- Rolling releaseAlways up to date
- Cutefish DesktopDefault desktop
- Debian Stable baseAPT packages
- Intermediate level4 GB RAM suggested
Strengths
- Mac-like launcher, Dock, and multiple desks
- Its own compositor, toolkit, and apps on a Debian 13 base
- Public, signed build pipeline for every package and ISO
Trade-offs
- Only nightly test builds so far, with no stable release
- Development stalled in 2022 before the current rebuild
- Mac app support (Reef) is partial and not yet open source
Popularity snapshot · 30 days
Not ranked: no separate reader-interest source.
What is Cutefish?
Cutefish, formerly CutefishOS, is a Debian 13 (trixie) distribution built around Cutefish Desktop, aimed at people who are at home on a Mac: a launcher, a Dock, and multiple desks work the way macOS users expect. The project began in 2021 with a desktop built on Qt and KWin, went quiet in 2022, and has since been rebuilt so that its compositor, its toolkit (native C++ drawn with Skia), and its apps (Files, Terminal, Settings, Calendar, System Monitor, Text Editor, Video Player, and Screenshot) are all its own. Packages and ISOs are built and signed by a public GitHub Actions workflow and served from its own APT repository on top of the official Debian archive. In development builds, a compatibility layer called Reef runs unmodified Mac apps such as Ghostty, CotEditor, Keka, NetNewsWire, and Itsycal from their .dmg images without emulation; Reef is not open source yet, and apps that rely on Apple services such as the Mac App Store or iCloud do not work. AI agents that speak MCP can control the desktop only with your consent. As of November 2026 there is no stable release: only nightly 1.0 live ISOs for amd64 and arm64, which the project says are meant for testing.
Who is Cutefish for?
Cutefish fits best for everyday use. Where it ranks in our lists:
- #4 of 4: Linux distros that look like macOS
- #17 of 17: best rolling release Linux distros
- #37 of 38: best Linux distros for 4 GB of RAM
Cutefish system requirements
For a comfortable desktop with a modern web browser, plan for about 4 GB of RAM. Cutefish is available for x86_64, aarch64. Leave at least 25 GB of storage for the system and applications. These figures are editorial guidance; check the official documentation for minimums.
Try Cutefish before you install
Write the image to a USB stick and boot it as a live session to test Wi-Fi, graphics, sound, and suspend on your own computer. A browser trial on DistroSea shows the desktop, but cannot verify your hardware.
Popular apps on Cutefish
Flatpak versions published by each app’s developer, from Flathub. Set up Flathub first if Cutefish does not include it. Open an app for other install options.
| App | Install command |
|---|---|
| Firefox on Linux | flatpak install flathub org.mozilla.firefox |
| Discord on Linux | flatpak install flathub com.discordapp.Discord |
| Brave on Linux | flatpak install flathub com.brave.Browser |
| Telegram on Linux | flatpak install flathub org.telegram.desktop |
| OBS Studio on Linux | flatpak install flathub com.obsproject.Studio |
| GIMP on Linux | flatpak install flathub org.gimp.GIMP |
More apps that run on Cutefish
Compare Cutefish with…
10 side-by-side comparisons of Cutefish, each built from the same catalog and support data.
More around Cutefish
- Other Debian-based distros: Linux Mint, Ubuntu, Debian, Pop!_OS, MX Linux, Zorin OS, elementary OS, Kali Linux, Kubuntu, Nitrux, Xubuntu, Lubuntu (all Debian-based Linux distros)
Best Cutefish alternatives
Cutefish: common questions
What is Cutefish based on?
Cutefish is based on Debian Stable. It uses APT for software and systemd as its init system.
Is Cutefish good for beginners?
It is manageable if you are comfortable troubleshooting and occasionally using a terminal. Complete beginners may prefer Linux Mint or Ubuntu first.
How much RAM does Cutefish need?
We suggest about 4 GB of RAM for a comfortable desktop experience with a modern browser. This is editorial guidance, not the project’s official minimum, which can be lower. It runs on x86_64, aarch64.
What desktop does Cutefish use?
Cutefish offers Cutefish Desktop.
Is Cutefish a rolling release?
Yes. Cutefish updates continuously, so there are no version upgrades to perform.
Is Cutefish free?
Yes, Cutefish is free to download and use.