--- title: PureOS Reviews meta_title: 'PureOS Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2' meta_description: Filter 21 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to find out how PureOS works for a business like yours. aggregate_rating: rating_value: 4.3 review_count: 21 scale: '5' date_modified: '2026-06-25' parent_category: name: IT Infrastructure url: https://www.g2.com/categories/it-infrastructure --- # PureOS Reviews **Vendor:** PureOS **Category:** [Operating Systems](https://www.g2.com/categories/operating-system) **Average Rating:** 4.3/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 21 ## About PureOS PureOS is a privacy-focused, open-source operating system developed by Purism, designed to provide users with a secure and user-friendly computing environment. Built upon the Debian GNU/Linux distribution, PureOS emphasizes user freedom, security, and privacy by including only free and open-source software. It is endorsed by the Free Software Foundation and is suitable for both desktop and mobile devices, offering a convergent experience across platforms. Key Features and Functionality: - Privacy and Security: PureOS is designed to protect user data and privacy, incorporating tools for encrypting communications and safeguarding sensitive information. - Free and Open-Source Software: The operating system includes a curated selection of free and open-source applications, allowing users to inspect, modify, and distribute the software. - Convergence: PureOS offers a seamless experience across devices, enabling the same operating system and applications to run on both desktops and smartphones, adapted for different screen sizes. - User-Friendly Interface: With desktop environments like GNOME and KDE Plasma, PureOS provides an intuitive and modern user interface suitable for a wide range of users. - Regular Updates: The system receives regular software updates to ensure stability, security, and access to the latest features. Primary Value and User Solutions: PureOS addresses the growing concerns over digital privacy and security by offering an operating system that respects user freedom and autonomy. By excluding proprietary software and potential surveillance mechanisms, it empowers users to have full control over their digital lives. Its convergent design ensures a consistent and secure experience across various devices, making it an ideal choice for individuals and organizations seeking a trustworthy and transparent computing platform. ## PureOS Pros & Cons **What users like:** - Users value the **uncompromising commitment to open source** in PureOS, offering unparalleled security and freedom in usage. (3 reviews) - Users value the **commitment to privacy and freedom** in PureOS, creating a secure and transparent environment. (2 reviews) - Users value PureOS for its **strong privacy focus** , providing a secure environment for browsing and personal security. (2 reviews) - Users value the **security and privacy features** of PureOS, making it a reliable choice for safe browsing. (2 reviews) - Users appreciate the **ease of use** of PureOS, benefiting from its simplicity and regular updates. (1 reviews) - Users praise the **easy installation** of PureOS, enabling a seamless start to their open source experience. (1 reviews) - Users value the **privacy and security focus** of PureOS, praising its use of AppArmor and Wayland for enhanced safety. (1 reviews) - Regular Updates (1 reviews) - Virus Protection (1 reviews) **What users dislike:** - Users experience **performance issues** with PureOS, citing optimization needs and limited multimedia support affecting usability. (2 reviews) - Users struggle with **hardware compatibility** in PureOS, facing issues with drivers for NVIDIA GPUs and various peripherals. (1 reviews) - Users face significant **driver issues** with PureOS, struggling with hardware incompatibility and needing community support for solutions. (1 reviews) - Users feel the **lack of support** for PureOS limits problem-solving and overall user experience significantly. (1 reviews) - Users find the **limited customization options** of PureOS restrict their ability to tailor the experience to their needs. (1 reviews) - Search Issues (1 reviews) ## PureOS Reviews ### 1. PureOS: The Gold Standard for Security and Software Freedom **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Radhika A. | Manager, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 09, 2025 **What do you like best about PureOS?** I primarily use PureOS for general web browsing, managing my email, and most importantly, anything related to personal security and privacy. It's my safe space machine. PureOS comes pre-configured with a browser that has tracker blocking enabled by default, which immediately cuts down on surveillance on the web. I like PureOS's uncompromising commitment to software freedom. It's not just a secure Linux distribution, it's a philosophical statement. PureOS enforces a strict 100% free and open source software policy, excluding all proprietary drivers, which ensures control and transparency. **What do you dislike about PureOS?** The biggest hurdle for me with PureOS is hardware compatibility because it refuses to include proprietary binary drivers like those needed for many cards like NVIDIA GPUs. Some modern Wi-Fi chipsets, specialized graphic cards, or certain peripherals simply won't work out of the box, forcing the user to occasionally search for community workarounds or stick to FOSS-compatible hardware. **What problems is PureOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use PureOS for privacy-focused browsing and email management. It's pre-configured with a tracker-blocking browser, enhancing my focus by reducing web surveillance. I value its commitment to free and open-source software, despite occasional hardware compatibility challenges. ### 2. PURE OS PRINCIPALS **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Jeffrey K. | VICE PRESIDENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 27, 2025 **What do you like best about PureOS?** PROFESSIONAL USES SUPPORT STRONG PRIVACY AND A SECURE BROWSER WITH PUREBROWSER. **What do you dislike about PureOS?** PURE OS DOES NOT OFFER A FREE VERSION DETERRING SOME USERS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR COST-EFFECTIVE OPTION. **What problems is PureOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** PROFESSIONAL USES ALLOWS USERS TO INSTALL FREE SOFTWARE. ### 3. PureOS is pure trustful **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Magdiel C. | Web Developer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 30, 2025 **What do you like best about PureOS?