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MATE vs Enlightenment: catalog facts
MATE	Enlightenment
Best for: Linux users who prefer a classic GNOME 2 style desktop	Best for: Linux and BSD users who want a distinctive, lightweight desktop shell
Free Free to use; the project accepts donations.	Free Free and open source.
Linux	Linux
Traditional desktop layout carried over from GNOME 2 Packaged in the official repositories of many distributions All 3 strengths for MATE Traditional desktop layout carried over from GNOME 2 Packaged in the official repositories of many distributions Interface translated into many languages	Window manager, compositor and desktop shell in one Built on the portable EFL libraries All 3 strengths for Enlightenment Window manager, compositor and desktop shell in one Built on the portable EFL libraries Family of companion applications from the same project
Full releases arrive every few years Linux and Unix-like systems only	Wayland support is still experimental Official releases are source code only
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
No account needed	No account needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for MATE mate-desktop.org Catalog checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Enlightenment enlightenment.org Catalog checked September 24, 2026

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