Best niri distros in 2026
niri is a scrollable-tiling Wayland compositor written in Rust. Windows open in columns on an endless horizontal strip, so a new window never squeezes the ones you already have open. Below: our top pick for each need, the full ranking of distributions that ship niri as a default or official edition, and a guide to choosing one.
Top picks at a glance
| Best for | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | CachyOS | #1 niri distro in the live ranking |
| Gaming | CachyOS | Highest-ranked niri distro on our list of Linux distros for gaming |
| Rolling release | CachyOS | Highest-ranked niri distro on our list of rolling release Linux distros |
| Immutable / atomic | RakuOS | Highest-ranked niri distro on our list of immutable and atomic Linux distros |
Full ranking
- 1
CachyOS
An Arch-based system tuned for speed.
Arch LinuxKDE Plasma, GNOME, COSMIC, Hyprland, niri, moreRollingIntermediate4 GB+ RAM
Optimized package builds for newer CPUs
#4 overallProfile - 2
KaOS
A lean, independent rolling distro focused on Qt.
Independentniri with NoctaliaRollingIntermediate4 GB+ RAM
Everything built by and for KaOS from scratch
#49 overallProfile - 3
RakuOS
Atomic Fedora that still lets you install native packages.
FedoraKDE Plasma, GNOME, COSMIC, niriAtomicIntermediate4 GB+ RAM
Atomic image updates with instant rollback
UnrankedProfile
Order follows the live popularity ranking, which measures attention, not suitability. Test your own hardware with a live USB before installing.
How to choose a niri distro
What niri is
niri is a Wayland compositor that tiles windows on a scrollable strip. Each window opens as a new column to the right, and you scroll left and right through your columns instead of seeing everything squeezed onto one screen. Workspaces are stacked vertically, and each monitor has its own strip.
The big difference from classic tiling window managers such as i3, Sway, or Hyprland is that opening a window never resizes the ones already open. Many people find that calmer to work with, especially on wide or ultrawide monitors.
niri is a compositor, not a full desktop
Like Hyprland, niri handles windows but not the rest of the desktop: a bar, launcher, notifications, and lock screen come from separate tools. Recent distributions pair it with a ready-made shell such as Noctalia, which supplies those pieces with a consistent look.
Where to get niri
KaOS made niri, with the Noctalia shell, its default desktop in February 2026. CachyOS lists niri in its installer on an Arch base. RakuOS, an atomic Fedora-based distro, offers a niri edition. You can also install niri from the repositories of Arch Linux, Fedora, and NixOS and configure it yourself.
How to choose
For niri set up for you with a matching shell, try KaOS. For an Arch-based system with many other desktops to fall back on, choose CachyOS. For atomic updates with rollback, choose RakuOS. If you have never used a tiling window manager, try niri in a live session or virtual machine first.
niri distros: common questions
What is the best niri distro?
KaOS ships niri as its default desktop. CachyOS offers it in its installer, and RakuOS has a niri edition on an atomic Fedora base. See the ranking above for current popularity.
What is scrollable tiling?
Windows open side by side in columns on a strip that extends to the right. You scroll through the columns instead of shrinking every window to fit the screen, so a new window never resizes the existing ones.
niri or Hyprland?
Hyprland is a classic dynamic tiler with heavy visual effects and a very large community. niri keeps each window at its size and scrolls instead of shrinking. Both are Wayland compositors that need a bar and launcher added.