--- 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: '2026-07-07' 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 appreciate the **open-source compatibility** of ReactOS with Windows applications, providing a lightweight and cost-effective alternative. (4 reviews) - Users appreciate the **full compatibility with Windows applications and drivers** offered by ReactOS in a lightweight, open-source environment. (3 reviews) - Users enjoy the **exceptional hardware support** of ReactOS, effectively reviving old systems and running legacy applications seamlessly. (3 reviews) - Users appreciate the **lightweight size** of ReactOS, favoring its efficiency on older hardware for various tasks. (3 reviews) - Users value the **customization and personalization** of ReactOS, enhancing their experience and meeting specific testing 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 due to incomplete support and limited compatibility, impacting system reliability. (3 reviews) - Users experience **system crashes** due to ReactOS's early development stage, making it unsuitable for reliable daily use. (3 reviews) - Users face significant **compatibility issues** with ReactOS, affecting stability and support for modern applications and hardware. (2 reviews) - Users report **hardware limitations** with ReactOS, affecting reliability and compatibility for daily use and production environments. (2 reviews) - Users express concerns about **limited software** support in ReactOS, impacting functionality and compatibility with modern applications. (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. Easy-to-Use, Lightweight Windows-Like OS with Great Driver Compatibility **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** HASHAMI M. | TL, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 30, 2026 **What do you like best about ReactOS?** ReactOS is an open-source operating system. It’s easy to download and install, and its graphics feel very similar to Windows. It can run Windows executable files and apps, and it has an old-school Windows look from the early 2000s, like Windows XP. Overall, it’s very user-friendly and easy to use and understand, without demanding high system resources. It’s also highly compatible with Windows drivers and can be used to run older, classic Windows applications. It doesn’t require much hardware, and technically it can be an alternative to the modern Windows 11 look if you want a more classic Windows-like experience. It’s easy and convenient to use, not resource-hungry, and it works very easily in VirtualBox as well. The version I used felt stable, and I can see it being used as an everyday OS. **What do you dislike about ReactOS?** React OS is good, but because it uses an old Windows-style look and graphics, it sometimes feels like an outdated experience. At times, these older visuals make it less attractive, and I don’t feel like spending a lot of time using React OS. It also has some limitations, and the settings can be hard to access; they aren’t very straightforward, so it’s not easy to set up the proper environment for use. Sometimes it becomes unresponsive or lags, and it can feel unstable and buggy. It also has a very unpopular GUI similar to Windows NT, which, in my opinion, isn’t very appealing to users today. **What problems is ReactOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** It’s very closely compatible with Windows, so we haven’t had issues setting up drivers. With Windows, driver setup can be a very hectic task for users, and it often consumes a lot of time and effort. ReactOS saves that time and effort. It also has a very similar look to older versions of Windows. On top of that, it supports running executable files (.exe), so we mostly use ReactOS when we want to design software with that old, classic look. ### 2. A Lightweight Open-Source Platform for Windows-Compatible Legacy Software **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Broadcast Media | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 30, 2026 **What do you like best about ReactOS?** What I like best about ReactOS is its goal of being fully compatible with Windows applications and drivers while remaining open-source and lightweight. It offers a familiar Windows-like environment without licensing costs, gives transparency and control over the OS, and is especially useful for learning, experimentation, and running legacy software on modest hardware. **What do you dislike about ReactOS?** What I dislike about ReactOS is that it is still in an early development stage, which means stability issues, incomplete hardware driver support, and limited compatibility with some modern Windows applications. Bugs and crashes can occur, documentation is sometimes sparse, and it is not yet suitable for daily production use. As a result, it works better as an experimental or educational system than a reliable everyday OS. **What problems is ReactOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** ReactOS is solving the problem of dependence on proprietary Windows licensing and limited control over the operating system, especially for legacy or specialized applications. It benefits me by providing a free, open-source Windows-compatible environment where I can test, learn, and experiment without licensing costs, reuse older software and hardware, and better understand how Windows internals work. This makes it particularly useful for development, education, and legacy system testing rather than full production use. ### 3. Open-Source Windows Compatibility in a Lightweight, Familiar Environment **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Sourabh B. | Software Engineer, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 20, 2026 **What do you like best about ReactOS?** The best thing about ReactOS is its vision to provide Windows application and driver compatibility while being completely open source. It allows users to explore a familiar Windows-like environment without licensing costs. Its lightweight nature and open codebase make it very useful for learning, experimentation, and testing legacy applications. **What do you dislike about ReactOS?