Kubuntu is the official Ubuntu flavor built around KDE Plasma, one of the longest-running pairings in the Ubuntu family: Canonical's base and cadence underneath, Qt-powered KDE software on top. Plasma gives it a character quite different from stock Ubuntu's GNOME, with a traditional panel and menu by default, configurability that reaches down to individual widgets, and the KDE application ecosystem, from the Dolphin file manager to the Kate editor. Releases follow Ubuntu's April and October schedule with long-term-support versions, and packages come from the shared Ubuntu archive via APT, with Plasma's Discover handling graphical software management. Kubuntu stays closer to upstream KDE defaults than heavily themed Plasma distributions, which makes it a fair baseline for judging Plasma itself. It suits users who want mainstream Ubuntu plumbing under a more adjustable desktop. OpenFactory will run that combination in a browser VM while you make up your mind.
Select a version of Kubuntu to try online:
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Need Kubuntu for more than a quick browser preview?
The buttons above launch an ephemeral browser VM, perfect for kicking the tires. Paid plans unlock the things you'd actually use it for:
- ✓Persistent VMs you can SSH into and customize
- ✓Snapshots, your own packages, a downloadable ISO
- ✓Fleet deployment to your own machines (on-prem or cloud)