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Ubuntu Core vs Raspberry Pi OS Lite: catalog facts
Ubuntu Core	Raspberry Pi OS Lite
Freemium Free to download and try; Canonical sells commercial support and device services.	Free Free to download and use on Raspberry Pi hardware.
Linux	Linux
Immutable system with transactional updates Strict confinement of applications through snaps	Official, supported OS for Raspberry Pi boards Current Debian 13 base with a recent kernel
Built around snaps; traditional packages are not the model Aimed at device makers rather than desktop users	No graphical desktop; setup is done from the command line Only runs on Raspberry Pi hardware
Operating system	Downloadable app, Operating system
Open source	Closed 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 Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.