People can easily debate preferences and why they prefer one desktop over another, but GNOME’s position isn’t a matter of opinion. It appears on the largest number of Linux-powered PCs.

So here’s a look at various ways GNOME is the furthest of all the desktop environments in the free software world and some reasons why.

While there are hundreds of options, Ubuntu is the most popular version of Linux in the world. When Ubuntu first launched, it shipped GNOME by default, and while this particular Linux distribution did spend a few years with its own desktop environment (known as Unity), Ubuntu again defaults to GNOME (albeit a customized version).

This means that most people who encounter Linux are using GNOME, even if they have no idea what GNOME is. GNOME is in front of the most eyeballs. For many people, who associate the graphical interface with the OS, when they think of Linux, they think of GNOME.

2. More Companies Invest in GNOME

Long before Ubuntu came around, GNOME already served as the default desktop environment for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and its predecessor, Red Hat Linux. Fedora, the community-developed distro that RHEL is based on, also defaults to GNOME.

A few hardware manufacturers shipping Linux PCs provide their own GNOME-based Linux distros, such as Pop!_OS from System76 and PureOS from Purism. Endless develops an operating system tailored to areas where internet access is spotty or absent. This OS is also based on GNOME.

Then there’s elementary OS, which provides a desktop environment that, while not based on the GNOME Shell, is still based on the GNOME software stack.

While Linux is primarily found on servers, among companies invested in putting Linux on people’s desktops, the majority of them ship GNOME. This means as they respond to customer feedback, many of those changes make their way into GNOME, GNOME extensions, or desktops utilizing GNOME technology.

3. GNOME Is the Most Accessible

Some of that customer feedback has to do with accessibility. For a desktop to be usable for the broadest number of people, it must cater to a wide set of needs. GNOME supports large text and high contrast text, and comes with screen reading functionality. You can enlarge various parts of the desktop as needed. There is the option for visual alerts to supplement audio cues.

But accessibility isn’t merely about containing tools that assist people who need help seeing or hearing what their computer is doing. GNOME’s design is also accessible. Compared to the traditional desktop metaphor, GNOME apps are relatively simple and intuitive to understand. They’re more accessible to people learning how to use them for the first time, including toddlers.

4. GNOME Has the Most Consistent Design

Traditional desktop Linux lacked a coherent vision. People assemble a functional desktop using parts from many contributors and providers. The modern Linux desktop still consists of many moving parts from untold different communities and organizations, but GNOME has made an effort to provide a desktop with a consistent look and feel throughout.

GNOME app developers follow a set of Human Interface Guidelines. This means one app functions similarly to the next. Apps fit in with the broader desktop interface. Much of the experience feels like one cohesive whole.

Unfortunately, GNOME’s opinionated design means the consistency drops once you install non-GNOME software. Fortunately, while there is no overcoming this entirely, it is becoming less of an issue.

5. GNOME Has a Growing App Ecosystem

There are a large number of apps that target GNOME, and the number is steadily growing. No, the numbers aren’t anything like what we’ve grown accustomed to on commercial mobile OSes, where apps are measured in the millions. But for many common computing tasks, there’s a good chance GNOME has an app for the job.

Amberol is an excellent, minimalist music player. Foliate is an attractive way to read DRM-free ebooks. Secrets is a KeePass-based password manager. Obfuscate is a way to hide sensitive information in documents before sharing them with others. Podcasts can manage your podcasts, and Pika Backup can back up your data.

GNOME is even getting better for creative work. Drawing and gThumb are good for editing images or managing photos. Apostrophe is great for writing. Pitivi is a decent video editor. None of these apps are the most powerful, but they are competent, and they can be more than enough for beginners who don’t already have specific feature requirements.

6. GNOME Has a Complete Set of System Tools

When we think of apps, we often overlook the essential system utilities that we may not use every day, but they’re an essential part of an operating system nonetheless. GNOME has these essentials covered. It has a system monitor and a partition manager. It has a tool for extracting ZIP folders and another one for loading virtual machines. You can record audio. You can take screenshots and record your screen.

Many desktops that are based on GNOME ship GNOME apps to fill in their gaps. Take elementary OS, which uses the GNOME web browser, PDF reader, and archive manager. With a GNOME-based desktop, you may often find yourself using a GNOME system utility, but if you use GNOME, the foundation is pretty complete.

7. GNOME Works on Tablets, Phones, and 2-in-1s

GNOME is a desktop environment, but don’t mistake that name to refer to desktop computers, or even laptops for that matter. GNOME works great on those form factors, for sure, but GNOME also adjusts well to touch-based devices that have popped up in more recent years.

If you have a 2-in-1 computer, GNOME’s latest design feels nearly as natural on a touchscreen as it does with a keyboard and mouse, if not more so. A virtual keyboard appears to replace your physical one. The GNOME interface and app design are so finger-friendly that further adjustments aren’t necessary.

GNOME’s core design shrinks down well to a phone screen, though additional work is underway to smooth out the edges. You can get a taste of what GNOME is like on a small screen by shrinking the size of an open app window. Many GNOME apps now have a responsive design, just like websites, and adjust on-the-fly to use less screen real estate.

So Does This Mean GNOME Is the Best?

Again, “best” is an opinionated word. People have different desires and expectations. There are many people who simply find GNOME too different from what they’ve grown accustomed to. Some wish it had more built-in customization options. These are valid ways to feel.

But GNOME remains the best-supported, most polished, and widely-used desktop environment the free desktop world has to offer.