The Best Linux Laptops of 2023

Update, 05/22/2023:

We’ve reviewed our recommendations and have updated our

best Linux laptop overall

pick to the standard Dell XPS 13, as the Developer’s Edition is no longer in stock.

What to Look For in a Linux Laptop in 2023

You can buy nearly any laptop and

install Linux on it. However, there’s no guarantee that the laptop’s hardware will properly support Linux. If the right hardware drivers aren’t available for the Linux OS you pick, some of the laptop’s features won’t work, or the laptop may just get worse battery life due to poor optimization.

You don’t have to settle for this kind of experience. Some manufacturers release laptops that come with Linux pre-installed. These manufacturers officially support Linux on their hardware, so you know that everything will work properly and that the laptop will keep working with future software updates.

Sure, it’s now much easier to run Linux applications on Windows 10 and Windows 11 thanks to the Windows Subsystem for Linux—and that’s a great solution for many people—but it’s not the real thing.

Chromebooks are also well worth looking into, especially since you can install Linux on a Chromebook or use certain Linux apps on Chrome OS. The main downside is that Chromebooks have become rather more expensive than they used to be, but without any substantial improvement in their specifications.

Whether you’re a developer looking for a Linux laptop for programming, a big believer in open-source software and privacy, or just a Linux enthusiast who prefers the operating system to Windows and macOS, we’ve got some options for you. You can even get powerful gaming laptops that come with Linux now—after all, Linux is good enough for Valve’s Steam Deck.

Ready to step into the world of Linux? These are the laptops to do it with.

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How to Buy a Laptop for Linux

Best Linux Laptop Overall:

Dell XPS 13

The

XPS 13

has a good range of specifications, but Dell’s choice of clean styling and a full aluminum chassis makes it appealing compared to some of the more staid competition.

The Linux version of this laptop is only available with the

Intel i7-1250U

processor on Dell’s website. Granted, this is a capable 10-core CPU and more than enough to run Ubuntu well. There are a few more options for memory, with 8, 16, or 32-gigabyte configurations available, and storage ranges from 512GB to 1TB of SSD space.

Screen options are also good, including a touch-enabled 1920×1200 13.4-inch screen as the most balanced option. Sadly, there isn’t a 4K LCD option unless you move up to the

XPS 13 Plus

, which doesn’t have a Linux version. In addition, 4K resolution isn’t particularly useful at such a small screen size, and Dell’s FHD+ displays are generally very crisp and detailed.

The inclusion of two Thunderbolt 4 ports makes it easy to use this laptop with a docked workstation setup, and thanks to its powerful CPU, it’s also an excellent candidate for use with an external GPU—a graphics card that connects to a computer using a Thunderbolt connection, perfect for making up for the integrated GPU.

The XPS 13 offers plenty of processing power to compile complex code while still having enough in reserve to browse the web while you wait. Thanks to the latest Intel efficiency core technology, you won’t have to run from one electrical outlet to the next.

Overall, this laptop is a brilliant choice for developers in a Linux environment in particular. Even if you aren’t a developer, few well-rounded and sleek systems come with full Linux support directly from the factory.

There are laptops that work with Linux, and then there are laptops that only exist because of Linux. The

StarLite 11-inch laptop

from Star Labs is the latter, offering something entirely different from just about anything else on the market.

The specifications are modest, sporting a N5030 Pentium Silver, 8GB of RAM, and a 240GB SSD in the lowest tier option.  While you can’t opt for a better CPU or more RAM, you can increase the SSD size to 960GB if needed.

When you order a StarLite, you can have it pre-loaded with most of the Linux distributions worth having, not just the mainstream darling Ubuntu.  At the time of writing, there are 16 flavors of Linux listed for the StarLite 11, and you can even opt out of an operating system entirely.

The choice of a proprietary BIOS from American Megatrends or an Open Source Coreboot BIOS is even more intriguing. The final pillar of StarLab’s commitment to openness is the inclusion of an “open” warranty.  StarLite says the 1-year limited warranty allows you to “take your computer apart, replace parts, install an upgrade, and use any operating system and even your firmware, all without voiding the warranty.”

While the specs are undoubtedly modest, many Linux distros aren’t power hogs and will run fine on such hardware. If you’re looking for an open-source and budget-friendly laptop that can be used for most daily computer tasks, the StarLite is a very tempting option.

