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Comparison of operating systems
List article

These tables provide a comparison of operating systems, of computer devices, as listing general and technical information for a number of widely used and currently available PC or handheld (including smartphone and tablet computer) operating systems. The article "Usage share of operating systems" provides a broader, and more general, comparison of operating systems that includes servers, mainframes and supercomputers.

Because of the large number and variety of available Linux distributions, they are all grouped under a single entry; see comparison of Linux distributions for a detailed comparison. There is also a variety of BSD and DOS operating systems, covered in comparison of BSD operating systems and comparison of DOS operating systems.

Nomenclature

The nomenclature for operating systems varies among providers and sometimes within providers. For purposes of this article the terms used are;

kernel In some operating systems, the OS is split into a low level region called the kernel and higher level code that relies on the kernel. Typically the kernel implements processes but its code does not run as part of a process.[disputed – discuss] hybrid kernel monolithic kernel Nucleus In some operating systems there is OS code permanently present in a contiguous region of memory addressable by unprivileged code; in IBM systems this is typically referred to as the nucleus. The nucleus typically contains both code that requires special privileges and code that can run in an unprivileged state. Typically some code in the nucleus runs in the context of a dispatching unit, e.g., address space, process, task, thread, while other code runs independent of any dispatching unit. In contemporary operating systems unprivileged applications cannot alter the nucleus.

License and pricing policies also vary among different systems. The tables below use the following terms:

BSD BSD licenses are a family of permissive free software licenses, imposing minimal restrictions on the use and distribution of covered software. bundled The fee is included in the price of the hardware bundled initially The fee is included in the price of the hardware but upgrades require an additional fee. GPL2 GPL3 Per user The fee depends on the maximum number of users concurrently logged on. MSU The fee depends on the resources consumed by the user MULC Measured Usage License Charges PSLC Parallel Sysplex Software Pricing

General information

NameCreatorInitial public releasePredecessorCurrent stable versionRelease dateCost, availabilityPreferred license1Target system type
AIXIBM1986UNIX System V Release 37.3June 20, 2022CommercialProprietaryServer, NAS, workstation
AIX/370IBM1989IX/370Release 2.1?Feb 22, 1991Non-freeProprietaryIBM System/370

AIX/ESA V1 & V2

AIX/ESAIBM1992AIX/370, OSF/1Version 2 Release 2Feb 26, 1993Non-freeProprietaryESA/370IBM System/390
AmigaOS classicCommodore International, Haage & Partner, Hyperion Entertainment1985TRIPOS (as the disk operating component of AmigaOS)3.2.2.1April 23, 2023Bundled with hardware up to version 3.0 (Amiga International hardware came with 3.1); versions 2.1, 3.0, 3.1, 3.5, 3.9 and the more recent 3.2 (2021) also available as separate packagesProprietary, open source clone available under AROS Public LicenseWorkstation, personal computer
AmigaOS 4Hyperion Entertainment2004AmigaOS classic4.1 Final Edition Update 2.1January 12, 20214.0 bundled with hardware; 4.0 for classic and 4.1 available as standalone package at €29ProprietaryWorkstation, personal computer
AndroidAndroid, Inc., Google2008None15October 15, 2024No costAOSP: Apache-2.0Linux: GPL-2.0-onlySmartphone, tablet computer
ArcaOSArca Noae, LLC2017OS/25.1.0August 27, 2023Personal edition US$139.00Commercial edition US$249.00ProprietaryServer, workstation, personal computer
Classic Mac OS (retronym; had no name originally, later Macintosh System Software)Apple Computer, Inc. (now Apple Inc.)1984None239.2.22000Discontinued; Was bundled with 68k and PowerPC Macs;

