a stretch, but I would suggest that instead of using AUR helpers, you build your packages yourself and create a sustainable way of upgrading AUR packages regularly. This way, you'd get less surprises down the road plus you'd have the ability to customize some builds if they don't work properly. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Currently, I use Arch as my primary and daily Unix OS for development. I have it installed on a portable hard drive, taking up half its capacity for storage and swap while the other half is being used as a regular cross-plaftorm NTFS storage partition. My Arch is configured to run as an alternate boot device on any modern computer, so I always have my OS with me even when I don't bring my laptop. I am also considering build Arch images for lightweight and single-purpose deployment servers. ### 34. Very adaptive **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Rodrigo R. | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 19, 2018 **What do you like best about Arch?** The ability to make the workstation do/be anything you need. Very good when "wearing multiple hats" and extremely customizable. Compared to Windows 10, it is several times faster and much more elegant in design and use. The AUR makes installing non-standard packages very easy. With pacman/AUR, you have many more options than with Ubuntu and APT. **What do you dislike about Arch?** Sometimes, package management is interrupted by conflicting files. This is not a real problem, but it takes about 10 minutes to fix when it happens. **Recommendations to others considering Arch:** Make sure you have enough knowledge and experience with Linux before trying Arch, it has a very steep learning and adaptation curve. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Automations based on Python/Javascript. General use of the workstation (LibreOffice, etc). ### 35. Light GNU/Linux for low performance devices **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Nico C. | Web Developer, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 13, 2018 **What do you like best about Arch?** It has a minimal memory footprint, allowing the system to work mostly on essential tasks. Moreover, I like to have full control over system: Arch comes with a minimal CLI version; on top of this only the required packages are installed, in contrast with some more user-friendly distributions where all packages are installed, and then the user must delete all the non-required ones, often not being able to detect all of them. **What do you dislike about Arch?** 1. Installation is non-trivial. 2. Rolling release makes it hard to know when to update a packet, as newer version may not be entirely stable. 3. The number of officially supported packages is quite small, and it is often to use AUR 4. When the maintainer changes a package configuration file, the packet manager does not check for changes; thus it does not warn the user, asking the correct action to take. **Recommendations to others considering Arch:** Arch online documentation has an excellent guide on how to install it; following it step-by-step, it leads to a working version in a very short time. If you need a quick-and-dirty solution, there exist some scripts that make the whole process faster. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** It is useful mainly in two situations: 1. A cheap raspberry can be set up in CLI only mode and be used for ARM software testing and as a small server for network software. 2. It is excellent on virtual machines where a simple and effective DE with the minimum number of tool suffices. ### 36. Arch Linux for who want fast and custom setup. **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer Software | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 31, 2018 **What do you like best about Arch?** its got a really awesome wiki where you can know about every bit of the OS. from how to install to how to use a specific program. apart from that, the installed version is very minimal and one can add things according to his needs. pacman is one of the simplest and easy to use packagemanager **What do you dislike about Arch?** for a new user, it's a little confusing and difficult to use but he can always read the wiki. by default, the wiki is only available online so if your net drivers are not working you might have little trouble. but there is a package available for keeping wiki offline too. daily updates.if you fail to update it daily you might see a huge update in some time. **Recommendations to others considering Arch:** you should know how to read wiki because that is everything you need to use Arch in the best way. and don't use it for production level things if you are not very good with Linux cause due to the rolling nature of the OS you might break things **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** I have used it as a Desktop OS. the best benefit is that ist a rolling release so that I am able to enjoy cutting-edge software and able to receive all the bug patches fast. also due to the wiki, all the things were easy when it comes to setting up any software on the OS or things regarding driver support too ### 37. Powerful but Technical **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Tim S. | Web Developer Search Engine Optimization, Hospital & Health Care, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 23, 2018 **What do you like best about Arch?** Archlinux is the powerful baseline for Linux systems. You can include as little or as many features as you want. This makes it a good option for building sleek, fast systems. you can setup an Archlinux server to do exactly as you want, no more and no less. **What do you dislike about Arch?