** This is one of the best open source operating systems, offering a true sense of freedom to create whatever you desire. From the very first installation, you can experience its fresh and pure essence. **What do you dislike about PureOS?** It seems like there still isn't much information available on social media or through advertising. **What problems is PureOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** This software is easy to use and comes with a license. Its open-source nature is important to me, and I also appreciate that it protects your data. ### 4. Geniun review **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Aswal S. | Software engineer, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 01, 2024 **What do you like best about PureOS?** Its open source and easy to use. Regular updates. The OS recieves security updates uptodate. The OS comes with less pre-installed apps. **What do you dislike about PureOS?** OS needs to be optimised more for better performance. The community support for this OS is less, May be it is becuse of the less users. **What problems is PureOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** Since the PureOS is open source, i can do any modification if it is desired and i have the overall control of the system. So i can explore more on a operating system. ### 5. A Mixed Bag: PureOS Review **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Ajay T. | Senior Software Engineer, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 18, 2024 **What do you like best about PureOS?** Privacy and Security Focus especially using AppArmor and Wayland for application isolation. Developer-Friendly Features. **What do you dislike about PureOS?** Limited Multimedia Support resulting in a lag in videos. Limited customization options **What problems is PureOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** The issue of widespread digital spying is resolved with PureOS. PureOS solves several security-related issues. ### 6. Exploring PureOS: A Balance of Ideals and Limitations **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Anirudh S. | ReactJS Developer , Information Technology and Services, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 31, 2023 **What do you like best about PureOS?** PureOS stands out as an operating system committed to upholding privacy and open-source ideals. Its default encryption and anti-tracking features provide users with a heightened sense of security, a rarity in today’s digital landscape. The minimalistic interface ensures a clutter-free experience, allowing users to focus on tasks efficiently. The curated selection of open-source software reflects the OS’s dedication to ethical principles, fostering a community-driven approach to software development. **What do you dislike about PureOS?** However, PureOS does face certain limitations. The software library, though commendable in its ethical stance, might not cater to all user needs. A more diverse range of applications would enhance its usability for a broader audience. Additionally, while the interface’s simplicity is appreciated, it lacks some visual polish found in other systems. This might deter users who are accustomed to more modern designs. **What problems is PureOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** PureOS allows for a safer and more secure use and web browsing experience than non-free operating systems. It benefits me by providing: 1. Privacy and Security 2. Open Source 3. User Freedom 4. App Ecosystem 5. Ethical Computing 6. Reduced Vendor Lock-in 7. Long-Term Sustainability ### 7. Best OS **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Information Technology and Services | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 22, 2024 **What do you like best about PureOS?** Ease of use and way it's flexible and fluid to use. **What do you dislike about PureOS?** Complexity in algorithms and sometimes little slow **What problems is PureOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** For people not familiar with complex OS. PureOS gives a platform they can easily get used to ### 8. Great! **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Civil Engineering | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 02, 2024 **What do you like best about PureOS?** Compatible with other software our company uses! **What do you dislike about PureOS?** Hard to learn at first. Hard to teach new hires **What problems is PureOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** It is allowing us to become more organized. ### 9. A nice Linux version **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Hakan K. | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 09, 2023 **What do you like best about PureOS?** Easy to install. Based on Debian. Nice look. **What do you dislike about PureOS?** Its Linux and could be a little hard to learn if you have not used linux before **What problems is PureOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** Not solving any particular problem, but is nice to use ### 10. PureOS - A Secure and Open Source Operating System for Everyone **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Ruchit S. | UI/UX Designer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 31, 2023 **What do you like best about PureOS?** The best thing about PureOS is its commitment to user privacy and security. PureOS is a fully free and open-source Linux distribution that is built on top of Debian and is designed to be secure, reliable and easy to use. It comes with built-in privacy and security features like secure boot, sandboxing, and end-to-end encryption. It also has a wide range of applications and software packages available for installation, including web browsers, office suites, multimedia programs, and games. PureOS also provides a range of tools for developers and system administrators, making it a great choice for both users and developers alike. **What do you dislike about PureOS?