versions 7.1-9 sold as retail upgrades4

ProprietaryWorkstation, personal computer
ChromeOSGoogle2011none129.0.6668.99October 1, 2024Bundled with hardware, 32-bit edition droppedProprietary: Google OS Terms of Service. Open-source core systemChromebook, Chromebox, Chromebase and tablet
ChromiumOSGoogle2009noneRolling releaseOctober 7, 2021No costBSDLinux Kernel GPL-2.0-onlyPersonal computer
DragonFly BSDMatthew Dillon2003FreeBSD6.4.0June 9, 2022No costBSDServer, workstation, NAS, embedded system
eComStationSerenity Systems, Mensys BV2001OS/22.1May 20, 2011Discontinued; CommercialProprietaryServer, workstation, personal computer
EPOC32Psion PLC1996ER51999Discontinued; CommercialProprietaryPDA
EulerOSHuawei2021NoneV2.0SP82022No costOpen sourceServer, workstation
FreeBSDThe FreeBSD Project1993386BSD14.1June 4, 2024No costBSDServer, workstation, Desktop, NAS, embedded system
GenodeGenode Labs2008None25.025 28 February 2025; 39 days ago (28 February 2025)No costAGPL-3.0-onlyDesktop, embedded system, server
GhostBSDEric Turgeon2009FreeBSD21.056May 13, 2021No costBSDDesktop, workstation
LinuxNotable contributors include: Richard Stallman for GNU Project and Linus Torvalds for Linux and the Unixes they emulated; Red Hat, Debian Project See: Comparison of Linux distributions and Linux kernel#Development1991 (kernel), See: Comparison of Linux distributions and History of LinuxNone6.14.17  (kernel)7 April 2025; 1 day ago (7 April 2025) (kernel)No costGPL-2.0-only (kernel)See: Comparison of Linux distributions
HaikuHaiku Inc.2002BeOS R5R1/Beta 4December 23, 2022No costMITPersonal computer
HP NonStopHP (now Hewlett Packard Enterprise)1976NoneH06.24/J06.132012Bundled with hardware?ProprietaryHP Nonstop Servers
HP-UXHP (now Hewlett Packard Enterprise)1983UNIX System VHP-UX 11i v3 2023 / May 2023May 2022US$400ProprietaryServer
HarmonyOSHuawei2019OpenHarmony, LiteOS5.0.0.102(SP3C00E73R4P17)October 23, 2024Bundled with hardware and updates at no cost given to most existing users, subject to hardware requirementsProprietary software except for open-source componentsInternet of things, Smartphone, tablet computer, education, embedded system, smart watches
IBM iIBM1988CPF, SSP7.5May 10, 2022Bundled with hardwareProprietaryServer
InfernoBell Labs1996Plan 9Fourth EditionJune 30, 2009No costMITNAS, server, embedded
iOS (originally iPhone OS)Apple Inc.2007macOS17.1.1November 7, 2023Bundled with hardware and updates at no cost given to most existing users, subject to hardware requirementsProprietary higher level API layers; open source core system (ARM versions): APSL, GNU GPL, othersSmartphone, music player, tablet
IRIXSGI1988UNIX System V6.5.302006Discontinued; Bundled with hardwareProprietaryServer, workstation
IX/370IBM1985UNIX System VRelease 1.4?Sep 25, 1987Non-freeProprietaryIBM System/370
macOS (originally Mac OS X)Apple Inc.2001NeXTSTEP, BSD15.1October 28, 2024Bundled with hardware; No cost for updates and upgrades via Mac App Store for users of Mac OS X 10.6 or laterProprietary higher level API layers; open source core system (Apple Silicon-Intel-PowerPC versions): APSL, GNU GPL, othersWorkstation, personal computer, embedded
macOS Server (originally Mac OS X Server)Apple Inc.2001NeXTSTEP, BSD5.12May 2, 2021Discontinued; Previously bundled with hardware; No longer a separate operating system, but a group of services installed atop any version of macOS Monterey; US$19.99 on the Mac App StoreProprietary higher level API layers; open source core system (Intel-PowerPC versions): APSL, GNU GPL, othersServer
MCPUnisys1961NoneCP OS 20.0May 2021Bundled with hardwareProprietaryServer
MenuetOSVille Turjanmaa and others2000None1.49.002023OS written in assembly languageGPL or No costWorkstation
MINIX 3Andrew S. Tanenbaum2005Minix23.3.02014No costBSD-3-ClauseWorkstation
MPEHP1974NoneMPE-V1988Discontinued; Was bundled with HP-3000 CISC hardware "Classic"ProprietaryServer
MPE/XLHP1987MPE7.52002Discontinued; Was bundled with HP-3000 PA-RISC hardwareProprietaryServer
MVS(OS/VS2 R2 through R3.8)IBM1972OS/360 MVT, SVSRelease 3.81974Free (discontinued)Open sourceIBM System/370
MVS(MVS/SE through MVS/ESA)IBMMarch 1978OS/VS2 R3.7 for MVS/SE R1OS/VS2 R3.8 for MVS/SE R2 through MVS/ESAz/OS Version 2.5 (V2R5)September 30, 2021Price tied to processor capacityOne Time Charge or monthlyS/370

S/370-XAS/370-ESAESA/390

NetBSDThe NetBSD Project1993386BSD9.3August 4, 2022No costBSDNAS, server, workstation, embedded
NetWareNovell1985S-Net6.5 SP8May 6, 2009Superseded by Novell Open Enterprise Server; Was US$184 (equivalent to $269.68 in 2024) (one-user)ProprietaryServer
NeXTSTEPNeXT1989Unix3.31995Discontinued; Was bundled with hardware, then sold separatelyProprietaryWorkstation
OpenBSDOpenBSD Project1996NetBSD 1.07.4October 16, 2023No costISCServer, NAS, workstation, embedded
OpenIndianaMany, based on software developed by Sun Microsystems and many others2010OpenSolaris2023.04April 30, 2021No costCDDLServer, workstation
OpenVMSDEC (now VSI)1977RSX-11MV9.2-3November 20, 2024Commercial, no cost for non-commercial useProprietaryServer, workstation
OpenHarmonyVarious (OpenAtom Foundation, Huawei and others)2020HarmonyOS, LiteOS5.0.0 ReleaseSeptember 29, 2024No costApache-2.0Internet of things, embedded system, smart watches, mobile devices, personal computers
OniroVarious (Eclipse Foundation, Huawei and others)2021None4.1June 21, 2024No costEclipse License, Apache-2.0Internet of things, embedded system, smart watches, mobile devices, personal computers
OS/2IBM and Microsoft1987MS-DOS4.522001Discontinued (see ArcaOS successor); Was US$300 (equivalent to $532.74 in 2024)ProprietaryPersonal computer, server
OS/360IBM1966NoneOperating System/360 R21.8August 1972Free (discontinued)Open sourceS/360S/370
OS/390IBM1995MVS/ESAOS/390 version 2 R10September 29, 2000Price tied to processor capacityOne Time Charge or monthlyS/390
OS 2200Unisys1967 as Exec 8eExec 8, OS 1100CP OS 18 (Exec 49.2)July 18, 2018Bundled with hardwareProprietaryServer
OS/VS1IBM1972OS/360 MFT IIRelease 7.0?Free (discontinued)IBM System/370
OS/VS2 SVSIBM1972OS/360 MVTRelease 1.7Free (discontinued)IBM System/370
Plan 9Bell Labs1992UnixFourth Edition2003 (except for minor later updates)No costMIT8Workstation, server, embedded system, HPC
QNXQNX Software Systems1982Unix, POSIX7.1.0July 2020Bundled with BlackBerry 10 and PlayBook devices. Commercial; an academic version exists that needs authorization code before installingProprietaryAutomotive, medical, smartphone, consumer, industrial, embedded system, safety
ReactOSReactOS development team1998Windows NT (clone of)0.4.14April 9, 2020No costGPL-2.0-or-laterWorkstation, personal computer
RedoxJeremy Soller2015-0.7.0April 28, 2022No costMITDesktop, workstation, server
RISC iXAcorn Computers1988BSD 4.31.21c1993Discontinued; Was bundled with hardwareProprietaryWorkstation
RISC OSAcorn Computers1987Arthur3.711997Discontinued; Was bundled with hardwareProprietaryEducation, personal computer
RISC OS 4RISCOS Ltd, Pace plc1999RISC OS4.392004Bundled with hardware, then sold separately at £70 (US$127)ProprietaryEducation, personal computer
RISC OS 5Castle Technology, RISC OS Open2002RISC OS 45.2892020No costApache-2.0Education, personal computer
RISC OS 6RISCOS Ltd2006RISC OS 46.202009Bundled with hardware, then sold separately at £70 (US$127)ProprietaryEducation, personal computer
SerenityOSAndreas Kling2018NoneContinuous integrationN/ANo costBSD-2-ClauseWorkstation, personal computer
SolarisSun (now Oracle Corporation)1992SunOS11.4August 28, 2018Commercial; (a perpetual license at no cost when used "for the purpose of developing, testing, prototyping and demonstrating your applications"10)CDDLServer, workstation
STOP 6, XTS-400BAE Systems2003STOP 5, XTS-3008.2August 2008US$60,000 (equivalent to $87,626 in 2024)+; bundled with XTS hardware and OEM licensedProprietaryServer, workstation
SymbianSymbian Ltd.1998EPOC329.52009Discontinued; CommercialProprietaryPhone
Symbian platformSymbian Foundation2010 (initially 1998 as Symbian)Symbian3.0.42010No costEPLEmbedded system
TempleOSTerry Davis2005 (as J Operating System)None5.032017No costPublic domainPersonal computer
Tru64Digital Equipment CorporationJanuary 1992OSF/15.1B-6October 1, 2010Bundled with hardwareProprietaryServer, workstation, HPC
VMEICL1974NoneSV2941994Bundled with hardwareProprietaryICL mainframe
VSEn21st Century Software1979 (as DOS/VSE)DOS/360DOS/VS6.3May 17, 2022Monthly license feeProprietaryIBM Z
VxWorksWind River Systems1987VRTX7March 2014PaidProprietaryEmbedded real-time system
Windows (classic 9x family)Microsoft1995MS-DOSWindows Me (Win 4.90.3000)2000DiscontinuedProprietaryPersonal computer, media center
Windows (NT family)Microsoft1993OS/2 and Windows 3.1xWindows 11 (version 24H2)June 15, 2024One time license feeProprietary; Source-availableWorkstation, personal computer, media center, Tablet PC, embedded system
Windows Server (NT family)Microsoft1993OS/2Windows Server 2025 (version 10.0.26100.2605)November 1, 2024US$1050 5 CALs server; other editions dependent on number of CALs purchasedProprietary; Source-availableServer, NAS, embedded system
z/OSIBM2000OS/390Version 2.5 (V2R5)September 30, 2021Price tied to processor capacityOne Time Charge or monthlyIBM Z
z/VMIBM2000VM/ESA7.4September 20, 202411Monthly license feeProprietaryIBM Z
ZETAyellowTAB2005BeOS R51.52007DiscontinuedProprietaryPersonal computer, media center, workstation
NameCreatorInitial public releasePredecessorCurrent stable versionRelease dateCost, availabilityPreferred license12Target system type

