The best Linux laptops you can buy: Expert tested

My choice for the best Linux laptop is the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2. Lenovo is no stranger to offering Linux support for their laptops and desktops, and the ThinkPad Z13 takes the cake. It also offers several configuration options to help tailor the laptop to your specific work, learning, or hobbyist programmer/coder needs. It also has a more affordable price than some other options on the market, retailing for about $1200. This makes it a great option for beginners and hobbyists who might not want to drop a lot of money on something they may not use much.

*MSRP at time of writing. Please note that actual retail pricing may vary depending on the seller as well as available deals and promotions.

It depends on how much experience you have using the Linux operating system. If you're just starting out, you'll want to opt for a laptop with lower-end components and configurations as well as a lower price. By opting for less sophisticated, less expensive laptops, you can cut your teeth on Linux without losing a ton of money if it turns out not to be your cup of tea. 

However, if you're running with more experienced Linux crowds, you may want to consider laptops with more powerful processors and graphics cards to help you create programs or work with Linux source code.

What makes a machine worthy of belonging to the best Linux laptop list? Obviously, it has to work with Linux and not require the user to do any of the work to make that happen. Beyond that, here are the key features we considered when completing hands-on testing to compile this list:

• Performance: I included laptops with current or last-generation components. This ensures that you'll get the best performance out of your new Linux laptop.
• Design: Not all laptops are designed the same way. I chose laptops with both eye-catching, gamer-inspired designs as well as laptops that would fit right in a traditional office setting.
• Cost: Since Linux can run on just about any laptop as long as the hardware is supported, you can choose an older model (or even a used one) to load the operating system onto. This means you can save money on upgrades, especially if you're just starting out learning Linux.
• Open-source support: Linux is an open-source operating system. You can find tons of online communities dedicated to learning Linux, tweaking source code, and reporting issues.

While we were researching and testing each Linux-compatible laptop on this list, we kept these criteria in mind:

• Brand integrity: It may be tempting to spring for that ultra-cheap, unfamiliar brand, but what you'll save, you'll end up paying for later trying to deal with shady customer service or replacing failing parts. Each laptop on this list has been chosen from reputable brands with robust return and exchange policies as well as excellent customer service.
• Dual boot: Many Linux enthusiasts may also need or want to run a secondary operating system like Windows or MacOS on their computer for completing certain tasks. Each laptop we've chosen has been verified to be able to run at least one other operating system aside from Linux.
• Configurability: No two users will have the exact same needs when using a Linux laptop. Each model chosen for our list has been verified to allow users to drop in new components, expand memory, and add storage drives.

Linux is an open-source operating system, created by Linus Torvalds, that is not only suited for desktops and laptops, but for enterprise-grade servers, container deployments, the cloud, and much more. Linux is available as a distribution and can be downloaded and installed for free on as many machines as you need.

This is a bit of a complicated answer.

Yes, you can run Linux operating systems on MacBooks, Mac Minis, and Mac desktops. But there's a catch: you have to opt for an older model that uses an Intel Core processor instead of Apple's own M1 or M2 chips. Apple's silicon chips are starting to see Linux hobbyists and pros alike build support, but at the time of writing, the only reliable way to get Linux to run on an M1/M2 Mac is to use a virtual machine which is a type of emulation program.

The biggest hurdles you'll have to face when using Linux over Windows or MacOS are the learning curve and general lack of support from brand-name software companies. Since Linux is an open-source operating system, there isn't a single, unified version like there is for Windows 11 or macOS Catalina. This means that it's much more difficult to program applications like games, video players, and even weather apps to work consistently across all versions of Linux. Different versions also mean that just because you're familiar with Ubuntu, that doesn't mean your expertise will be of any use on a machine that runs a different Linux dispo.

Also: Windows, Mac, or Linux? We compare the pros and cons of these computing platforms

When talking about programming and coding, you may come across the term "open-source." This just means that the original code for a program (like Linux or VLC Media Player) is freely available to the public for downloading, distribution, and modifying.  

Linux is popular with programmers since it is open-source, which means that it's easy to try and make your own modifications or command lists. Or you can work together with the Linux community to resolve common bug issues or create new support programs for hardware like Apple's M3 Silicon Chips. 

The great thing about Linux is that it is an open source operating system. Which means there are a lot of different versions out there on forums and also the Internet Archive. And since there are so many different release versions, newcomers looking to save money on their first dedicated or dual-boot Linux machine can pick up a vintage computer at a thrift store, estate sale, or other secondhand store and likely find an operating system version that will run with it.

A thread on the Linux Mint Forums is full of users who were able to use various versions of Linux Mint as well as Puppy (a version of Linux designed to be run from a flash drive, making it great for hobbyists who restore vintage tech) and Ubuntu on Windows Vista and Windows 98 computers (which intrepid tech hunters may be able to find for a bargain at a thrift store or secondhand online). And Tech Tangents on YouTube, a channel dedicated to restoring and archiving retro computer hardware and software, was able to revive a TeleVideo 950 terminal that was originally released in 1980 and use a version of Linux on it. 

Here are a few other noteworthy options we'd recommend for your next Linux laptop.