Xfce
Worth it
Confidence: High
Buy if you run modest or aging hardware and want a fast, stable, free Linux desktop . that is exactly what Xfce delivers.
New check
Comparison
Xfce vs LXQt
Xfce and LXQt both land on Worth it.
LXQt
Worth it
Confidence: Medium
Adopt it if you're reviving old hardware or want the lightest full Linux desktop . it's free, open source, and reviewers agree on the speed.
| Compare | ||
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Worth it | Worth it |
| Best for | Old or low-RAM hardware | Reviving old or low-RAM hardware |
| Who it's not for | Users wanting maximum features . some leave for KDE | Wayland-first users . support is still catching up |
| Privacy | Active CVE history including one high-severity RCE; fixes ship upstream, and no dedicated advisory team is confirmed in sources.⁶ | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed. |
| Support quality | Community forums only, no vendor | No support data in sources |
| Public sentiment | Users consistently praise Xfce's speed, lightness, and stability; a minority leave for KDE's richer feature set.² | Users consistently call it the lightest desktop around and ideal for old hardware, while noting Wayland support lags and features trail KDE. |
| Biggest gotcha | Support is community forums only . no vendor SLA exists | Security page 404s . no official vulnerability or patch info published |
Pick Xfce when
- Old or low-RAM hardware
- Lightweight, no-nonsense desktops
- Stability-focused daily drivers
- Privacy-conscious small offices
When Xfce is not a fit
- Users wanting maximum features . some leave for KDE
- Anyone needing a vendor SLA or paid support
- People wanting polished Wayland today
Pick LXQt when
- Reviving old or low-RAM hardware
- Minimalists wanting a fast classic desktop
- Tinkerers comfortable configuring Linux
- Lightweight setups like DietPi or single-board PCs
When LXQt is not a fit
- Wayland-first users . support is still catching up
- Anyone wanting a polished, feature-rich desktop like KDE Plasma
- Beginners wanting out-of-the-box . it's a desktop layer, not a distro
- Offices needing vendor support, SLAs, or paid help
Sources
- Xfce homepagexfce.orgofficial
review
- I used Xfce for weeks, but I'm going back to KDEhowtogeek.comreview
- Linux Mint 20 Ulyana Xfce . Not quite therededoimedo.comreview
- Linux at the Office (Xfce on 512 MB RAM)bluefoxconsultant.comreview
- CVE-2022-32278: Xfce Exo RCEsentinelone.comsecurity
- CVE-2018-18398 (Thunar) . NVDnvd.nist.govsecurity
- Xfce on Open Collectiveopencollective.comnews
news
- Why I like Xfce . Redditreddit.comreview
- Estimating total Xfce usersalexxcons.github.ioreview
- What is XFCEmvps.netnews
- LXQt official sitelxqt-project.orgofficial
- LXQt Downloadslxqt-project.orgofficial
- LXQt Screenshotslxqt-project.orgofficial
- LXQt Aboutlxqt-project.orgofficial