Technical information

NameComputer architectures supportedFile systems supportedKernel typeSource lines of codeGUI default is on13Package managementUpdate managementNative APIs14Non-native APIs supported through subsystems
AIXPOWER, PowerPC-AS, PowerPC, Power ISAJFS, JFS2, ISO 9660, UDF, NFS, SMBFS, GPFSMonolithic with modulesNoinstallp, RPMService Update Management Assistant (SUMA)SysV/POSIX
AmigaOS classic68k, PowerPCProprietary (OFS, FFS, SFS, PFS), FAT, ISO 9660, UDF, many others via 3rd party drivers, such as SMBFS, etc.MicrokernelYesInstaller15 (almost not needed)16ProprietaryBSD subset (available through 3rd party ixemul.library)
AmigaOS 4PowerPCProprietary (OFS, FFS, SFS, PFS), JXFS, FAT, ISO 9660, UDF, many others via 3rd party drivers, such as SMBFS, etc.MicrokernelYesInstaller17 (almost not needed)18AmiUpdate (almost not needed)19ProprietaryBSD subset (available through 3rd party ixemul.library)
ArcaOSIA-32JFS (default), HPFS, ISO 9660, UDF, FAT32, NTFSHybridYesANPM (based on YUM and RPM)Update FacilityOS/2POSIX, Win16, DOS, Win32, Java
ChromeOSARM, IA-32, x86-64eCryptfs, NTFS, FAT, FAT16, FAT32, exFAT, ext2, ext3, ext4, HFS+, MTP (read and write), ISO9660 (read-only), UDF (read-only)Monolithic with modules≈17 million20YesPortageLinux/POSIX
DragonFly BSDx86-64UFS1, MFS, ext2, FAT (16/32), HAMMER, ISO 9660HybridNodports, pkggit, cvsup, rsync, pkgBSD/POSIXMono, Java, Win16,21 Win32,22 Linux
eComStationIA-32HPFS (default), FAT, JFS, UDF, FAT32, NTFS (read only)HybridYesWarpIN, Feature Install, othersMaintenance ToolProprietary, DOS API, Win16POSIX, Java, others
FreeBSDIA-32, x86-64, ARM, MIPS, PowerPC, othersUFS2, ZFS, ext2, ext3, ext4, FAT, ISO 9660, UDF, NFS, othersMonolithic with modules6.25 million23NoPorts collection, packagesby source, network binary update (freebsdupdate)BSD/POSIXMono, Java, Win16,24 Win32,25 Linux
GenodeARM, RISC-V, IA-32, x86-64ext2, ext3, FAT32, ISO9660Microkernel or Monolithic kernel≈300,000 NoCustomNoneGenodePOSIX, Qt, SDL, MirageOS26
GhostBSDIA-32, x86-64UFS2, ext2, ext3, FAT, ISO 9660, UDF, NFS, ReiserFS (read only), XFS (experimental), ZFS, othersMonolithic with modulesYesPorts collection, packagesby source, network binary update (freebsdupdate)BSD/POSIXMono, Java, Win16,27 Win32,28 Linux
LinuxIA-32, x86-64, ARM, PowerPC, SPARC, othersext2, ext3, ext4, btrfs, ReiserFS, FAT, ISO 9660, UDF, NFS, and othersMonolithic with modules≈15 million (kernel)29

lines of code for userland libraries and applications vary depending on the distribution

