CachyOS vs. EdeavorOS: Which spinoff makes Arch Linux easier to use?
CachyOS vs. EdeavorOS: Which spinoff makes Arch Linux easier to use?
https://www.zdnet.com/article/cachyos-vs-edeavor-os-linux/
Publish Date: 2026-01-28 16:52:00
Source Domain: www.zdnet.com
Elyse Betters Picaro/ZDNET
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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- CachyOS and EndeavorOS are both Arch-based Linux distros.
- Both make using Arch Linux much easier, but one is faster than the other.
- You can download and install both for free.
If you’re either a fan of Arch Linux or are curious about the oft-lambasted-for-being-too-challenging distribution, then you may know there have been several distros spun off the original with the intent of making it more accessible to more people.
One of the most popular of the spinoffs is Manjaro. For the longest time, Manjaro was considered the best option for those wanting to try Arch, but not having it in them to use the archinstall script.
For the past few years, more spinoffs have arrived to challenge Manjaro as the leader of user-friendly Arch.
Two of those spinoffs are CachyOS and EndeavorOS.
Also: The 3 tiers of Linux distribution difficulty
Both of these distributions share the goal of making Arch Linux easier, and both of them succeed. At the same time, these two distributions are quite different.
Let me see if I can help you decide which is the right one for you.
CachyOS
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Let’s start with CachyOS, since it’s the newer of the two.
While CachyOS does want to make Arch Linux easier for users of all types, another one of its focuses is speed. Let me tell you… It succeeds. CachyOS is lightning fast; faster than most operating systems you’ve tried.
If you want to gain even more speed, you can opt to use the XFS file system (which is chosen during OS installation). Although using a journaling file system for a desktop OS is certainly a different choice than most distributions would make, it works for CachyOS. Remember, XFS has been around for decades, so it has the maturity to deliver on both desktops and servers.
The speed isn’t the only benefit of using XFS. With this journaling file system, should you experience a power outage (or an accidental shutdown), you…
