4.4/5
G2 rating
42 reviews
Report
Should I Use Arch Linux?
Free, do-it-yourself Linux distribution for people who want total control
Depends
DependsChoose Arch if you're a developer or hobbyist who wants full control and will maintain the OS yourself.
Free and powerful, but you're the admin. Great for tinkerers; wrong for anyone who just wants a working PC.
Confidence: High
281
DistroWatch readers
reader reviews
$0
Price
Free, open source
94
Companies using
per TheirStack data
Value for money
5
Completely free, fully open source
Ease of use
2
DIY install; manual disk partitioning required
Feature depth
4
Minimal base plus huge AUR repository
Support quality
2
Community wiki and forums only, no vendor
Security posture
2
AUR supply-chain attack; hardening is manual
Pros
Cons
Gotchas
- highJune 2026 'Atomic Arch' attack: 400+ AUR packages pushed rootkits and infostealers. Vet every AUR install.⁶
- mediumAUR signups were locked down amid malicious commits; third-party package trust is entirely on you.⁷
- mediumNo paid support. When an update breaks your system, you're on wiki and forums alone.
- mediumRolling release means upgrades can break things at any time; there is no stable branch to hide on.⁹
Best for
- Developers and tinkerers
- Learners who want to understand Linux deeply
- Custom lightweight builds
- Rolling-release fans
Not for
- Anyone wanting a PC that works out of the box
- Businesses needing vendor support or SLAs
- Security-sensitive teams without Linux hardening skills
- First-timers talked into it by YouTube hype
Companies that use it
- Valve
Pricing
Arch Linux
$0
- Full rolling-release OS
- Official repos plus AUR access
- Community support via wiki/forums
Install DVD (optional)
$3.29
- Physical media only
- Same free OS inside
Security
Known CVEs plus a 2026 AUR supply-chain attack hitting 400+ packages; hardening is largely manual.
- 'Atomic Arch' AUR supply-chain attack400+ AUR packages were compromised in June 2026 to deploy rootkits and infostealers; Arch locked down AUR signups in response.⁶
- CVE-2026-31431 (linux)Kernel vulnerability tracked on Arch's official security tracker.
- CVE-2025-48708 information disclosureInformation-disclosure vulnerability tracked for Arch Linux by Rapid7.⁸
What users say
Users love the control and AUR but consistently warn the DIY install and ongoing maintenance are real work.
“Tried it all. And now I am using”
“Basically, Arch forces you to…”
“Once I finished my install,”
Alternatives
Compare Arch Linux with each alternative.
Ubuntu
Polished, works out of the box, huge community
Arch Linux vs UbuntuEndeavourOS
Arch power with a friendly graphical installer
Arch Linux vs EndeavourOSManjaro
Arch-based, preconfigured, much easier on-ramp
Arch Linux vs ManjaroLinux Mint
Windows-like desktop for first-time Linux users
Arch Linux vs Linux MintFull analysis
Based on 40+ public sources: G2, DistroWatch, Reddit, Arch official pages, and security trackers.
Sources
review
- 281 reader reviews of Arch Linux — DistroWatchdistrowatch.comreview
- r/archlinux: Pros and Cons of Arch linuxreddit.comreview
- Arch Linux - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.orgofficial
- Arch Linux official sitearchlinux.orgofficial
- Over 400 Arch Linux packages compromised to push rootkit, infostealerbleepingcomputer.comsecurity
news
- CVE-2025-48708 — Rapid7rapid7.comsecurity
- Arch compared to other distributions — ArchWikiwiki.archlinux.orgofficial
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