YesDepends on the distributionLinux/POSIXMono, Java, Win16,30 Win3231
HaikuIA-32, PowerPC, x86-64BFS (default), FAT, ISO 9660, ext3, NTFSHybrid≈5.2 millionYesPorts collection (haikuport)pkgman, HaikuDepotPOSIX, BeOS APIJava, Qt
HP-UXPA-RISC, IA-64VxFS, HFS, CDFS, EVFS, NFS, CIFSMonolithic with modulesNoSD, swinstallswa (HP-UX Software Assistant)SysV/POSIX
HarmonyOS64-bit ARM, RISC-V, x86, x64 and LoongArchHMDFS, EROFS, NFS, RAMFS, FAT, JFFS2, exFATMicrokernel≈239.6 million32 (100 Deterministic Latency Engine)33Yes.app with HAP filesSoftware UpdateProprietaryJava until 3.0.0
InfernoIA-32, PowerPC, SPARC, Alpha, MIPS, othersStyx/9P2000, kfs, FAT, ISO 9660Monolithic with modules, user space file systemsYes??Proprietary
iOSARMv8-A (iOS 7–present), ARMv7-A (iPhone OS 3–iOS 10), ARMv6 (iPhone OS 1–iOS 4.2.1)HFS+ (prior to version 10.3), APFS (since version 10.3)Hybrid≈80 millionYes?Software UpdateCocoa, BSD-POSIX?
Classic Mac OS68k, PowerPCHFS+, HFS, MFS (Mac OS 8.0 and before), AFP, ISO 9660, FAT(System 7 and later), UDFMonolithic with modulesYesNoneSoftware Update (only in Mac OS 9)Toolbox, Carbon (from version 8.1)
macOSApple silicon (11-present), x86-64 (10.4.7–present), IA-32 (10.4.4–10.6.8), PowerPC (10.0–10.5.8)(see also iOS for ARM)HFS+ (default on hard drives, and on flash drives up to Sierra), APFS (default on flash drives in High Sierra), HFS, UFS, AFP, ISO 9660, FAT, UDF, NFS, SMBFS, NTFS (read only), FTP, WebDAV, ZFS (experimental)Hybrid with modules≈86 million34YesmacOS InstallerSoftware UpdateCarbon, Cocoa, Java, BSD-POSIXToolbox (only in versions up to Mac OS X 10.4, not supported on x86 architecture), Win16,35 Win3236
MINIX 3IA-32Microkernel≈12,000 (C) + ≈1,400 (Assembly)37NoPOSIX
NetBSDIA-32, x86-64, ARM, MIPS, PowerPC, sparc64, othersUFS, UFS2, ext2, FAT, ISO 9660, NFS, LFS, and othersMonolithic with modulesNo38pkgsrcby source or binary (using sysinst)BSD-POSIXLinux, others
NetWare16-bit x86, IA-32NSS, NWFS, FAT, NFS, AFP, UDF, CIFS, ISO 9660HybridYesNWCONFIG.NLM, RPM, X11-based GUI installerbinary updates, ZENWorks for Servers, Red CarpetProprietary
OpenBSDIA-32, x86-64, SPARC, 68k, Alpha, othersffs, ext2, FAT, ISO 9660, NFS, some othersMonolithicNo39Ports collection, packagesby source or binary (packages via pkg_add)BSD-POSIX
OpenVMSVAX, Alpha, IA-64, x86-64Files-11 (ODS), ISO 9660, NFS, CIFSMonolithic with modulesNoPCSI, VMSINSTAL?ProprietaryPOSIX, RSX-11M
OS/216-bit x86 (1.x only), IA-32HPFS, JFS, FAT, ISO 9660, UDF, NFSMonolithic with modulesYesFeature Install and others?Proprietary, DOS API, Win16Win32
OpenHarmony64-bit ARM, RISC-V, x86, x64 and LoongArchHMDFS, EROFS, NFS, RAMFS, FAT, JFFS2, exFATMulti-kernel≈110 million+40Yes.app with HAP filesSoftware UpdateOpen-source, ArkUI, OpenHarmony API KitsJava until 3.0.0, React Native, Qt, Flutter, Electron, CEF
Oniro64-bit ARM, RISC-V, x86, x64HMDFS, EROFS, NFS, RAMFS, FAT, JFFS2, exFATMulti-kernelYes.app with HAP filesSoftware UpdateOpen-source, ArkUI, OpenHarmony and Oniro API Kits, React Native for ArkUIReact Native, Qt, Flutter, Electron, CEF
Plan 9IA-32, Alpha, MIPS, PowerPC, SPARC, othersfossil/venti, 9P2000, kfs, ext2, FAT, ISO 9660Hybrid, user space file systems≈2.5 Million /sys/src (complete source of all supported architectures, kernels, commands and libraries)YesNonereplicaProprietary (Unix-like)POSIX compatibility layer
QNXx86, SH-4, PowerPC, ARM, MIPSQNX4FS, QNX6, ext2, FAT, ISO 9660, Joliet, NFS, CIFS, ETFS, UDF, HFS, HFS+, NTFS, othersMicrokernelPOSIX, Java
ReactOSIA-32, PowerPC, ARMFAT, BTRFS, and NTFS (read only)Hybridnearly 8 million41YesReactOS Applications Manager, MSI, custom installersNoneWin32, NT APIDOS API
Redoxx86-64RedoxFS, TFSMicrokernelYespkgutilsPOSIX
RISC OSARM (both 26 and 32-bit addressing modes)Acorn ADFS, Econet ANFS, FAT, ISO 9660, many others as loadable filesystemsMonolithic with modules. Cooperative multitasking with limited memory protection.42YesApplications self-contained; hardware drivers often in ROM!IyoUpWtchHuge number of SWI calls; extensive C libraries
SerenityOSx86, x86-64ext2Microkernel≈750,000YesNoneNonePOSIX, propertiary
SolarisIA-32, x86-64, SPARCUFS, ZFS, ext2, FAT, ISO 9660, UDF, NFS, QFS, some othersMonolithic with modulesYesSysV packages (pkgadd)Image Packaging System (pkg) (Solaris 11 and later)Image Packaging System (Solaris 11 and later)SysV/POSIX, GTK, JavaWin16,43 Win32,44 Mono, Linux45
OpenSolarisIA-32, x86-64, SPARC(AI)UFS, ZFS, ext2, FAT, ISO 9660, UDF, NFS, QFS, some othersMonolithic with modules≈18.8 million46YesImage Packaging System (pkg), SysV packages (pkgadd)Image Packaging SystemSysV/POSIX, GTK, JavaWin16,47 Win32,48 Mono, Linux49
STOP 6, XTS-400x86ProprietaryMonolithicNoRPM for some untrusted applicationsBinary updates via postal mail and proprietary toolsSome: SysV, POSIX, Linux, proprietary
SymbianARMFATMicrokernelYesSIS filesFOTAProprietaryPOSIX compatibility layer
TrueOSIA-32, x86-6450UFS2, ext2, ext3, FAT, ISO 9660, UDF, NFS, ReiserFS (read only), XFS (experimental) and othersMonolithic with modulesYesPorts collection, packages, PBI Graphical Installersby PBI updates, source, network binary update (freebsdupdate)BSD-POSIXWin16,51 Win3252
Windows Server (NT family)IA-32, x86-64, IA-64NTFS, FAT, ISO 9660, UDF; 3rd-party drivers support ext2, ext3, ReiserFS,53 and HFSHybrid with modules≈45 million54YesMSI, custom installersWindows UpdateWin32, NT APIDOS API, Win16 (only in 32-bit versions), POSIX, .NET
Windows (NT family)IA-32, x86-64, ARM, IA-64, Alpha, MIPS, PowerPCNTFS, FAT exFAT ISO 9660, UDF; 3rd-party drivers support btrfs, ext2, ext3, ReiserFS,55 HFS+, FATX, and HFS (with third party driver)Hybrid with modules≈40 (XP)/64 (Vista and later) millionYesMSI, custom installersWindows UpdateWin32, NT APIDOS API, Win16 (only in 32-bit versions), POSIX, .NET
ZETAIA-32BFS (default), FAT, ISO 9660, UDF, HFS, AFP, ext2, CIFS, NTFS (read only), ReiserFS (read only, up to v3.6)HybridYesSoftwareValet, script-based installersNonePOSIX, BeOS API
z/OSz/ArchitectureVSAM, BDAM, QSAM, BPAM, HFS, zFS, etc.Protected, multithreading, multitasking nucleus with programmable/user replaceable extensions. Not kernel-based.NoNone, SMP/ESMP/EFilesystem access methods, Systems Services, etc.POSIX, many others.
NameComputer architectures supportedFile systems supportedKernel typeSource lines of codeGUI default is on56Package managementUpdate managementNative APIs57Non-native APIs supported through subsystems

