Fedora and Ubuntu are equally impressive Linux distributions and have both been around for two decades.
If you’re thinking about choosing a new distro and want a clear winner, then that’s not happening, as I reckon it’s a case of an honorable draw.
That said, I find that Fedora is more suited to developers, system administrators, and Linux enthusiasts. Ubuntu comes across as more user-friendly and accessible, and in my view, it’s designed for general users and newcomers to Linux. The consensus from online forums and web searches is also similar to my perceptions of the pair.
In this guide, I’ll examine the similarities and differences between Fedora and Ubuntu so you can determine which is best for your business or personal needs.
SEE: Ubuntu Server Installation Checklist (TechRepublic Premium)
What is Fedora?
Fedora is an open-source operating system sponsored by Red Hat that contains software distributed under various licenses. Fedora is the upstream source for Red Hat Enterprise Linux, which is a testing ground for Red Hat’s flagship product.
Fedora was first released on Nov. 6, 2003, and tends to focus on innovation, integrating new technologies, and working in conjunction with the upstream Linux community, so the work is available for all Linux distributions.
SEE: Top Six Linux Distributions for Your Data Center (TechRepublic Premium)
What is Ubuntu?
Ubuntu is an open-source operating system sponsored by Canonical and based on Debian. Ubuntu’s initial release was 4.10 (Warty Warthog) in October 2004. There are three different versions of Ubuntu:
Fedora vs Ubuntu: Feature comparison
| Package manager | ||
| Default desktop | ||
| Desktop and server releases | ||
| Security mechanism |
Fedora vs Ubuntu: Head-to-head
Package managers
Fedora and Ubuntu use different package managers for software installation.
Fedora’s system is based on rpm, the RPM Package Manager, with several higher-level tools built on top of it, most notably PackageKit (default GUI) and DNF. It also offers GNOME Software as a package manager.
Ubuntu uses apt, dpkg, and Snap. Canonical maintains Ubuntu’s Snap universal package system.
Both desktop distributions benefit from GNOME’s GUI Software app store, which helps users easily install software.
SEE: How to Set Temporary Environment Variables in Linux (TechRepublic)
Sudo
Both Fedora and Ubuntu use sudo and even add the default user – whom you create during installation – to the admin group. The difference between the two is that Fedora’s admin group is “wheel,” whereas Ubuntu’s is “sudo.”
One similarity is that neither distribution allows the root user to log in. However, with Fedora, you can change to the root user with the command sudo su, and on Ubuntu, you can use sudo -s, which doesn’t actually change to the root user but changes your user to a shell with admin privileges.
SEE: How to Install Adminer on Ubuntu Server (TechRepublic)
Release cycle
A new Fedora version is made available every six months, each of which is supported for 13 months only. Fedora explains, “We don’t follow a strict ‘ship on this date!’ policy, nor do we wait until every single possible thing is perfect. Fedora integrates thousands of always-changing upstream packages, and if we stuck to a date no matter what, we’d always ship with serious bugs, and if we attempted to squash every problem before releasing, we’d never ship at all.”
That official statement has likely led to some people asking if Fedora is “stable” as Ubuntu is updated less frequently. I looked at Reddit and other sites and found the general view to be that people find Fedora stable. One Reddit discussion you may want to check is this one: “Is Fedora stable like Ubuntu?”
Ubuntu, on the other hand, offers two different release cycles: LTS and regular. LTS (Long Term Support) is released every two years and receives five years of standard security maintenance for all packages in the “Main” repository. The regular version is released every six months and is supported for nine months. If users select a subscription to Ubuntu Pro — formerly known as Ubuntu Advantage — they get access to Expanded Security Maintenance, which covers security fixes for packages in both the “Main” and “Universe” repositories for 10 years.
SEE: Best Open Source CRM Software of 2024 (TechRepublic)
Software availability and updates
The latest release of Ubuntu includes LibreOffice as part of the default software set. Fedora is different, as it no longer offers LibreOffice as part of RHEL. However. it can still be installed on Fedora using a Flatpak build or the Snap Store.
Both Ubuntu and Fedora ship with the latest version of Firefox.
Another difference is that Fedora can sometimes take a Windows approach to upgrades in that the update happens during a reboot. Ubuntu does all updates with the user logged in and only requires a reboot if the kernel is upgraded.
Server releases
Most Linux admins know about Ubuntu Server, as it’s one of the most widely deployed server environments on the market, especially for cloud-native use cases. Fedora also offers a server release that is a solid option for those looking for an environment similar to RHEL’s. The one caveat to Fedora server is that it must be upgraded – which requires a reboot – which can be a turn-off for most admins.
SEE: How to Enable Unattended-Upgrades in Ubuntu and Debian Linux (TechRepublic)
Desktop environments
Both Fedora and Ubuntu are defaulted to the GNOME desktop. The difference is that Fedora uses a traditional take on GNOME, whereas Ubuntu uses a customized take on the desktop.
If GNOME isn’t to your liking, you can find other “spins” that offer several choices, such as KDE, Xfce, LXQt, MATE, Cinnamon, Pantheon, and Budgie.
Fedora vs Ubuntu for developers
If you’re a developer and are pondering whether Fedora or Ubuntu is best for you, then I’d say both are equally good. It is a dead heat in terms of what they provide and what the public thinks of both distributions.
The sections above have covered the developer features to some extent, and you can make your choice based on that.
However, I recommend checking out the Fedora Developer Portal if you want more details. It is an excellent resource and could help your decision-making process.
Fedora’s site provides information on starting a project, such as how to develop web, mobile, Arduino, and Raspberry Pi applications on Fedora. It also explains the tools, languages, databases, and deployment and distribution. I found it far easier and quicker to find Fedora’s information than anything from Ubuntu.
I don’t think Ubuntu’s “portal” is as good as it takes you to the Ubuntu Desktop for developers site. That explains what the Ubuntu Desktop provides. There is some information, such as about the tools — Juju, Microk8s, and Multipass for developing, testing, and cross-building. But I wanted to find a real portal with links to guides quickly.
Over on Reddit and Quora, where anonymous opinions come thick and fast, both Fedora and Ubuntu received the same levels of admiration or dissatisfaction. Again, there was no outright winner.
One Reddit user asked, “Why Fedora is better for programming or developers?” and another discussed “Ubuntu vs Fedora for software development.” It was a similar tale on Quora, with a user asking, “Which is better, Ubuntu or Fedora for beginners?”
As one Reddit user suggests, “I’d say try out the latest version of Ubuntu and Fedora and see which one you like the most. :)” I’d certainly agree with that advice.
Fedora or Ubuntu: Which one should you choose?
This is where things get a bit tricky. The idea that new Fedora users might have to run a major upgrade yearly might wind up a turn-off for some. That’s where Ubuntu shines, as it can install an LTS release and leave it for five years – just remember to run all software updates as they are made available.
For that reason only, I would recommend Ubuntu over Fedora.
Another thing to consider is that although both distributions enjoy a considerable user community for support, such as Ask Fedora and Ask Ubuntu, you can purchase Ubuntu Pro with Ubuntu. For personal use, Ubuntu Pro is free. There is a 30-day trial for enterprises.
Ultimately, both Fedora and Ubuntu are rock-solid, easy-to-use operating systems that will work well as your next desktop or server operating system.
