--- title: ReactOS Reviews meta_title: 'ReactOS Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2' meta_description: Filter 29 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to find out how ReactOS works for a business like yours. aggregate_rating: rating_value: 4.1 review_count: 29 scale: '5' date_modified: '2026-08-04' parent_category: name: IT Infrastructure url: https://www.g2.com/categories/it-infrastructure --- # ReactOS Reviews **Vendor:** ReactOS Foundation **Category:** [Operating Systems](https://www.g2.com/categories/operating-system) **Average Rating:** 4.1/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 29 ## About ReactOS ReactOS is a free and open-source operating system designed to be compatible with Windows applications and drivers. It aims to provide a familiar user experience by replicating the look and feel of Windows, enabling users to run their favorite Windows software in an open-source environment. ReactOS is developed from scratch, ensuring that it is not a derivative of Linux, but a standalone system with its own architecture. Key Features and Functionality: - Windows Compatibility: ReactOS is capable of running a wide range of Windows applications and drivers, offering users the flexibility to use software they are accustomed to. - Familiar Interface: The operating system mirrors the appearance and functionality of Windows, reducing the learning curve for new users. - Open Source: Being open-source, ReactOS allows users and developers to view, modify, and distribute its source code, fostering a collaborative development environment. - Active Community: The project is supported by a global community, providing opportunities for collaboration, skill enhancement, and contribution to the development of the operating system. Primary Value and User Solutions: ReactOS addresses the need for a free and open-source operating system that maintains compatibility with Windows software and drivers. This is particularly beneficial for users and organizations seeking an alternative to proprietary systems without sacrificing the ability to run essential Windows applications. Additionally, ReactOS serves as an educational platform for those interested in learning about operating system development and Windows internals, offering practical experience in a real-world project. ## ReactOS Pros & Cons **What users like:** - Users value the **compatibility with Windows applications** in ReactOS, enjoying a lightweight and open-source operating system. (4 reviews) - Users appreciate the **full compatibility with Windows applications and drivers** that ReactOS offers in an open-source environment. (3 reviews) - Users appreciate the **hardware support** of ReactOS, effectively reviving old systems and enhancing application performance. (3 reviews) - Users appreciate the **lightweight size** of ReactOS, which makes it perfect for older hardware and experimentation. (3 reviews) - Users appreciate the **customization and personalization** options in ReactOS, making it user-friendly and efficient for various needs. (1 reviews) - Users appreciate the **easy setup** of ReactOS, making installation quick and enhancing the overall user experience. (1 reviews) - Users value the **free and open-source** nature of ReactOS, making it a great choice for organizations. (1 reviews) - Users love the **hardware compatibility** of ReactOS, effectively reviving old systems and running legacy Windows applications. (1 reviews) - Linux/Ubuntu OS (1 reviews) - Powerful Features (1 reviews) **What users dislike:** - Users experience **driver issues** with ReactOS, leading to instability and limited compatibility with modern applications. (3 reviews) - Users often experience **system crashes** due to ReactOS's early development stage, affecting reliability and daily use. (3 reviews) - Users face **compatibility issues** with ReactOS, as it struggles with modern applications and NTFS support, limiting usability. (2 reviews) - Users face **hardware limitations** with ReactOS, making it unreliable for daily use and affecting overall performance. (2 reviews) - Users find the **limited software support** of ReactOS concerning, as it struggles with compatibility and reliability issues. (2 reviews) - Users experience **slow updates** with ReactOS, leading to stability issues and limited compatibility with drivers and applications. (2 reviews) - Lack of Support (1 reviews) - Users experience **unstable and limited software compatibility** with ReactOS, hindering usability and performance in various applications. (1 reviews) ## ReactOS Reviews ### 1. Great for Old Hardware, But Limited Support **Rating:** 3.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer Software | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 11, 2025 **What do you like best about ReactOS?** ideal for reviving old hardware and open-source Windows-like OS that runs old Windows apps and drivers **What do you dislike about ReactOS?