Security

NameResourceaccesscontrolSubsystemisolationmechanismsIntegratedfirewallEncryptedfilesystemsNo execute (NX)page flagManufacturer acknowledged unpatched vulnerabilities (by severity)58
SecuniaSecurity-Focus
HardwareEmulationExtremely critical(number / oldest)Highly critical(number / oldest)Moderately critical(number / oldest)Lesscritical (number / oldest)Notcritical(number / oldest)Total(number / oldest)
AIX 7.1POSIX, ACLs, MAC, Trusted AIX - MLS, RBACchrootIPFilter, IPsec VPNs, basic IDSYesYes59Un­known0
FreeBSD 10.1POSIX, ACLs, MACchroot, Jails, MAC partitions, multilevel security, Biba Model, BSD file flags set using chflags, Capsicum Capability-based securityIPFW2, IPFilter, PF, IPsecYesYesYes6000000>0
GhostBSD 3.1POSIX, ACLs, MACchroot, jail, MAC partitions, BSD file flags set using chflagsIPFW2, IPFilter, PFYesYesYes00000>0
GenodeHierarchal,61 least privilegecapability-based securityVirtual switch and NAPT controls in user-spaceNokernel dependentNoUn­known
HP-UX 11.31POSIX, ACLschrootIPFilterYes??003June 30, 2004;20 years ago (2004-06-30)2December 12, 2002;22 years ago (2002-12-12)0>0
InfernoPOSIXNamespaces,62 capability-based security, no superuser or setuid bit??NoNoUn­known>0
Linux-based 2.6.39POSIX, ACLs,63 MACchroot,64 seccomp, Namespaces, SELinux, AppArmorNetfilter, varied by distributionYesYesYes0006June 24, 2004;20 years ago (2004-06-24)11April 4, 2005;20 years ago (2005-04-04)>0
Mac OS 9.2.2NoNoNoNoNoNo00000>0
OS X 10.10.5POSIX, ACLs65chroot, BSD file flags set using chflagsipfwYesYes (as of 10.5, X64 only)Yes (Intel only)001April 14, 2009;15 years ago (2009-04-14)2January 8, 2007;18 years ago (2007-01-08)5November 22, 2006;18 years ago (2006-11-22)>0
NetBSD 6.1.2POSIX, Veriexec, PaX, kauthchroot, kauth, BSD file flags set using chflagsIPFilter, NPF, PFYesYesNoUn­known>0
NetWare 6.5 SP8Directory-enabled ACLsProtected address spacesIPFLT.NLMYesYesNo001August 31, 2010;14 years ago (2010-08-31)2October 30, 2003;21 years ago (2003-10-30)00
OES-LinuxDirectory-enabled ACLschrootIPFilterYesYesNoUn­known>0
OpenBSD 4.8POSIXchroot, systrace, BSD file flags set using chflagsPFYesYesYesUn­known>0
OpenVMS 9.2ACLs, privilegeslogical name tables??Yes?00000Unknown
OS/2, eComStation, ArcaOSACLs66NoIPFilterNo??000000
TrueOS 8.1POSIX, ACLs, MACchroot, jail, MAC partitionsIPFW2, IPFilter, PFYes67??00000>0
Plan 9POSIX ?Namespaces,68 capability-based security, no superuser or setuid bitipmuxYesNoNoUn­known>0
QNX 6.5.0POSIX?PF, from NetBSD???0005November 20, 2002;22 years ago (2002-11-20)1November 7, 2002;22 years ago (2002-11-07)Unknown
RISC OSNoNoIPFilterNoNoNoUn­known
Solaris 10POSIX, RBAC, ACLs, least privilege, Trusted Extensionschroot, Containers,69 Logical DomainsIPFilterYes70YesNo02October 31, 2007;17 years ago (2007-10-31)5October 23, 2007;17 years ago (2007-10-23)3September 10, 2009;15 years ago (2009-09-10)2November 6, 2006;18 years ago (2006-11-06)>0
OpenSolaris 2009.06POSIX, RBAC, ACLs, least privilege, Trusted Extensionschroot, Containers,71 Logical DomainsIPFilterYes72YesNo00000>0
Windows Server 2012ACLs, privileges, RBACWin32 WindowStation, desktop, job objectsWindows FirewallYesYesYes00000[Unknown]
Windows 8.1ACLs, privileges, RBACWin32 WindowStation, desktop, job objectsWindows FirewallYesYesYes00001May 30, 2014;10 years ago (2014-05-30)[Unknown]
ZETAPOSIX73NoNoNoNoNoUn­known
STOP 6, XTS-40074POSIX, multilevel security, Biba Model mandatory integrity, ACLs, privileges, subtype mechanismMultilevel security, Biba Model, subtype mechanismNoNoNoNoUn­known
z/OS 1.11RACFRACF, low storage protection, page protection, storage protect key, execution key, subspace group facility, APF, ACR (alternate CPU recovery), morez/OS IPSecurityOptionalYes (storage protect key, execution key, APF, more)Yes00000Unknown
NameResourceaccesscontrolSubsystemisolationmechanismsIntegratedfirewallEncryptedfilesystemsHardwareEmulationExtremely critical(number / oldest)Highly critical(number / oldest)Moderately critical(number / oldest)Less critical(number / oldest)Not critical(number / oldest)Total(number / oldest)
No execute (NX)page flagSecuniaSecurity- Focus
Known unpatched vulnerabilities (severity is accounted for)75