** Since it is a flexible system it also makes it very technical. While Archlinux has great documentation, it is a chore to setup. Unless your system needs the flexibility, Archlinux is often not worth the time. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** When setting up the webserver Archlinux was a candidate as it would allow a lot of control over our system. However, we instead went with CentOS as it was easier to setup and a very stable system. ### 38. Cutting edge software while maintaining stability **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Haoda W. | Research Assistant, Research, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 14, 2018 **What do you like best about Arch?** The package manager is simple and installs packages easily and without any hassle. The software is also cutting-edge and is updated frequently. **What do you dislike about Arch?** The installation process isn't automated and requires CLI usage. The cutting-edge nature means many things break however **Recommendations to others considering Arch:** Remember to save your previous packages and use downgrade when things break. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Arch allows for quick deployment and cutting edge software for testing purposes before deploying to a more stable installation ### 39. Arch is my daily driver **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Health, Wellness and Fitness | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 15, 2018 **What do you like best about Arch?** Arch is, by far, the best Linux distribution that I've ever tried. It gives me all the power to create a completely tailor-made installation on whatever device I happen to be on. **What do you dislike about Arch?** The installation process is not as simple as it used to be. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** The main reason why I think Arch is better than the rest is the package manager, otherwise known as pacman. It is fast and extremely solid. No other package manager has been this reliable in all my years of running Linux. ### 40. Extremely lean and hands on Linux distro **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer Software | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 13, 2018 **What do you like best about Arch?** The fact that you can start with a bare bones install, and get to a functional system based on what you need rather than whats assumed users need. **What do you dislike about Arch?** Microsoft firmware issues are a bit of a pain. But this is often a broad Linux support issue rather than an Arch Linux issue. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** It's the OS of one of my machines used for development. It's super fast and functional ### 41. Highly adaptable **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Marketing and Advertising | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 05, 2018 **What do you like best about Arch?** The ability to make the workstation do/be anything I need. Very good when "wearing multiple hats" and extremely customizable. Compared to Windows 10, it is several times faster and much sleeker in design and use. The AUR makes installation of non-standard packages very easy. With pacman/AUR, you have far more choices than you would with Ubuntu and APT. **What do you dislike about Arch?** On occasion, package management gets disrupted by conflicting files. This isn't a real issue, but does take about 10min to correct when it happens **Recommendations to others considering Arch:** Use a derivative like Manjaro. It's pre-packaged Arch, and has most everything built from scratch for you. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Python/Javascript based automations. General workstation use (LibreOffice, etc). ### 42. Clean and stable Linux distro **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Information Technology and Services | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 25, 2018 **What do you like best about Arch?** The ability to set it up the way you want to. No big bloat. **What do you dislike about Arch?** For beginners, it is not that easy to understand. **What problems is Arch solving and how is that benefiting you?** We use it to run some Linux only bash scripts for backups of our raspberrys ## Arch Discussions - [Does Arch use RPM or Deb?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/does-arch-use-rpm-or-deb) - 1 comment - [What is Arch Linux good for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-arch-linux-good-for) - 1 comment - [What are the features of Arch Linux?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-are-the-features-of-arch-linux) - 1 comment - [View Arch pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/arch/reviews?section=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-05-13+20%3A38%3A15+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=1a33d9a2-94f9-4ae7-94df-e32678d11d70&secure%5Btoken%5D=353ad8b9154f300f7d4dbfc1981afbdedb515d11bac07cf1c36071581ac93cec&format=llm_user) ## Arch Integrations - [Docker](https://www.g2.com/products/docker-inc-docker/reviews) - [Git](https://www.g2.com/products/git/reviews) - [VirtualBox](https://www.g2.com/products/virtualbox/reviews) - [Webex Suite](https://www.g2.com/products/cisco-webex-suite/reviews) ## Arch Features **Memory Management - Operating System** - RAM management **Device Management - Operating System** - I/O management **Backup and Recovery - Operating System** - Data backup **Error Detection - Operating System** - System operations monitoring ## Top Arch Alternatives - [Red Hat Enterprise Linux](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-enterprise-linux/reviews) - 4.6/5.0 (928 reviews) - [Kali Linux](https://www.g2.com/products/kali-linux/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (233 reviews) - [Fedora](https://www.g2.com/products/fedora/reviews) - 4.4/5.0 (203 reviews)