3 more Linux-exclusive apps that are better than their Windows alternatives

Released Oct 29, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT

Dibakar Ghosh is a tech reporter at How-To Geek with over a years of experience utilizing and blogging about open-source software application, Linux, Android, AI, and individual performance. He discusses software application, running systems, and tools that assist individuals get more from the innovation they currently utilize.

The typical story is that a Windows user changes to Linux and after that grumbles about the app space. That stated, I’ve been utilizing Linux for over 10 years, and when I change back to Windows, I see an app space, too– in both performance and quality.

Now, I’ve currently released a post covering Linux-exclusive apps that do a much better task than their Windows equivalents, however there sufficed left over to call for a round 2. Here are 3 more apps that are just offered on Linux and unlock an entire brand-new measurement of calculating that you’ve never ever experienced on Windows.

Flatseal and Warehouse

Workout total control over your set up apps

Flatpaks have actually ended up being a popular method to set up apps on Linux, specifically if you’re utilizing an immutable distro like Fedora Silverblue or Bazzite. Numerous individuals get all their Linux apps from Flathub– the main repository for Flatpaks. Now, apart from being distro agnostic, among the primary advantages of Flatpaks is that each app runs in its own sandboxed environment, and you have granular control over what it has access to. You can manage which parts of your system the app can gain access to, including your files, gadgets, and network. Generally, you ‘d handle these consents utilizing the terminal, however you can likewise utilize Flatseal and Warehouse– 2 visual apps that make handling Flatpaks a lot easier.

Up, we have Flatseal. It lets you see and handle authorizations for all your Flatpaks. I’ve set up Discord as a Flatpak and can utilize Flatseal to obstruct its access to my file system. I likewise utilize Super Productivity, an effective offline job management app, and have actually configured it to gain access to simply one directory site while disabling its web gain access to completely.

There’s Warehouse, which focuses more on housekeeping for your Flatpaks. It lets you handle their remotes, roll back to a previous variation if an upgrade breaks something, and even avoid particular apps from upgrading. My preferred function is its capability to clear remaining files after you uninstall a Flatpak, guaranteeing that unneeded app information does not take up storage area.

On Windows, you do not get anywhere near this level of control over your apps. The Settings app does use some choices for restricting app access to your microphone or video camera, however that’s primarily it. You do not get the exact same granular control over an app’s access to your file system and other system resources that you get with Flatpaks on Linux.

Timeshift (or Snapper)

Break whatever you desire, then roll back like absolutely nothing took place

Both Windows and Linux are prone to buggy updates and system-level tweaks that break things, however Linux uses much better tools for handling these issues. Among the most popular choices is Timeshift, which is readily available on practically all Linux distros. It can instantly produce pictures of simply your system submits on a set schedule. Approved, you can likewise configure it to include your home directory site, however I ‘d advise leaving it out. That method, when you roll back to an older picture, just your system files are brought back, while your files, images, conserve files, and other individual information in your house directory site stay unblemished.

There’s Snapper, which, in my viewpoint, is much better and more effective– specifically when combined with distros running the Btrfs file system like openSUSE, Garuda, CachyOS, and Arch Linux. It makes the most of the native copy-on-write (CoW) function in Btrfs, that makes developing photos quick and space-efficient. Snapper can likewise incorporate with supported Linux bootloaders, permitting you to boot into an earlier system state directly from the boot menu if something fails. You can likewise configure it such that you can boot into an older photo to inspect whether it’s working correctly before restoring it.

One of the finest things about both Timeshift and Snapper is that you can configure them to instantly develop pictures before system updates or plan setups. That method, if an upgrade causes issues or a plan breaks your system, you can bring back to an earlier state rather of repairing whatever from scratch.

In contrast, the conventional Windows System Restore function is frequently handicapped by default on a lot of setups. If made it possible for, it can run instantly and develop bring back points before particular updates and software application setups, however not for all of them. There’s no integrated method to boot into a bring back indicate check it before dedicating. And there’s likewise the truth that if you’ve ever utilized System Restore previously, you most likely currently understand it’s not the most trustworthy safeguard.

The more recent Point-in-time Restore function is normally thought about more dependable, however it’s still fairly bare-bones compared to Linux picture tools. It generally produces one photo every 24 hours and maintains photos for as much as 72 hours by default. The pictures are developed to catch the complete system state, so rolling back can likewise reverse modifications to files, apps, and settings made after the picked bring back point.

KVM/QEMU and virt-manager

Virtualize whatever OS you require with near-native efficiency

Virtual makers (VMs )are actually helpful, primarily for developing a sandboxed environment to evaluate software application, try various os, and run apps special to those systems. You can even develop an entirely virtualized workflow where your primary os’s only task is to run the virtual devices you do your genuine operate in– and if you wish to produce something comparable, Linux is the location to be.

On Linux, you get KVM(Kernel-based Virtual Machine ), which turns Linux into a hypervisor, so VMs can utilize your CPU’s hardware virtualization functions. It deals with QEMU, which replicates the hardware a VM requires, and Virtual Machine Manager (virt-manager), a visual app for developing and handling QEMU/KVM virtual devices. Together, they form the most effective virtualization stack I’ve personally utilized. It can run most x86 os with near-native efficiency, specifically with GPU passthrough, which lets you devote your whole graphics card to the VM. That indicates you can run a base Debian system, established a Windows 11 VM with GPU passthrough, and play the majority of your preferred video games on it.

Now, Windows supports virtualization, too, however it isn’t almost as effective or versatile. Its first-party hypervisor, Hyper-V, is just readily available on the Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions of Windows 11. If you’re on Windows 11 Home– which most PCs ship with– you do not get the complete Hyper-V hypervisor. Even on editions that consist of Hyper-V, complete PCIe GPU passthrough isn’t supported for desktop VMs, as Microsoft limitations Discrete Device Assignment to Windows Server hardware.

The closest you’ll get to running Linux apps on Windows with appropriate GPU velocity is WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux). It’s tailored more towards Linux advancement tools and command-line apps. You can run visual Linux apps through WSLg, however it’s been buggy in my experience. There’s no formally supported method to run a complete Linux desktop through WSL. Given, you do have third-party apps like VirtualBox and VMware Workstation, however they’re likewise readily available on Linux, so they aren’t truly a benefit for Windows. Plus, neither of them uses PCIe GPU passthrough the method KVM/QEMU does.

Linux offers you more control over your system

Flatseal, Warehouse, Timeshift, Snapper, KVM/QEMU, and virt-manager all let you do things that Windows either can’t do or can just carry out in an extremely minimal method. Given, the majority of these tools need a little setup, however if you’re prepared to invest a weekend afternoon getting whatever set up, you’ll have a more effective desktop computer than you ever had with Windows.

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