Commands

For POSIX compliant (or partly compliant) systems like FreeBSD, Linux, macOS or Solaris, the basic commands are the same because they are standardized.

FeatureAROSFreeBSDLinux-basedHP-UXOpenVMSmacOSSolarisWindows (cmd)Windows (PowerShell)
List directorylist, dirlslslsdirlslsdirGet-ChildItem
Clear consoleclearclearclearclearty/pa nl:clearclearclsClear-Host
Copy file(s)copycpcpcpcopycpcpcopyCopy-Item
Move file(s)movemvmvmvrenmvmvmoveMove-Item
Rename file(s)renamemvmv, renamemvrenmvmvren (rename)Rename-Item
Delete file(s)deletermrmrmdelrmrmdel (erase)Remove-Item
Delete directorydeletermdirrmdirrmdirdelrmdirrmdirrd (rmdir)Remove-Item
Create directorymakedirmkdirmkdirmkdircreate/dirmkdirmkdirmd (mkdir)New-Item
Change current directorycd76cdcdcdset defcdcdcd (chdir)Set-Location
Run shell script with new shellshell file.shellsh file.shsh file.shsh file.sh@ file.comsh file.shsh file.shcmd /c file.cmdpowershell file.ps1
Kill processes?kill, killallkillall, pkill, kill, skillkillstopkill, killallkill, pkilltaskkillStop-Process
Change process prioritychangetaskprinicenice, chrtniceset proc/prionicenicestart /low, start /normal, start /high, start /realtimeStart-Process, wmic
Change I/O priority?77ionice?set proc/prionice78???
Create file systemformatnewfsmkfsnewfsinitmkfsnewfs, zpool / zfs createformatFormat-Volume
File system check and recovery?fsckfsckfsckanalyze/diskfsckfsckchkdskRepair-Volume
Create software raid?atacontrol, gmirror, zfs createmdadm -C??diskutil appleRAIDmetainit, zpool creatediskpart (mirror only)diskpart (mirror only)
Mount devicemountmountmountmountmountmount, diskutil mountmountmountvolNew-PSDrive
Unmount deviceassign drivename: dismountumountumountumountdismountumount, diskutil unmount(disk)umountmountvol /dRemove-PSDrive
Mount file as block device?mdconfig + mountmount -o loop??hdidlofiadm + mount??
Show network configuration?ifconfigip addr, ifconfigifconfig, lanadmintcpip sh net (sh net)ifconfigifconfigipconfigGet-NetIPInterface, ipconfig
Show network route?netstat -r, route get, route monitorip route, routenetstat -rtcpip sh routenetstat -r, route get, route monitornetstat -rrouteGet-NetRoute
Trace network route?traceroutetraceroutetraceroutetcptracetraceroutetraceroutetracertTest-NetConnection
Trace network route with pings?traceroute -Itraceroute -I, mtr?tcptracetraceroute -Itraceroute -Ipathpingpathping
FeatureAROSFreeBSDLinux-basedHP-UXOpenVMSmacOSSolarisWindows (cmd)Windows (PowerShell)

NOTE: Linux systems may vary by distribution which specific program, or even 'command' is called, via the POSIX alias function. For example, if you wanted to use the DOS dir to give you a directory listing with one detailed file listing per line you could use alias dir='ls -lahF' (e.g. in a session configuration file).

See also

Operating system comparisons

Wikibooks has a book on the topic of: A Neutral Look at Operating Systems

References

  1. Most OS distributions include bundled software with various other licenses.

  2. "Hungarian". The Original Macintosh Anecdotes.. Although Lisa OS ran on the same, but a slower variant, microprocessor and was developed by Apple Computer Inc. at the same time as Classic Mac OS, they were developed as different projects, only sharing a similar GUI between them. https://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?project=Macintosh&story=Hungarian.txt

  3. Mac OS 7.6 was the first Macintosh system software to be labeled Mac OS. Operating systems before this were named Macintosh System Software through System Software 7.5, and known as System #.# for short. /wiki/Mac_OS_7.6

  4. Pogue, David (January 1997). MacWorld Macintosh Secrets 4th edition - Chapter 6: The System Software Museum (PDF). p. 225. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 17, 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2017. /wiki/David_Pogue

  5. "Release 25.02". February 28, 2025. Retrieved March 23, 2025. https://github.com/genodelabs/genode/releases/tag/25.02

