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LXQt vs COSMIC: catalog facts
LXQt	COSMIC
Best for: Older or low-powered Linux machines that need a full but light desktop	Best for: Use System76's desktop environment with configurable workspaces and window tiling
Free Free and open source community project.	Free Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.
Linux	Linux
Low resource use compared with larger desktops Modular components that can be mixed with other software All 4 strengths for LXQt Low resource use compared with larger desktops Modular components that can be mixed with other software Wayland session usable on several compositors Regular releases and point updates	Combines desktop panels with workspace controls Supports tiling and floating workflows
Fewer integrated features than KDE Plasma or GNOME Wayland support depends on the chosen compositor	Requires a distribution and graphics stack that support the current COSMIC release.
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Offline features available	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for LXQt lxqt-project.org Catalog checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for COSMIC github.com/pop-os/cosmic-epoch Catalog checked September 22, 2026

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