** Limited Hardware and Software Support and Slow Development **What problems is ReactOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** Proprietary Lock-in and Licensing Costs, and eliminating licensing costs, and giving users and developers full access to the source code for review ### 2. Promising **Rating:** 3.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Financial Services | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 17, 2024 **What do you like best about ReactOS?** Free, open-source Windows compatible alternative. **What do you dislike about ReactOS?** Unstable and limited software compatibility. **What problems is ReactOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** ReactOS solves the need for a free, open-source way to run Windows apps and drivers. It beenfits me by offering Windows compatibility without licensing costs. It also allows to run older software on resource limited hardware. ### 3. Best OS to get the taste of Windows + Open source **Rating:** 2.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** JAYARAJ J 1. | Developer, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** June 29, 2021 **What do you like best about ReactOS?** ReactOS is all about the porting of Windows applications to a Linux environment which gives the power of open source and freedom to users. Though the OS is not very much user-friendly, it has powerful options for customization, which makes it rather a better option to choose. If you ask me to choose Windows or ReactOS, I will go with ReactOS, since it is extremely developer-friendly, and I like to work in the development of the OS too. **What do you dislike about ReactOS?** The UI still looks like decades-old Windows XP. Which is very very bad for a better user experience. We could switch to KDE or GNOME for a better User experience. That would bring the power of Linux + Windows together. **Recommendations to others considering ReactOS:** Try to engage in the open-source community of ReactOS **What problems is ReactOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** The problem of using emulators like WinE for using Windows apps on Linux has been solved up to some extend. Still, the UX is very bad, and it's better to go with other major distros. I like open-source contributions hence I like to stick with the Linux environment rather than switching to Windows to build its apps specifically. Hence this gives a better choice to use rather than using Windows. ### 4. It allows you to use windows as an open source but at the price of interface. **Rating:** 2.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Karan G. | Senior Information Technology Recruitment Consultant, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 29, 2021 **What do you like best about ReactOS?** It lets me use windows as open source. Of course, it's easy to install and as it gives the old look of windows system that is also familiar. If you are a windows user, then you can use it easily. and it's free !! **What do you dislike about ReactOS?** The first thing is that it takes you to old-time and it doesn't support a few applications as well. **Recommendations to others considering ReactOS:** It's effortless to install. You can use it with an ace as it will give you a familiar look. **What problems is ReactOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** The only problem that it solved was the windows privacy issue which if you see from privacy concerns, then is excellent. ## ReactOS Discussions - [What is the features of each OS?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-the-features-of-each-os) - [Is ReactOS dead?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-reactos-dead) - [What is the point of ReactOS?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-the-point-of-reactos) - [What can ReactOS do?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-can-reactos-do) - [when will you g](https://www.g2.com/discussions/when-will-you-g) - 1 upvote - [View ReactOS pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/reactos/reviews?filters%5Bnps_score%5D%5B%5D=3§ion=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-08-07+08%3A13%3A43+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=4835cc38-f453-47f8-9818-33f500ab6702&secure%5Btoken%5D=b52e4aa5904e8f707cb5add5c65e94501110fec3b0f656138e5a8ad2a3fe23e0&format=llm_user) ## ReactOS Features **Memory Management - Operating System** - RAM management - App Management - File Management **Device Management - Operating System** - I/O management **Backup and Recovery - Operating System** - Data backup **Error Detection - Operating System** - System operations monitoring **Additional Functionality** - Generative AI - Data Security - User Interface - Resource Allocation - System Updates - For Developers - AI Copilot - Desktop Interface ## Top ReactOS Alternatives - [Linux Mint](https://www.g2.com/products/linux-mint/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (187 reviews) - [Windows 7](https://www.g2.com/products/windows-7/reviews) - 4.2/5.0 (873 reviews) - [Windows 11](https://www.g2.com/products/windows-11/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (4,120 reviews)