  6. "GhostBSD 21.05.11 ISO now available". Retrieved June 25, 2021. https://ghostbsd.org/GhostBSD_21.05.11_ISO_now_available

  7. Greg Kroah-Hartman (April 7, 2025). "Linux 6.14.1". Retrieved April 7, 2025. https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/2025040750-feminist-gumball-0c69@gregkh/

  8. "'[9fans] Transfer of Plan 9 to the Plan 9 Foundation' - MARC". https://marc.info/?l=9fans&m=161650489113326

  9. Revill, Steve (October 24, 2020). "RISC OS 5.28 now available". RISC OS Open. Retrieved October 24, 2020. https://www.riscosopen.org/news/articles/2020/10/24/risc-os-5-28-now-available

  10. "Oracle Solaris OTN License". Oracle.com. Retrieved October 4, 2013. http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/licenses/solaris-cluster-express-license-167852.html

  11. "Introducing IBM z/VM 7.4". August 6, 2024. https://www.vm.ibm.com/zvm740/

  12. Most OS distributions include bundled software with various other licenses.

  13. Operating systems where the GUI is not installed and turned on by default are often bundled with an implementation of the X Window System, installation of which is usually optional. /wiki/X_Window_System

  14. Most operating systems use proprietary APIs in addition to any supported standards.

  15. Amiga OS features since OS 2.0 version a standard centralized Install utility called Installer, which could be used by any software house to install programs. It works as a Lisp language interpreter, and install procedures could be listed as simple text. AmigaOS can also benefit from a 3rd party copyrighted library called XAD that is available for all POSIX (Unix, Linux, BSD, and for AmigaOS, MorphOS, etc.). This library is freely distributable and publicly available on Aminet Amiga centralized repository of all Open Source or Free programs and utilities. XAD.Library, complete with GUI Voodoo-X, is based on modules and capable to manage over 300 compression methods and package systems (Voodoo-X GUI supports 80 package systems), including those widely accepted as standards such as .ZIP, .CAB, .LHA, .LZX, .RPM, etc. /wiki/AmigaOS#Workbench_2.0_user_interface_improvements

  16. A standard AmigaOS installation requires usually only few files (typically 3 to 10 files) to be copied in their appropriate directory, and libraries and language files for national localization to be put in their standard OS directories. Any Amiga user with some minimal experience knows where these files should be copied and could perform programs installations by hand.

  17. Amiga OS features since OS 2.0 version a standard centralized Install utility called Installer, which could be used by any software house to install programs. It works as a Lisp language interpreter, and install procedures could be listed as simple text. AmigaOS can also benefit from a 3rd party copyrighted library called XAD that is available for all POSIX (Unix, Linux, BSD, and for AmigaOS, MorphOS, etc.). This library is freely distributable and publicly available on Aminet Amiga centralized repository of all Open Source or Free programs and utilities. XAD.Library, complete with GUI Voodoo-X, is based on modules and capable to manage over 300 compression methods and package systems (Voodoo-X GUI supports 80 package systems), including those widely accepted as standards such as .ZIP, .CAB, .LHA, .LZX, .RPM, etc. /wiki/AmigaOS#Workbench_2.0_user_interface_improvements

  18. A standard AmigaOS installation requires usually only few files (typically 3 to 10 files) to be copied in their appropriate directory, and libraries and language files for national localization to be put in their standard OS directories. Any Amiga user with some minimal experience knows where these files should be copied and could perform programs installations by hand.

  19. AmiUpdate can update AmigaOS files and all Amiga programs which are registered to use the same update program that is standard for Amiga. Updating AmigaOS requires only few libraries to be put in standard OS location (for example all libraries are stored in Libs: standard virtual device and absolute path finder for Libs directory, Fonts are all in Fonts: absolute locator, the files for language localization are all stored in Locale: and so on). This leaves Amiga users with a minimal knowledge of the system almost free to perform by hand the update of the system files.

  20. "The Chromium (Google Chrome) Open Source Project on Open Hub". openhub.net. https://www.openhub.net/p/chrome

  21. using Wine /wiki/Wine_(software)

  22. using Wine /wiki/Wine_(software)

  23. Arno Wagner (December 11, 2009). "(S)LOC Count Evolution for Selected OSS Projects" (PDF). data for 2009, fig 1. http://mail.tansi.info/papers/tik_report_315.pdf

  24. using Wine /wiki/Wine_(software)

  25. using Wine /wiki/Wine_(software)

  26. "Release notes for the Genode OS Framework 18.11". https://genode.org/documentation/release-notes/18.11#Genode_as_a_platform_for_Mirage-OS_unikernels

  27. using Wine /wiki/Wine_(software)

  28. using Wine /wiki/Wine_(software)

  29. Ryan Paul (April 4, 2012). "Linux kernel in 2011: 15 million total lines of code and Microsoft is a top contributor". arstechnica.com. Retrieved August 21, 2012. https://arstechnica.com/business/2012/04/linux-kernel-in-2011-15-million-total-lines-of-code-and-microsoft-is-a-top-contributor/

  30. using Wine /wiki/Wine_(software)

  31. using Wine /wiki/Wine_(software)

  32. Amit (November 5, 2022). "HarmonyOS 3.1: Huawei written 239.6 million lines of code and 16000 own APIs". Huawei Update. Retrieved November 5, 2022. https://www.huaweiupdate.com/how-much-code-does-harmony-os-have/

  33. Hellard, Bobby. "What is HarmonyOS? A guide to Huawei's operating system". IT PRO. IT PRO. Retrieved August 27, 2022. https://www.itpro.com/mobile/34304/what-is-harmonyos-a-guide-to-huaweis-operating-system#:~:text=Harmony%2C%20according%20to%20Huawei%2C%20runs%20on%20just%20100,software%20and%20the%20hardware%20-%20supposedly%20reducing%20latency.

