Linux Mint vs Ubuntu for Beginners: Which to Choose
Last updated: 2026-09-24 · By Ovanap Team, authors of Linux from Zero (published by Ovanap, Monine AS)
The short answer: for a beginner’s desktop, choose Linux Mint. Its Cinnamon desktop feels familiar to Windows users, and version 22.3 is supported until April 2029. For your first server, choose Ubuntu Server LTS. Mint is built on Ubuntu, so the terminal skills you learn on one work unchanged on the other.
Key facts
- Linux Mint 22.3 “Zena” comes in Cinnamon, MATE, and Xfce editions, is built on Ubuntu 24.04 “Noble,” and is supported until April 2029. Linux Mint 23 had not been released as of 2026-09-24 (linuxmint.com).
- Ubuntu 26.04 LTS uses GNOME 50, and its desktop session is Wayland-only (Ubuntu 26.04 release notes). Standard security maintenance runs until May 2031 (Ubuntu release cycle).
- Ubuntu 26.04 makes sudo-rs (a Rust implementation of
sudo) the default (release notes). - Mint’s Software Manager offers apt packages and Flatpaks from Flathub. Snap packages are not used in Mint’s default configuration.
- Mint has no server edition. Ubuntu Server is the usual image on VPS providers.
If you are new to Linux, this is probably the first real decision you face, and the internet makes it harder than it needs to be. Forum threads turn into debates about kernels, package formats, and philosophy. The key thing to know: Mint and Ubuntu are the same family, so you are not choosing between two worlds. You are choosing the right tool for each job.
They are parents and children, not rivals
Linux distributions have a family tree, and these two sit on the same branch:
- Debian (founded in 1993) is the root: stable, community-built, with no company behind it.
- Ubuntu (first release October 2004, from Canonical) took Debian and added a regular release schedule and a focus on ease of use.
- Linux Mint (started in 2006) took Ubuntu and focused on a desktop that is comfortable right after installation.
The practical consequence is huge for a learner: the terminal, the file tree, apt, sudo, systemd, and SSH all work the same way in Mint and Ubuntu. A skill you build on one carries straight over to the other. That makes this decision far less risky than it looks.
The desktop: where the difference actually shows
The real difference is what you see on screen, the desktop environment: the set of windows, menus, panels, and icons, plus the rules for how they behave.
Linux Mint (Cinnamon edition) looks and behaves like what a Windows user expects: a menu in the bottom-left corner, a panel along the bottom, the clock on the right, and windows closed with an X in the top-right corner. You can snap windows to half the screen by dragging them or with Super plus an arrow key. Most people are productive within the first hour.
Ubuntu Desktop uses GNOME (GNOME 50 in Ubuntu 26.04). It is clean and minimalist, closer to a tablet: no traditional menu at the bottom, an “Activities” overview for switching apps, and a dock on the side. Many people love it. Some Windows users find it disorienting for the first few days.
Neither is objectively better. But when you are trying to learn Linux, every minute spent hunting for a menu is a minute not spent learning, and that is why we lean toward Mint for beginners.
A detail worth knowing: the desktop environment is replaceable. You can change it without changing the whole system, the way you can reupholster a car without changing the engine. Mint also comes in MATE and Xfce editions, which are lighter and suit older laptops.
Side-by-side comparison
| Linux Mint 22.3 “Zena” | Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | |
|---|---|---|
| Based on | Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble) | Debian |
| Default desktop | Cinnamon (also MATE, Xfce) | GNOME 50 |
| Feels like | Classic Windows layout | Tablet-style, minimalist |
| Support until | April 2029 | May 2031 (standard security maintenance) |
| Graphical app store | Software Manager (apt + Flatpak) | App Center (mainly snaps) |
| Snap packages | Not used in the default configuration | Used by default |
| Server edition | No | Yes: Ubuntu Server |
| Command-line skills | Same apt, sudo, systemd, SSH |
Same |
Versions and dates change. We keep the current ones in our online versions table.