When

reviewing

the Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 10, we were impressed by its premium build quality and specifications. While our review was of the Windows version, even when it comes to Linux, there’s nothing quite like the X1 Carbon in the ultrabook category.

The X1 is available with Linux pre-installed, configured with a 12th-generation Intel i5-1240P, 8GB of LPDDR5, 256GB of SSD storage, and a 14-inch 1920×1200 PIS display.

The screen, in particular, has an impressive 400 nits of brightness and covers 100% of the sRGB color space. This makes it appropriate for a wide range of content creation work. It is, however, a little disappointing that the resolution isn’t higher or touch-enabled.

Battery life in mixed use comes in at over eight hours, but with more spirited use you may need to head for the charger after around 6 hours. The webcam is 1080p (higher than you get for many laptops), and thanks to the premium materials and build, typing and working with the Carbon on the go is confidence-inspiring. The speakers are adequate but don’t quite match the best laptop speakers you’ll find in many ultrabooks.

Of course, you always have the option of running Windows software on it through dual-booting, making this an extremely versatile machine.

If you want a powerful computer where

everything

is open source and you have more control over your own hardware, try the

Purism Librem 14

. Purism says these systems are “designed chip-by-chip, line-by-line, to respect your rights to privacy, security, and freedom.”

These systems come with an open-source

coreboot BIOS firmware

and no Intel Management Engine (ME) code running at a low level. To be as open-source as possible, Purism avoids using “binary blob” closed-source firmware on its hardware whenever it can, although

some binary blobs are still present

. The Librem 14 comes with

PureOS

, a security-focused Debian-based Linux distribution developed by Purism.

Beyond open source, Purism is designed to put you in control as a user. The laptop includes physical kill switches that disconnect the included camera, mic, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth when you flip them. Hackers gaining access to your webcam and mic is a real fear, and a physical kill switch helps to protect you against it.

The Librem 14 also has a

BIOS write protection switch

on its motherboard, preventing potential malicious software from installing updates without physically changing a switch’s position. Features like

PureBoot

and the

Librem Key

help you ensure only trusted software boots on your computer and protect your laptop’s encrypted files with a physical security key.

All this aside, you’re getting a solid 14-inch laptop with an Intel Core i7 CPU. However, note that this is a 10th generation Intel Core CPU for compatibility with the open-source BIOS instead of an 11th generation Intel Core CPU—not a big deal in terms of performance. Still, for the price, it does sting not getting the latest hardware. You can customize the memory, storage, and other features during the purchase process. Finally,

Purism promises

9 hours and 48 minutes of battery life in light use.

But, be warned that the Librem 14 is a more expensive laptop than

many others

on this list. It’s a premium product, and Purism clearly had to do a lot of extra work to provide these incredible and rare features.

If you’re looking for more laptops with open-source firmware,

System76’s line

also has

open firmware

.

For gamers or anyone else looking for powerful GPU hardware, you’ll want to look at the

System76 Oryx Pro

. This is a hybrid graphics laptop with switchable NVIDIA and Intel graphics, so your laptop can save battery life by automatically using Intel-integrated graphics when you don’t need the GPU horsepower.

The Oryx Pro is available in 15-inch or 17-inch sizes, and you can choose between NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, or 3080 Ti graphics, up to 64 GB of RAM, and up to 4TB of storage. The screen has a 1080p resolution with a 144Hz refresh rate. There’s no option for a higher-resolution screen, although that is a nice speedy refresh rate befitting a gaming system. Unfortunately, both GPU options are the 80W Max-Q variants, so there’s little point in opting for the more expensive 3080 Ti GPU, given that both chips

perform virtually identically

under the same power limits.

System76 only makes Linux laptops, and

all of System76’s laptops

come with

open-source firmware

. The company offers a whole line of PCs, including

prebuilt Linux desktops

.

These laptops come with their own Ubuntu-based operating system,

Pop! OS

, but of course, you can install other Linux distributions. Pop!_OS offers its own desktop environment with auto-tiling windows and keyboard navigation shortcuts, but it also integrates with the hardware.

You can also choose which GPU your laptop uses or configure the OS to automatically use a specific GPU when you launch a specific application in a few clicks. Pop!_OS is encrypted by default, too.

You can install Steam or any other Linux gaming software on Pop!_OS, and System76 even has a

guide to gaming on Pop!_OS

that will walk you through setting up Steam, configuring the open-source

Lutris

software to run emulators and Windows games, and using the GameHub software to combine your game libraries from multiple storefronts in one place.