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Should I use LXQt?

The Lightweight Qt Desktop Environment - lxqt.org

Worth it. Use it if you're comfortable with Linux and want a fast desktop on old or low-RAM hardware — it's free and delivers exactly that. Skip it if you want vendor support, out-of-the-box polish, or a mature Wayland experience.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 11 public sources reviewed. No pricing tiers or security disclosures found — expected for free open-source software.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityCommunity-only channels; no vendor support evidence
  • Security postureNo CVEs found in sources, but no disclosures either

Pricing

$0

LXQt

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • Old or low-RAM hardware
  • Linux users wanting a fast classic desktop
  • Minimal, modular setups
  • Reviving aging laptops

Not for

  • Anyone expecting vendor support or SLAs
  • Users wanting polished theme consistency out of the box
  • Wayland-first users — support still maturing
  • Non-technical users replacing Windows or macOS

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

No paid support; help depends on GitHub discussions and community forums

medium

The page returns 404; no dedicated security disclosure page found

medium

Wayland session less complete than X11 yet; improvements ongoing

low

Distro spins vary in quality; Fedora's LXQt spin called messy by a reviewer

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Remarkably fast; reviewer nearly forgot it ran on simulated old hardware
  • Lighter than most desktops, sometimes even lighter than IceWM
  • Functional by default; keeps up with other desktops
  • Free and open source under GPL 2.0+/LGPL 2.1+
  • Prepackaged in all major Linux and BSD distributions

Cons

  • Theme synchronization issues reported across Qt apps
  • Wayland support still maturing; users await feature parity
  • Functionality matches but doesn't exceed other desktops; Fedora spin called messy
  • Community-only help; no vendor support channel

Sources & method

Analyzed 10/04/2026 - 11 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x3review x6security x1news x1

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 11

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Completely free and open source
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Functional by default; classic desktop metaphor
  • Feature depth: 3/5. Matches other desktops, rarely exceeds them
  • Support quality. Community-only channels; no vendor support evidence
  • Security posture. No CVEs found in sources, but no disclosures either
  • $0 Price Free, GPL 2.0+/LGPL 2.1+
  • 2.4.0 Latest version Released April 2026
  • 51 GitHub repos Modular component repositories
  • 2018 Split from LXDE Formally separated May 2018

Pricing

LXQt

$0

  • Full desktop environment
  • GPL 2.0+/LGPL 2.1+ open source
  • All major Linux and BSD distros

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Users consistently call LXQt the fastest, lightest desktop they've run, with minor complaints about theme consistency and unfinished Wayland support.

“LXQt was amazingly fast, so much so I could almost forget what (simulated) hardware it was running on!”
HamishMB review
“LXQt has a reputation for being the lightest desktop environment. In many cases even lighter than IceWM.”
Linux.org forum
“tried LXQT but the themes aren't synchronized on apps so i feel ...”
Reddit, r/linuxquestions

Alternatives

Compare LXQt with each alternative.

  • XFCE

    Mature lightweight desktop with bigger community; similar resource footprint.

    LXQt vs XFCE

  • KDE Plasma

    Full-featured Qt desktop if you want more polish and integration.

  • LXDE

    LXQt's even lighter ancestor; older but simpler.

Full analysis

Based on 11 public sources reviewed. No pricing tiers or security disclosures found — expected for free open-source software.

Free, blazing-fast Linux desktop for old or low-RAM machines. Skip if you want polish, support, or mature Wayland.

Methodology

Based on 11 public sources reviewed. No pricing tiers or security disclosures found — expected for free open-source software.

Sources

  1. LXQt - The Lightweight Qt Desktop Environmentlxqt-project.org
    official
  2. Downloadslxqt-project.org
    official
  3. LXQt Review - the replacement for LXDEhamishmb.com
    review
  4. Revisiting LXQt | Linux.orglinux.org
    review
  5. LXQt: A Reviewmagusz.neocities.org
    review
  6. LXQt Review - LinuxCompatiblelinuxcompatible.org
    review
  7. r/linux: LXQt 2.3.0reddit.com
    review
  8. r/linuxquestions: Any QT alternative to Plasma and LXQT?reddit.com
    review
  9. LXQt CVEs - OpenCVEapp.opencve.io
    security
  10. lxqt/lxqt on GitHubgithub.com
    official
  11. LXQt - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
    news

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