Software: apt, Flatpak and snap in plain words
Both systems install software from repositories, trusted online catalogs, with the apt command:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install htopThe first line refreshes the catalog; the second installs a program. This is identical on Mint and Ubuntu.
The differences come on top of that. Mint’s Software Manager also shows some apps as Flatpaks from Flathub: packages that run separately from the system libraries and are managed by a different mechanism (not apt). Ubuntu adds a third format, snap, which Mint does not use in its default configuration. For a beginner, this matters less than forum debates suggest: in both systems, the graphical store is the safe route, and the command-line skills are the same.
One rule applies everywhere: install only from the official repositories, the store, or the developer’s official website. We explain .deb, .AppImage, and Flatpak in more detail in the appendix on app formats.
Support and stability
Both are long-lived. Linux Mint 22.3 gets updates until April 2029. Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (“Long Term Support”) gets standard security maintenance until May 2031 (per Ubuntu’s official release-cycle page). Either way, you will not be forced to reinstall any time soon.
If you want the newest Ubuntu base under a Mint desktop, know that Mint’s next major version (Linux Mint 23) is expected to move to the Ubuntu 26.04 base. As of this writing it has not been released. It will change details, not the skills.
Where Ubuntu clearly wins: the server
The comparison flips completely when you talk about servers. Linux Mint has no server edition. Ubuntu Server LTS has become an unofficial standard: you find it in practically every VPS provider’s image list, in company guides, and in installation tutorials.
A server has no desktop at all, only a terminal reached over SSH. That is exactly why learning on Mint works so well: you spend your first weeks in a friendly desktop, getting fluent in the terminal, and when you rent a server, the terminal there speaks the same language. Moving from Mint to Ubuntu Server feels like switching from a sedan to a station wagon of the same brand: the seat is a little different, but the steering wheel is in the same place.
When you get there, our beginner’s VPS security checklist walks through the first hour on a fresh Ubuntu server.
So which should you choose?
Choose Linux Mint if:
- you are coming from Windows and want to feel at home quickly;
- your main goal is to learn Linux and the terminal, not to customize a desktop;
- you have an older computer (try the Xfce or MATE edition).
Choose Ubuntu Desktop if:
- you already like GNOME’s workflow, or want to try it;
- you want your desktop and your server to be literally the same distribution;
- a guide or course you are following is written for Ubuntu Desktop specifically.
For the server, choose Ubuntu Server LTS in either case.
And whatever you choose, start in a virtual machine with a snapshot, not on your only computer. Our beginner’s guide to learning Linux shows how to set that up in one evening.
Frequently asked questions
Is Linux Mint better than Ubuntu for beginners? For someone coming from Windows, usually yes on the desktop: Mint’s layout feels familiar right away. Ubuntu is just as capable, but its GNOME desktop works differently and takes a little more getting used to.
Is Linux Mint based on Ubuntu? Yes. Linux Mint 22.3 is built on Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble), which in turn is built on Debian. That is why most Ubuntu instructions and packages work on Mint.
How long are Linux Mint 22.3 and Ubuntu 26.04 LTS supported? Linux Mint 22.3 until April 2029; Ubuntu 26.04 LTS standard security maintenance until May 2031.
Can I use Linux Mint as a server? You can, but it is not what it is made for. For a server, use Ubuntu Server LTS: no desktop, long support, and offered by practically every VPS provider.
Does Linux Mint use snap packages? Not in its default configuration. Mint’s Software Manager offers apt packages and Flatpaks from Flathub. Ubuntu uses snaps as well.
Learn on Mint, deploy on Ubuntu
That split is exactly how Linux from Zero is built: you learn on Linux Mint 22.3 in a virtual machine, then rent a VPS running Ubuntu Server 26.04 LTS and set it up yourself, all the way to a website with HTTPS, backups, Docker, and your own AI assistant. Every command is explained before you run it, with a way back for every risky step, and fast-changing details such as provider comparisons are kept current online.
Read the free sample (the introduction and the full terminal chapter, no sign-up), and if it clicks, get the book.