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Ubuntu on WSL vs Distrod: catalog facts
Ubuntu on WSL	Distrod
Free Free to download and use.	Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.
Windows	Windows
Full Ubuntu userland and package repositories on Windows GPU and CUDA support through native Windows NVIDIA drivers	Many distributions to choose from, including Arch and Gentoo Systemd working inside WSL 2
Requires Windows and WSL; not a standalone operating system Mainly a terminal environment rather than a full Linux desktop	Requires WSL 2 on Windows Infrequent updates
Downloadable app, Operating system	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: Mixed open-source licenses	License: MIT
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026

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