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Operating Systems · head to head

Linux Mint vs Steampipe

Linux Mint logo

Linux Mint

Operating Systems

Ubuntu-based Linux distribution built for familiarity

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Steampipe logo

Steampipe

Developer Tools

Query cloud APIs, SaaS tools and code with SQL, with no extract or load step

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Linux Mint based on Ubuntu LTS, so packages are deliberately older than rolling distributions; Steampipe aGPL-3.0 across all four engines is a procurement blocker at organisations that ban the licence outright, and the network clause reaches any internal portal or service that puts a web interface in front of it.
  • They diverge on capability: Linux Mint covers Cinnamon desktop, Steampipe covers SQL over live APIs.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Linux Mint and Steampipe actually diverge.

Attributes where Linux Mint and Steampipe differ
AttributeLinux MintSteampipe
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeOpen source, with paid hosting through Turbot Pipes
PlatformsLinux, DesktopmacOS, Linux, Windows, Docker, Web
CategoryOperating SystemsDeveloper Tools

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Linux Mint

  • Cinnamon desktop
  • Codecs included
  • Ubuntu package base
  • Update manager

Only in Steampipe

  • SQL over live APIs
  • Wide plugin set
  • Embedded Postgres
  • Compliance benchmarks
  • Joins across providers
  • Hosted option

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Linux Mint

  • Moving a desktop or laptop off Windows with minimal retrainingnot Steampipe
  • Reviving older hardware that struggles with current Windows releasesnot Steampipe
  • Everyday desktop use where stability matters more than the newest packagesnot Steampipe

Steampipe

  • Security teams answering posture questions against live cloud accounts rather than a nightly exportnot Linux Mint
  • Compliance evidence gathering where the answer must reflect the account at the moment it is askednot Linux Mint
  • Inventory and drift questions spanning several cloud providers in one querynot Linux Mint
  • Engineers who would rather write SQL than learn each provider command line toolnot Linux Mint

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Linux Mint

  • Based on Ubuntu LTS, so packages are deliberately older than rolling distributions
  • Cinnamon is less polished on fractional scaling and multi-monitor setups than GNOME or KDE
  • Smaller team than Ubuntu or Fedora, which shows in the pace of security response for its own components
  • Wayland support has lagged behind the major desktops

Steampipe

  • AGPL-3.0 across all four engines is a procurement blocker at organisations that ban the licence outright, and the network clause reaches any internal portal or service that puts a web interface in front of it.
  • Dashboards, benchmarks and mods were removed from Steampipe entirely at version 1.0 in October 2024 and now live in a separate product, so pre-2024 documentation and tutorials describe commands that no longer exist.
  • Live querying is bound by cloud provider API rate limits and keeps no persistent store by default, which is why a separate DuckDB-backed product exists for log volumes and why large accounts return slowly.
  • The company is fifteen people and bootstrapped, maintaining four command line tools plus a hosted service plus two further products, and the newer tools have thin community traction relative to that surface area.
  • Hosted tiers include only three users regardless of tier, with additional Enterprise users charged separately, so a team of thirty costs an order of magnitude more than the headline figure before compute and storage are counted.

Pricing, plan by plan

Linux Mint

Free
  • Linux MintFree
    • Full operating system
    • All updates
    • Community support

Steampipe

Free
  • Steampipe CLIFree
    • AGPL-3.0
    • All plugins
    • No user or query limits
  • Pipes DeveloperFree
    • One user
    • 400 compute minutes
    • 3GB storage
  • Pipes Team$49/month
    • Three users
    • 2,000 compute minutes
    • 20GB storage
  • Pipes Enterprise$249/month
    • Three users
    • 10,000 compute minutes
    • 100GB storage

Which should you pick?

Choose Linux Mint if

  • You need cinnamon desktop.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Desktop.
  • You also want codecs included.
Linux Mint review

Choose Steampipe if

  • You need sql over live apis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on macOS, Linux, Windows, Docker, Web.
  • You also want wide plugin set.
Steampipe review

Questions people ask

Is Linux Mint or Steampipe better?
Neither clearly leads. Linux Mint starts at Free and Steampipe at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Linux Mint or Steampipe?
Linux Mint starts at Free and Steampipe at Free.
Does Linux Mint or Steampipe run on more platforms?
Linux Mint runs on Linux, Desktop. Steampipe runs on macOS, Linux, Windows, Docker, Web.
Can I use Linux Mint for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Linux Mint best used for?
Linux Mint is most often used for moving a desktop or laptop off windows with minimal retraining, reviving older hardware that struggles with current windows releases, everyday desktop use where stability matters more than the newest packages. Of those, moving a desktop or laptop off windows with minimal retraining and reviving older hardware that struggles with current windows releases are not what Steampipe is typically brought in for.
What can Linux Mint do that Steampipe cannot?
Linux Mint covers Cinnamon desktop, Codecs included, Ubuntu package base, Update manager. Steampipe covers SQL over live APIs, Wide plugin set, Embedded Postgres, Compliance benchmarks.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Linux Mint: Is Linux Mint free?

Yes, entirely free and open source, funded by donations and sponsors.

Steampipe: When did Steampipe become AGPL?

May 2021, about four months after the project went public. It is a settled licence rather than a recent change, and predates the Business Source Licence wave it is often confused with.

Linux Mint: Is Linux Mint good for beginners?

It is one of the most commonly recommended distributions for people leaving Windows, because the desktop layout is conventional and media codecs are installed by default.

Steampipe: Where did the dashboards and benchmarks go?

Into Powerpipe. They were deprecated in March 2024 and removed from Steampipe at version 1.0 in October 2024, so the check, dashboard, mod and variable commands are gone.

Linux Mint: Can I run Ubuntu software on Linux Mint?

Yes. Mint is built on Ubuntu and uses its repositories, so nearly all Ubuntu packages and instructions apply.

Steampipe: Is it fast on a large cloud estate?

Not always. Queries call provider APIs at request time, so rate limits rather than query planning set the pace, and there is no persistent store by default.

Steampipe: Does the AGPL affect internal use?

Running it internally for your own analysis is fine. Putting a web interface in front of it that other people use is where the network clause becomes a question for your legal team.

Steampipe: Is a bootstrapped vendor a risk?

It cuts both ways. There is no investor pressure toward a licence change or an exit, and there are also fifteen people supporting a large product surface.

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