It looks like Windows 11, it runs on Ubuntu, and everybody asks the same first question - is it actually fast? Here is the honest, tested answer, including the limits nobody puts in the headline.
Your old laptop crawls on Windows 11 - or cannot install it at all. Then a system appears that looks exactly like Windows 11 but promises to run light. The question is fair: is Anduin OS fast, or is it just a pretty theme? This page answers it straight - what the system is, why it feels quicker, where that speed is real, and the two honest limits you must accept before switching.
Anduin OS (the project writes it as AnduinOS) is a free Linux system built on Ubuntu, with a desktop carefully redesigned to look and feel like Windows 11 - centered taskbar, familiar Start menu style, same window controls. Under that coat it is real Ubuntu: the same software base, the same package system, the same fixes you find on Ubuntu help pages. The project itself says solutions for almost all Anduin OS issues are identical to Ubuntu solutions.
It was created by Anduin Xue, a software engineer who works at Microsoft, as a personal side project in his free time - not a Microsoft product, and he is open about that. It is open source under the GPL-v3 licence and, in the project's own words, free and always free.
On the same hardware, yes - in daily use it usually feels clearly faster than Windows 11, especially on older machines. But the reason is not a secret speed trick. Anduin OS is fast for three boring, honest reasons:
The honesty line: Anduin OS is not the lightest Linux in the world. Its GNOME-based desktop is mid-weight - featherweight desktops like Xfce or LXQt are lighter still. What Anduin OS sells is the balance: light enough to revive an old PC, familiar enough that a Windows user feels at home on day one.
Where you feel it: boot on an old HDD machine, opening the file manager, switching between a browser and documents, and general clicking around on 4 GB RAM class hardware. The system simply has less to drag.
Where nothing changes: a heavy app is a heavy app everywhere. A 4K video render, a big spreadsheet calculation or a game depends on your CPU and GPU, not on the logo on the desktop. Anduin OS will not make weak hardware strong - it just stops wasting the strength you already have. Any page or video promising miracle numbers without naming the test hardware is selling, not testing. In the video above, the speed test is run live on a real machine - judge the result by that hardware, not by the headline.
Limit one - Windows software does not run natively. Your .exe files do not open here. Linux has excellent native apps for browsing, office work, media and coding, and some Windows apps run through the Wine compatibility layer - but tools like the native Microsoft Office desktop apps or Adobe's suite are not at home on Linux. This is covered in detail in the companion guide on apps.
Limit two - it is a small team's side project. Support runs through community channels like GitHub Discussions, updates ride on Ubuntu's base, and there is no company helpdesk. That is a fair trade for a free home system - and a real point to weigh before putting it in an office. The safety and support grade gets its own honest page in this set.
Anduin OS installed and tested on a real machine - the desktop, the speed and the full experience, step by step.
▶️ Watch Full VideoOn the same hardware, in everyday tasks like booting, opening apps and switching windows, it usually feels clearly faster - mainly on older or low-spec PCs. The reason is honest: no real-time antivirus load, no telemetry and fewer background services. Heavy work like video rendering still depends on your CPU and GPU, not the operating system.
No. It is a personal side project of Anduin Xue, a software engineer who works at Microsoft, built in his free time. It is not a Microsoft product, it carries no Microsoft support, and the project itself is open about that. It is open source under GPL-v3 and free to use.
Not natively. Windows .exe programs do not run directly on Linux. Many jobs are covered by strong Linux apps or web versions, and some Windows programs work through the Wine compatibility layer, but there is no guarantee for any specific app. Always list your must-have software before switching.