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GNOME vs KDE Plasma: catalog facts
GNOME	KDE Plasma
Best for: Use a Linux desktop organized around an activities overview and workspaces	Best for: Use a full Linux desktop with configurable panels, widgets and window behavior
Free Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.	Free Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.
Linux	Linux
Integrates application launching and workspace navigation Provides a consistent suite of desktop settings	Offers extensive desktop appearance settings Integrates with KDE applications and system settings
Shell extensions must match the installed GNOME version.	Availability and default configuration depend on the Linux distribution.
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for GNOME gnome.org Catalog checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for KDE Plasma kde.org/plasma-desktop Catalog checked September 22, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.