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Operating Systems · head to head

Manjaro vs openSUSE

Manjaro logo

Manjaro

Operating Systems

Arch-based Linux distribution with an installer and sane defaults

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
openSUSE logo

openSUSE

Operating Systems

Two Linux distributions from one project: an automated-tested rolling release and a stable release built from SUSE Enterprise sources

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Manjaro holding packages back from Arch can break AUR packages built against current Arch, which is its best-known complaint; openSUSE yaST is being retired in favour of Agama and Cockpit, so a decade of tutorials, scripts and administrator habits stop applying at Leap 16 and internal runbooks need rewriting.
  • They diverge on capability: Manjaro covers Graphical installer, openSUSE covers Snapper snapshots.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Manjaro and openSUSE actually diverge.

Attributes where Manjaro and openSUSE differ
AttributeManjaroopenSUSE
PlatformsLinux, Desktopx86-64, ARM64, ppc64le, s390x, RISC-V, Raspberry Pi

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Operating Systems).

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 Manjaro

  • Graphical installer
  • Delayed updates
  • Hardware detection
  • Multiple desktops

Only in openSUSE

  • Snapper snapshots
  • openQA gating
  • Leap and SLE shared base
  • Zypper
  • Open Build Service
  • Immutable desktops

What people use each for

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

Manjaro

  • Wanting Arch and the AUR without the manual installnot openSUSE
  • Desktops needing current package versions with some stability buffernot openSUSE
  • Hardware that benefits from automatic proprietary driver handlingnot openSUSE

openSUSE

  • Workstations that need current packages but cannot tolerate an unrecoverable updatenot Manjaro
  • Standardising development machines on the same base as a SUSE Linux Enterprise production fleetnot Manjaro
  • Sites in Europe with existing SUSE relationships that want a free tier with a paid upgrade pathnot Manjaro
  • Packaging software for several distributions at once through the Open Build Servicenot Manjaro

Where each one falls short

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

Manjaro

  • Holding packages back from Arch can break AUR packages built against current Arch, which is its best-known complaint
  • Still a rolling release, so updates can require intervention and are not fit-and-forget
  • The project has had public incidents around expired certificates and governance that dented confidence
  • Not as current as Arch nor as stable as a fixed-release distribution, which is the cost of sitting between them

openSUSE

  • YaST is being retired in favour of Agama and Cockpit, so a decade of tutorials, scripts and administrator habits stop applying at Leap 16 and internal runbooks need rewriting.
  • Leap 16 follows SUSE Linux Enterprise 16 in requiring x86-64-v2, which strands older hardware on Leap 15 and forces a hardware decision alongside the upgrade.
  • Third-party vendors ship .deb packages and RPMs built for RHEL first, so openSUSE users regularly install from the Open Build Service or a community repository instead of a supported vendor package.
  • Patent policy keeps many media codecs out of the official repositories, so a usable desktop normally means adding the Packman repository and managing vendor changes between the two.
  • Tumbleweed publishes large update sets frequently, which is punishing on metered or slow connections and makes it a poor fit for machines that are offline for weeks at a time.

Pricing, plan by plan

Manjaro

Free
  • ManjaroFree
    • Full functionality
    • Commercial use permitted
    • Community support

openSUSE

Free
  • openSUSEFree
    • Leap, Tumbleweed, Slowroll, Aeon and Kalpa at no cost
    • No registration or subscription
    • Community support via forums and mailing lists

Which should you pick?

Choose Manjaro if

  • You need graphical installer.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Desktop.
  • You also want delayed updates.
Manjaro review

Choose openSUSE if

  • You need snapper snapshots.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on x86-64, ARM64, ppc64le, s390x, RISC-V, Raspberry Pi.
  • You also want openqa gating.
openSUSE review

Questions people ask

Is Manjaro or openSUSE better?
Neither clearly leads. Manjaro starts at Free and openSUSE at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Manjaro or openSUSE?
Manjaro starts at Free and openSUSE at Free.
Does Manjaro or openSUSE run on more platforms?
Manjaro runs on Linux, Desktop. openSUSE runs on x86-64, ARM64, ppc64le, s390x, RISC-V, Raspberry Pi.
Can I use Manjaro for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Manjaro best used for?
Manjaro is most often used for wanting arch and the aur without the manual install, desktops needing current package versions with some stability buffer, hardware that benefits from automatic proprietary driver handling. Of those, wanting arch and the aur without the manual install and desktops needing current package versions with some stability buffer are not what openSUSE is typically brought in for.
What can Manjaro do that openSUSE cannot?
Manjaro covers Graphical installer, Delayed updates, Hardware detection, Multiple desktops. openSUSE covers Snapper snapshots, openQA gating, Leap and SLE shared base, Zypper.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Manjaro: Is Manjaro free?

Yes, entirely free and open source.

openSUSE: Should I run Leap or Tumbleweed?

Tumbleweed for a workstation where you want current packages and will use snapshots. Leap for servers and for anything where you would rather patch quarterly than weekly.

Manjaro: Is Manjaro the same as Arch?

It is based on Arch and uses pacman and the AUR, but holds packages back for testing and ships a graphical installer, so it is not identical.

openSUSE: Is Leap going away?

No, but it changed foundations. Leap 16 is built on SUSE Linux Enterprise 16, drops YaST and raises the CPU baseline. Plan the upgrade as a migration rather than a routine version bump.

Manjaro: Why can AUR packages break on Manjaro?

AUR packages are built against current Arch. Manjaro delays packages, so an AUR build can expect a library version Manjaro has not shipped yet.

openSUSE: Can I move from Leap to SUSE Linux Enterprise later?

Yes, SUSE supports an in-place migration from Leap to SLES, which is the main reason organisations standardise on Leap while they are still deciding whether to buy support.

openSUSE: How reliable is a rolling release for daily work?

More reliable here than elsewhere, because snapshots are gated by openQA and Snapper makes a bad update a boot-menu choice rather than a reinstall. It still requires you to read update notes.

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