  34. Jobs, Steve (August 7, 2006). "Live from WWDC 2006: Steve Jobs Keynote". Retrieved February 16, 2007. 86 million lines of source code that was ported to run on an entirely new architecture with zero hiccups. https://www.engadget.com/2006/08/07/live-from-wwdc-2006-steve-jobs-keynote/

  35. using Wine /wiki/Wine_(software)

  36. using Wine /wiki/Wine_(software)

  37. Tanenbaum, Andrew S. (2015). Modern Operating Systems: Global Edition. Pearson Education Limited. ISBN 9781292061955. 9781292061955

  38. NetBSD and OpenBSD include the X Window System as base install sets, managed in their respective main source repository, including local modifications. Packages are also provided for more up-to-date versions which may be less tested. /wiki/X_Window_System

  39. NetBSD and OpenBSD include the X Window System as base install sets, managed in their respective main source repository, including local modifications. Packages are also provided for more up-to-date versions which may be less tested. /wiki/X_Window_System

  40. Benjamin. "OPENHARMONY HOLDS A TECHNICAL CONFERENCE IN CALIFORNIA, USA". HarmonyOSHub. HarmonyOSHub. Retrieved July 1, 2024. https://harmonyoshub.com/openharmony-holds-a-technical-conference-in-california-usa/

  41. "ReactOS Change Log". Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150518115439/http://code.reactos.org/changelog/~br=trunk/reactos

  42. "RISC OS Memory Protection - Drobe.co.uk archives". drobe.co.uk. Archived from the original on March 31, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20140331035623/http://www.drobe.co.uk/riscos/artifact1327.html

  43. using Wine /wiki/Wine_(software)

  44. using Wine /wiki/Wine_(software)

  45. "BrandZ (Community Group brandz.WebHome) - XWiki". Opensolaris.org. October 26, 2009. Archived from the original on September 29, 2009. Retrieved December 18, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20090929041214/http://opensolaris.org/os/community/brandz/

  46. find usr/src -type f -exec wc -l {} + | grep total | awk '{ sum += $1 } END {print sum }' on [2] results in 18793105 https://sourceforge.net/p/schillix-on/schillix-on/ci/default/tree/

  47. using Wine /wiki/Wine_(software)

  48. using Wine /wiki/Wine_(software)

  49. "BrandZ (Community Group brandz.WebHome) - XWiki". Opensolaris.org. October 26, 2009. Archived from the original on September 29, 2009. Retrieved December 18, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20090929041214/http://opensolaris.org/os/community/brandz/

  50. only i686 CPU

  51. using Wine /wiki/Wine_(software)

  52. using Wine /wiki/Wine_(software)

  53. Windows can read and write with Ext2 and Ext3 file systems only when a driver from FS-driver or Ext2Fsd is installed. However, using Explore2fs, Windows can read from, but not write to, Ext2 and Ext3 file systems. Windows can also access ReiserFS through rfstool and related programs. http://www.fs-driver.org

  54. Ben Liblit; Andrew Begel; Eve Sweetser. "Cognitive Perspectives on the Role of Naming in Computer Programs" (PDF). Retrieved December 26, 2007. http://research.microsoft.com/~abegel/papers/ppig-naming.pdf

  55. Windows can read and write with Ext2 and Ext3 file systems only when a driver from FS-driver or Ext2Fsd is installed. However, using Explore2fs, Windows can read from, but not write to, Ext2 and Ext3 file systems. Windows can also access ReiserFS through rfstool and related programs. http://www.fs-driver.org

  56. Operating systems where the GUI is not installed and turned on by default are often bundled with an implementation of the X Window System, installation of which is usually optional. /wiki/X_Window_System

  57. Most operating systems use proprietary APIs in addition to any supported standards.

  58. Comparison of known unpatched vulnerabilities based on Secunia & SecurityFocus reports with severity of Not critical & above. Update lists manually with oldest published date(s). /wiki/Secunia

  59. AIX use the PowerPC architecture which offer page-level protection mechanism. Since AIX version 5300-03 (5.3), this feature can be activated using the sedmgr command. /wiki/PowerPC

  60. The GCC stack protection (a.k.a. ProPolice stack-smashing protector) has been enabled in base system since FreeBSD 8.0-release.

  61. "Genode organizational structure". https://genode.org/documentation/general-overview/index#Organizational_structure

  62. Rob Pike; Dave Presotto; Ken Thompson; Howard Trickey; Phil Winterbottom. "The Use of Name Spaces in Plan 9". https://9p.io/sys/doc/names.html

  63. Support for the 1997 withdrawn POSIX ACL draft is included in Linux 2.6, but requires a file system able to store them (such as ext3, XFS or ReiserFS). /wiki/Access_control_list

  64. A jail mechanism is available separately in the Linux-VServer project, but is not integrated into any mainline Linux kernel. /wiki/Operating_system-level_virtualization

  65. ACLs were added to Mac OS X starting with version 10.4. /wiki/Mac_OS_X

  66. ACLs are available only in OS/2 Server versions with HPFS386 filesystem. /wiki/OS/2

  67. Additionally swap space may be encrypted during installation, uses memory based tmp file storage by default.

  68. Rob Pike; Dave Presotto; Ken Thompson; Howard Trickey; Phil Winterbottom. "The Use of Name Spaces in Plan 9". https://9p.io/sys/doc/names.html

  69. "Solaris Containers" (including "Zones") are a jail-type mechanism introduced with Solaris 10. /wiki/Solaris_Containers

  70. Through ZFS /wiki/ZFS

  71. "Solaris Containers" (including "Zones") are a jail-type mechanism introduced with Solaris 10. /wiki/Solaris_Containers

  72. Through ZFS /wiki/ZFS

  73. Zeta has full Unix file permissions, but the OS is single user, and users always run as superuser.

  74. STOP 6 is certified under Common Criteria at EAL5+. /wiki/Common_Criteria

  75. Comparison of known unpatched vulnerabilities based on Secunia & SecurityFocus reports with severity of Not critical & above. Update lists manually with oldest published date(s). /wiki/Secunia

  76. May be omitted. Simply entering the directory name will change to it.

  77. This feature is still in development, see [1]. http://unix.derkeiler.com/Mailing-Lists/FreeBSD/stable/2009-01/msg00316.html

  78. The nice command utilizes the setpriority() system call, which affects I/O priority, see OS X man page . https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/Darwin/Reference/Manpages/man2/setpriority.2.html