** PureOS has some drawbacks. One of the biggest complaints about PureOS is its lack of hardware compatibility. Since PureOS is focused on privacy and security, the developers are less likely to include proprietary hardware drivers, which makes it difficult to use certain hardware on the system. Additionally, PureOS does not have access to an extensive software repository like other operating systems, which means users may have trouble finding specialized software. Finally, PureOS is still a relatively new operating system and may lack some of the features and stability of more established operating systems. **What problems is PureOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** PureOS is an open source Linux-based OS that can be used for a variety of tasks. It is designed to be lightweight, secure, and reliable. It can be used as a desktop OS, server OS, or as a platform for creating applications. It is also capable of running applications from a variety of different programming languages, including Python, JavaScript, and PHP. PureOS can be used to create web applications, media applications, and even games. It can also be used to create virtual machines and cloud-based applications. ### 11. Investigating Linux Phone(s) **Rating:** 2.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Douglas S. | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 07, 2023 **What do you like best about PureOS?** Security, Privacy & overall Ethical business behavior **What do you dislike about PureOS?** My lack of experience hinders a proper answer **What problems is PureOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** I was a bit confused using an earlier version (how to install & configure) due to my inexperience with Wayland ### 12. Pure os linus **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Mehul M. | Student, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 22, 2022 **What do you like best about PureOS?** It usually focuses on privacy and security using gnome desktop environment. Use by purism in the company's librem laptop computers as well as librem 5 smartphone. **What do you dislike about PureOS?** Sometimes it takes took much time or get lag sometime.otherwise rest of th thing is good also it focuses on security. .need much more features for the security purposes. **What problems is PureOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** Pureos is a Debian based linux distribution which is a open source software package from the debian.it focuses on security and privacy features using gnome desktop environment. ### 13. PureOS my views **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Arjun M. | DevOps Engineer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** June 14, 2022 **What do you like best about PureOS?** The security part of Pureos is wonderfull, Phosh for the mobile system makes it a step ahead, and from the developer side, it is great. The size of the os for the phone compared to android is way smaller **What do you dislike about PureOS?** There arent anything that is to be disliked , but UI/UX may be improved a little in the future, from a dev perspective its good, consumer perspective OS for computers GNOME and KDE is also good. **Recommendations to others considering PureOS:** For someone who has used to Debian, it would be so simple to configure. **What problems is PureOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** Mainly I could say the security-related part it handles well, yes there OS like tails, but for me, it's more user-friendly and it's maintained constantly, and can be used for the DevOps process. ### 14. Open Source Privacy & Security at its Best **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Joseph R. | President and CEO, Information Technology and Services, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 14, 2022 **What do you like best about PureOS?** That is use a very effective Open SourceModel based with a Linux privacy and security focus. The uses GUI, features and performance in there when needed for all application types we need where we need it. **What do you dislike about PureOS?** The update process can be much better in rolling out needed software updates. Also, the competition is stiff with the likes of Majaro Linux, ChromeOS and macOS. **Recommendations to others considering PureOS:** Let PureOS be one of the first solutions for security and privacy needs because it is solid. **What problems is PureOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** The security and privacy issues we have with some Federal clients are at the top of the list. More excellent stability through new tooling for managing older versions of TPM chips. ### 15. Privacy for the Workplace **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Stewart T. | Associate Professor of Sacred Music, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 30, 2021 **What do you like best about PureOS?** PureOS is, at heart a straightforward operating system that takes the user friendly approach of Ubuntu, with a plethora of open source software options allied to a privacy conscious model that helps keep data secure. **What do you dislike about PureOS?** There is of course a lack of many business applications available for Linux, which can be a problem in some instances. Open Source alternatives exist for many needs and these are often good but more obscure or strongly enforced proprietary formats will not always be accessible. A move to PureOS would need careful management and the willingness to embrace whole new systems throughout any organisation **Recommendations to others considering PureOS:** Embrace the new opportunities and leave preconceptions about open source at the door. This is a rich, well featured and stable OS well suited to enterprise environments if you can make the change to new resources or Web based ones provide them. It can be a challenge but also very rewarding. **What problems is PureOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** Hardware lock in is removed and lifespan of much hardware is extended subsequently. We have also been able to secure information in aanner not always possible on either Windows or MacOS. Especially beneficial is the ability to ensure staff and students all have the same software set without any barriers due to budget. ### 16. no worries about security with this system **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Chris W. | Managing Director, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 07, 2022 **What do you like best about PureOS?** all software is free and open source and 100% secure **What do you dislike about PureOS?