Best Free Operating Systems

macOS Sequoia is Apple’s latest operating system designed to enhance productivity, creativity, and seamless device integration for Mac users. It introduces Apple Intelligence, a smart assistant that personalizes helpful insights based on your context. The update allows you to mirror your iPhone directly on your Mac, control it, and manage notifications with ease. New window tiling features and keyboard shortcuts streamline multitasking by organizing your workspace efficiently. The OS also brings new capabilities to apps like Safari, Messages, Maps, and Notes, including smarter reading tools, message scheduling, detailed topographic maps, and live audio transcription. Additionally, macOS Sequoia supports high-quality gaming with titles optimized for Apple silicon, alongside improved privacy and security controls.

Transform your organization’s computers so they’re secure, easy to manage, and never slow down. CloudReady gives you all the power of the web—without the weight or risk of traditional operating systems. It’s an OS designed for now...and for what’s next. That’s why companies, non-profits, schools, and government agencies around the world use CloudReady to streamline and secure their devices when accessing web apps and VDI. CloudReady is based on Google’s Chromium OS, the same open-source architecture as Chrome OS. Whether your computers are brand new or a decade old, installing CloudReady provides unparalleled speed, simplicity, and security without hardware limitations.

Try the cloud-first, fast, easy-to-manage, and secure ChromeOS for PCs and Macs. ChromeOS Flex is a free and sustainable way to modernize devices you already own. It’s easy to deploy across your fleet or simply try it to see what a cloud-first OS has to offer. Install ChromeOS Flex on your PCs and Macs so they are secure, boot fast, don’t slow down over time, update automatically in the background, and can be managed from the cloud. Devices boot quickly, don’t slow down over time, and update in the background, reducing device downtime. Experience fast access to VDI and web apps with an intuitive, clutter-free, and reliable experience. Deploy ChromeOS Flex across your fleet via USB or network deployment and a user’s settings and policies sync to the device almost instantly. Use the Google Admin console to manage updates and configure device policies remotely. Blocked executables and sandboxing technology eliminate the need for antivirus software.

macOS Ventura is the latest major release of Apple's operating system for Mac computers. It was announced at WWDC 2022 on June 6, 2022, and was released to the public on October 24, 2022. macOS Ventura includes a number of new features and improvements, including: Stage Manager: A new way to organize your windows so you can focus on the task at hand. Continuity Camera: Use your iPhone as a webcam for your Mac, with features like Center Stage and Portrait Mode. Live Text: Automatically recognize text in images and videos, so you can copy, paste, translate, and more. Mail: New features for organizing your inbox, scheduling emails, and finding information more easily. Safari: New features for browsing the web, including Tab Groups, Passkeys, and Live Text. Games: New features for gaming on macOS, including Metal 3 and SharePlay. macOS Ventura is a significant update to macOS, and it includes a number of new features that are sure to make your Mac experience more productive.

Connect, share, and create like never before. Say hello to exciting new FaceTime updates. Explore a redesigned Safari. Discover and invent powerful new ways to work using Universal Control and Shortcuts. Stay in the moment with Focus. And so much more. Staying in touch is more essential than ever. With SharePlay, you can watch together, listen together, and share your screen right inside FaceTime. FaceTime calls also sound and feel more natural. And Messages makes it even easier to find and enjoy the great content shared from friends and family. Keep FaceTime conversations going as you watch TV shows and movies, listen to music, or share your screen with SharePlay. It’s an entirely new way to have experiences with family and friends no matter the distance. Stream movies and TV shows while on a FaceTime call with friends. With synced playback and controls, you’ll see everyone laugh, jump, and react to the same moments at the same time.

With macOS Sonoma, work and play on your Mac are even more powerful. Elevate your presence on video calls. Access information in all-new ways. Boost gaming performance. And discover even more ways to personalize your Mac. New slow-motion screen savers of breathtaking locations from around the world look beautiful on your large Mac display. When you log in, they seamlessly become your desktop wallpaper. Place widgets on your desktop from the new widget gallery. And you can now play a podcast, turn off the lights, and more — right from a widget. With Continuity, you can add your iPhone widgets to your desktop without having to install the corresponding apps on your Mac. When you open an app or window or use Stage Manager, widgets fade into the background so you can concentrate on the task at hand. Switch your wallpaper and the colors of the widgets instantly adapt.

Arm Mbed OS is a free, open-source IoT operating system that includes all the necessary features to develop IoT products. The OS includes everything you need to develop smart, connected products on Arm Cortex-M based hardware, including machine learning capabilities, security, connectivity stacks, an RTOS kernel and drivers for sensors and I/O devices. Arm Mbed OS is designed for the Internet of Things. It is integrated with connectivity, machine learning, networking, and security stacks and is supported with software libraries, development hardware, tutorials and examples. From hardware to the cloud, Mbed OS supports more than 70 silicon, module, cloud, and OEM partners, optimizing your developer choice. By using the Mbed OS API, your application code can remain clean, portable, and simple, while taking advantage of security, communications and machine learning. The integrated solution reduces development cost, time, and risk.

macOS Tahoe is the rumored name for Apple's upcoming macOS 26, expected to be announced at WWDC 2025. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the name "Tahoe" is inspired by California's Lake Tahoe, reflecting the region's natural beauty . This naming convention continues Apple's trend of using California landmarks for macOS versions, following names like Yosemite, Sierra, and Sequoia. The anticipated update is expected to bring a significant redesign to the macOS interface, possibly featuring more translucent windows and a glass-like aesthetic. This would mark the first major visual overhaul since macOS Big Sur in 2020. While specific features are not confirmed, the update is expected to enhance user experience and align with Apple's design philosophy. macOS Tahoe is expected to be released in the fall of 2025.