** ReactOS is still in an early development stage, which makes it unreliable for daily or production use. Many features are incomplete, system stability can be an issue, and hardware and driver support is limited. The community support and documentation are helpful but not yet as mature as other operating systems. **What problems is ReactOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** ReactOS helps solve the problem of dependency on proprietary Windows systems by offering an open-source alternative with similar compatibility goals. It is especially beneficial for developers and learners who want to test Windows-based software, study operating system internals, or work with legacy applications in a free and lightweight environment. ### 4. Free, Open-Source Windows Alternative That Cuts OS Licensing Costs **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Hospital & Health Care | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 29, 2026 **What do you like best about ReactOS?** ReactOS is an alternate to windows and offers free and open source operating system designed to run windows compatible applications. It offers most of the Windows familier features and saves OS license cost at the same time. **What do you dislike about ReactOS?** ReactOS has a small community and its not stable to run enterprise grade applications. **What problems is ReactOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** We have small low priority IT support applications run on ReactOS which are not business critical and helped us to save significant OS licensing cost. These are legacy appliations and runs perfectly on ReactOS platform. ### 5. Revives Legacy Applications with Ease **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Accounting | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 28, 2025 **What do you like best about ReactOS?** I appreciate ReactOS for its valuable role in providing real-world learning tools for developers interested in understanding the Windows kernel. For six months, I have found it particularly helpful in running older applications and for evaluation and testing purposes. I love its capability to use FAT16 or 32 for boot partitions, which aligns well with my testing needs. Moreover, ReactOS bridges the gap by running older applications that aren't backward compatible with other operating systems, which includes my usage of DOSBox. The performance of these applications on ReactOS impresses me, running smoother compared to other platforms. ReactOS is not hardware intensive, which is beneficial as it extends the life of aging systems and repurposes outdated hardware. I like the familiar Windows interface which makes it user-friendly and less intimidating. Additionally, the fast boot process is a feature I find appealing too. The straightforward setup and the ability for quick installation further enhance its user-friendly nature, making the experience pleasant and efficient overall. **What do you dislike about ReactOS?** I find the lack of NTFS support in ReactOS a limitation. It prevents me from using larger drives efficiently, which could enhance my experience significantly by allowing better utilization of storage resources and handling of larger files. **What problems is ReactOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use ReactOS to run older applications smoothly, bridging compatibility gaps other OS can't. It extends the life of aging systems, offers a user-friendly Windows-like interface, and a fast boot process. ### 6. Promising Open-Source Alternative to Windows **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** andré P. | WEB DEVELOPER, Computer Software, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 07, 2025 **What do you like best about ReactOS?** I like that ReactOS aims to provide full compatibility with Windows applications while being completely open source. It’s lightweight, fast to boot, and works surprisingly well on older hardware. **What do you dislike about ReactOS?** It’s still in an alpha stage, so stability can be an issue. Some drivers and applications don’t work perfectly yet, and updates come slowly compared to mainstream operating systems. **What problems is ReactOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** It provides a way to run Windows-compatible software without licensing costs or heavy system requirements. It’s especially useful for testing legacy applications or setting up lightweight virtual environments. ### 7. Versatile Features and Reusable Components Enhance Productivity **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Mehafooz P. | Software Engineer, Computer Software, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 17, 2025 **What do you like best about ReactOS?** The wide range of features and we can reuse the components. **What do you dislike about ReactOS?** For large code bases it is taking time to build. **What problems is ReactOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** Data visualization ### 8. 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 ### 9. 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. ### 10. Feature Review for the product **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer Software | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 12, 2024 **What do you like best about ReactOS?** I like ReactOS for some reasons which are listed below - 1. Compatibility -It is compatible with Windows applications and drivers. And, our organization windows so we use this freely. 2. Free and Open Source - The best part is it's free. 3. Familiar Interface - It has a good UI. 4. Potential for Customization - As it is open source, we can customize it according to our business needs. **What do you dislike about ReactOS?** It has limited hardware support and sometimes a slow development pace. **What problems is ReactOS solving and how is that benefiting you?** Vendor Lock-In- ReactOS offers an alternative that allows users to break free from vendor lock-in by providing compatibility with Windows applications and drivers. Cost - Due to open source, it is free to use and customize. ## 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/reactos-review-4854235?section=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-07-09+05%3A12%3A25+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=eafb0d97-c8b2-4df8-aa07-d0b87c021f34&secure%5Btoken%5D=fe97daa615dbd4f58af7232c825d931d8b4729d17969af670a3f56ee5f950fd5&format=llm_user) ## ReactOS 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 ReactOS Alternatives - [Linux Mint](https://www.g2.com/products/linux-mint/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (186 reviews) - [Windows 7](https://www.g2.com/products/windows-7/reviews) - 4.2/5.0 (870 reviews) - [Windows 11](https://www.g2.com/products/windows-11/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (4,110 reviews)