** I feel that pure OS is a bit out of date and it's a bit more complex to used in other distros. Also the compatibility with Apple product is not suitable for my usage. **What problems is PureOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** In my workplace I need a very secure operating system that can guarantee me security and with pure OS I find that I can go about in my activities without having to worry about my security I also love the use of friendliness of pure os. ### 17. Nice OS for Low End Laptops **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Utkal Raj S. | Executive Administration, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 09, 2020 **What do you like best about PureOS?** PureOS has a very neat and clear interface with no distractions. This OS focuses on User Privacy and its security. Because it is less memory consuming you can work with a heavy application smoothly on PureOS **What do you dislike about PureOS?** The updats of the PureOS is very slow which is a bit pain for the users. **Recommendations to others considering PureOS:** If you have a low end Laptop and you have heavy applications to work with. I recommend PureOS as a perfect OS for you. **What problems is PureOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** The main problem PureOS is solving is, working with heavy applicatioin. Unlike other OS, PureOS runs the heavy application smoothly because it cunsumes low RAM. ### 18. Pure OS **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** IGNESH P. | ANALYST, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 14, 2020 **What do you like best about PureOS?** Pure OS is one of the best ones i have used. It is very user friendly and we are able to use multiple applications at a single time. it is a very user interactive one and we can sure able to configure our own things for our convinience. We can integrate several software's and applications in this pure OS and we can use multiple applications so that we can perform several actions in a single time. Its one of the best i have used until now. **What do you dislike about PureOS?** there is nothing much to dislike but there are some things we should note while configuring our system with this Pure OS. There are some disadvantages we should be notified that we are able to handle with some precautions . The Pure OS when integrated with other software it faces some issues which can be easily rectified by troubleshooting **Recommendations to others considering PureOS:** I strongly others to use this software as it is very user friendly and reliable by all means. And for sure the cost of it is also very low compared to others .We can use this Pure OS to do several works at an instant. So i do recommend using this OS for users who do multiple works at a time. **What problems is PureOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** Pure OS can be integrated with other software for perfectly handling some issues. Some of them include like we are able to maintain several integrated software in a single OS so that we can easily do multiple works and maintain several works at a time . Pure OS is a very reliable one and the price for this OS is also very affordable. ### 19. A great Gnome 3 based distro that has a mobile version! **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Information Technology and Services | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 18, 2021 **What do you like best about PureOS?** Purism is a company that respects user privacy, in it's hardware and software products **What do you dislike about PureOS?** Being tied down to the Ubuntu package management system **What problems is PureOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** Freedom respecting hardware and software, privacy by design is a benefit to us all ### 20. My review for PureOS **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Anusha M. | Emergency Roadside Dispatcher, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 30, 2020 **What do you like best about PureOS?** I am user of Gnome and I find that PureOS similar to Stock Gnome. Side note it is easy to run, does not crash and does not need a lot of space to run. It is a very safe and secure and has a positive we browsing experience with minimal to no issues -Logos and appeal are very modern -Initial set up is easy and quick -very accessible and easy to use **What do you dislike about PureOS?** -No customizable help screen is available -Lack of multimedia support -iImage quality and lagging issue with video -No welcome screen **Recommendations to others considering PureOS:** Yes I would definitely recommend PureOS for users to try **What problems is PureOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** Much easier to use on a pc ### 21. OS Free and easy to use, with all the tools i need **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Juan P. | Gerente general de ventas, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 16, 2019 **What do you like best about PureOS?** Based on Debian and using GNOME, it makes it similar to any Linux OS, Unlike others I have used, the application store is more complete and the OS is very light and fast on any computer, it requires very few resources to run it. i run it on a 32GB pendrive. **What do you dislike about PureOS?** Unlike other linux that I have used, this one lacks a complement in the modification base. **Recommendations to others considering PureOS:** I would, but I really like other software I just met. **What problems is PureOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** I installed them on my company's management computer equipment, so they worked lightly and quickly on PCs ## PureOS Discussions - [Is PureOS an android?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/pureos-is-pureos-an-android-af16db49-7383-46b4-9aba-625392f333cf) - 1 comment - [View PureOS pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/pureos/reviews?section=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-06-27+18%3A44%3A38+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=e8868417-5ac7-4f77-9f85-f57b9b8af127&secure%5Btoken%5D=0b755d788787f1c131eb8d5f787da928d20fcd611d271a4b4ba33eb781b08879&format=llm_user) ## PureOS Integrations - [Nextcloud](https://www.g2.com/products/nextcloud/reviews) ## PureOS 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 PureOS Alternatives - [Ubuntu](https://www.g2.com/products/ubuntu/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (2,337 reviews) - [Debian](https://www.g2.com/products/debian/reviews) - 4.6/5.0 (219 reviews) - [Fedora](https://www.g2.com/products/fedora/reviews) - 4.4/5.0 (206 reviews)