Hey guys,
Operation System (OS) is one of the basic and the most important things that developers or software engineers would look for at the very first.
In 2024 (when we created this article), we know that there are a lot of choices out there, from closed-source to open-sourced OS.
So let’s together find out with DummyTechDev which are the top Operation Systems best suited for developers and software engineers.
The criteria:
- Developer-friendly
- Large community with various kinds of developer-related software and tools
- Stable & resilient
- (Optional) Price
List of the best OS for developers in 2024
1. MacOS
There is no doubt that MacOS would stand at the top. As we see, developers around the world are using MacOS every day, and a lot of software/tools are built for developers, Unix-like, etc.
The PROs:
- Big community (around the world)
- Beauty UI & OS.
- Software/tools for developers are a lot (and beautiful)
- New software or tools usually ship on macOS as a high priority first, then other platforms.
- Unix-like, which means we can do literally anything that Linux can
- (Since M1+ chip) Long-lasting battery life, we can bring our MacBook anywhere and always ensure that we have at least 8 hours of battery to work
- Frequent security updates.
- Don’t have to restart or shut down frequently.
The CONs:
- We’ll need to buy an Apple device (MacBook, iMac, etc) to use MacOS.
- File Manager from MacOS isn’t so friendly.
2. Ubuntu
Ubuntu is the most famous & most-used open-sourced OS in the Linux family. It is not only built for servers but also has an Ubuntu Desktop version.
The PROs:
- Free, can be installed on any machine/laptop
- Large community.
- Don’t have to restart or shut down frequently.
- It’s Unix so it would be 99% the same as your production/staging servers.
- (Optional) Best OS to use Docker
The CONs:
- Limited software/tools for developers.
- Sometimes you might encounter OS bugs when using the Ubuntu Desktop version.
- Still need to use the Terminal more
- UI or theme can be “ugly” from your point of view.
3. Windows 11
Windows is one of the most successful OS in the world, from Microsoft. People have been using Windows to work for ages, count us – the developers – in too.
The PROs:
- Cool & smooth UI
- Can play games
The CONs:
- You have to buy a Windows license
- Windows system isn’t Unix-like, and mostly applications/backend will be deployed on a Linux machine, so it can be problematic when developing (e.g.: there is no error from Windows machine but deployed, there is an error on staging/production)
- Nowadays, we can install WSL2 but beware of the side effects.
- Not many great tools for developers
- The Windows developers community is quite small
- You might feel “lag” or “slow” when running Windows OS for a long time (24+ hours) and you will have to restart your computer
The other best OS in 2024 you might consider
- Debian
- Fedora Workstation
- Linux Mint
- Arch Linux
Ending
Well, that’s an awesome list for you guys.
From my end, I’m using the 1st option – the MacOS, really happy that I switched to MacOS years ago (and happier when upgraded to M1).
Happy developing guys!
