Alternatives to Qubes OS

Operating system that compartmentalises work into isolated virtual machines. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as Qubes OS.

  • Kicksecure

    Hardened Debian derivative with kernel hardening and exploit mitigations.

    FreeOpen sourceLinux

    Kicksecure is a hardened Debian derivative that relies on kernel hardening instead of isolating work in virtual machines, and it can convert an existing Debian install.

  • OpenBSD

    A free, security-focused BSD Unix operating system that runs on many hardware platforms.

    FreeOpen sourceCommand line

    OpenBSD is a security-focused BSD Unix with a strong default install record, but it offers no virtual machine compartmentalisation and puts less focus on desktop convenience.

  • HardenedBSD

    A security-hardened fork of FreeBSD that adds exploit mitigations such as ASLR.

    FreeOpen sourceCommand line

    HardenedBSD adds exploit mitigations such as ASLR on top of FreeBSD rather than compartmentalising work, and it is aimed at users already comfortable with FreeBSD.

Also worth comparing

These listings name Qubes OS as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • Sandboxie-Plus

    Runs a Windows program inside an isolated box, so whatever it writes to disk or the registry disappears afterwards.

    FreeOpen sourceWindows

    Qubes OS replaces Windows entirely with an operating system that isolates work in separate virtual machines, giving stronger separation but with demanding hardware requirements.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.