DietPi startet its history more than 6 years ago and has a successful broadband usage in more than 100,000 active systems. There are a couple of other Debian based distributions where the DietPi team did comparisons to. This article describes these statistics.
1. Comparison overview
The comparison data is published on the DietPi statistics page:
1.1 Distributions compared to DietPi
The following Debian based distributions were compared:
- Raspberry Pi OS Lite (32-bit)
- Raspberry Pi OS Lite (64-bit)
- Armbian (server image) on ODROID C4
- Armbian (server image) on NanoPi R2S
- Armbian (server image) on NanoPi NEO3
- Debian (server image) on ODROID C4
- Debian (server image) on x86_64 PC
DietPi users are hereby encouraged to do own comparisons (e.g. on other hardware variants) and publish the results to this blog post, so that we can add further data to the DietPi statistics page. Therefore the comparison commands are given by the first tile “Test commands” and we provide a script to make their execution easy and consistent: https://github.com/MichaIng/hacks/blob/main/dietpi-distro_comparison
1.2 Comparison attributes
First of all: The DietPi distribution comparison does not claim to be comprehensive. It covers some basic properties but does not give a broadband overall overview. The chosen attributes shall only give an impression of the DietPi benefits, regarding one of our major aims: to be lightweight and performant also on small hardware with little RAM, disk space and CPU power.
The comparison examines the following attributes
| # | Criteria | Unit |
| 1 | RAM usage | bytes |
| 2 | Running processes | number of processes |
| 3 | Disk usage | bytes |
| 4 | Pre-installed packages | number of packages |
| 5 | Boot duration | seconds |
| 6 | Temporary files in RAM | yes/no |
| 7 | Logs in RAM | yes/no |
| 8 | SSH pre-installed | yes/no |
| 9 | Download size | bytes |
| 10 | Image size | bytes |
| 11 | Build date |
These comparison attributes (criteria) are explained below: What is the comparison procedure (commands) and what is the relevancy of these KPI values?
1.2.1 RAM usage and Disk usage
Especially the RAM usage in SBC systems with less memory is essential for the overall system speed, because low RAM usage avoids time consuming swapping and gives more available cache memory. The following graphics shows a memory consumption on a X11 based VM with its memory consumption (green arrow) and the cache usage (yellow arrow).
The disk usage is relevant only with smaller SD cards resp. system disks. It is not a performance killer.
1.2.2 Running processes
The number of running processes contributes to the RAM usage and may also contribute to available computation resources. Another aspect is, that fewer processes means fewer possibly unknown or unexpected system tasks and behaviour, like services listening on network ports and answering to requests, providing information about the system and other tasks.
1.2.3 Pre-installed packages
The number of pre-installed packages corresponds directly to the number of running processes and hence memory usage, as well as disk usage.
1.2.4 Boot duration
Fewer system services and processes means fewer boot tasks, so that DietPi usually boots faster than other Debian based distributions.
1.2.7 Temporary files in RAM and Logs in RAM
DietPi aims to be optimised for minimal disk writes, by having temporary files and logs by default stored on a tmpfs RAM drive, which contributes positively to the lifetime of the system drive and performance of operations which involve related writes, especially when the system drive is an SD card.
1.2.8 SSH pre-installed
While it is trivial to install a desktop environment, DietPi aims to be a server system in the first place, and hence needs to be maintainable headless, without a monitor and keyboard physically attached. For this reason the ability to login via SSH is crucial, which is in our case with the lightweight Dropbear SSH server.
1.2.9 Download size and image size
As a result of the low pre-installed package count, DietPi images are naturally small.
2. Comparison results
The results show that our efforts to ship DietPi as a minimal Debian system with low memory and disk usage and low boot times are paying out. There are two cases where DietPi is defeated in single attributes:
- Most DietPi images ship with a dedicated FAT
/bootpartition, which holds the kernel, in case initramfs, boot configuration and DietPi scripts. On Raspberry Pi this is strictly required. It has the benefit that the most important files responsible for system boot can be accessed and in case repaired from any other OS, like Windows or macOS. Same is true for pre-configuring DietPi viadietpi.txtbefore first boot. The downside is that this partitioning leads to additional empty space in the disk image and cannot be compressed as effective as a single partition image. Debian server image can hence be smaller than DietPi images, even if the actual disk usage is higher. - Debian server images, when using the netboot installer without selecting any additional software, ship without full WiFi support and without common WiFi USB adapter firmware installed. We want DietPi images to have full WiFi support out-of-the-box, which implies additional disk usage especially for a set of firmware packages.
| OS | Temp. files in RAM | Logs in RAM | SSH pre-installed |
| DietPi | yes | yes | yes |
| Rasp. OS Lite (32-bit and 64-bit) | no | no | optional |
| Armbian (NanoPi R2S, ODROID C4, NanoPi NEO3) | yes | no | yes |
| Debian (ODROID C4, x86_64 PC) | no | no | yes |
3. Execute your own comparison
If you want to do an own comparison the used commands are given in the icon “Test commands”.
To generate a comparison just execute a pre-made shell script given there. Therefore edit a script (e.g. with the nano editor: nano dietpi-distro_comparison.sh), paste the script text into the editor and store it. Afterwards activate the execution flag via the chmod +x <shell_script_name> command (e.g. chmod +x dietpi-distro_comparison.sh).
After this, you can execute the script (e.g. . ./dietpi-distro_comparison.sh). The script does all measurements and at the end needs a reboot. After the reboot you have to re-execute the script and are then able to read out the resulting values.
To provide consistent results, the script does an initial alignment, full package upgrade and a reboot. On the second run, it performs the actual tests and prints the results.
Remark: You need to run this script on a system which is set to C.UTF-8 or en_GB.UTF-8 (within /boot/dietpi.txt) to get the correct data output: The script filters some keywords which will not be found in other language settings.
This looks like what I need when I get back to my Pi.
It appears that this is exactly what I will require when I return to my Pi.
thank you
Thank you for the great comparison.
Is it relatively straightforward to get extra bits working that work out-of-the-box on the normal pi-lite distribution? e.g., to apt-get install the things needed for the newer Pi cameras? Or drivers for 4g dongle?
Yes it is as easy like you mentioned.
I think the x86_64 boot time is probably the most frustrating thing there, on Debian it’s more than 3x faster.
DiePi offers pre-configured setups for various applications like web servers, and game servers. this can save you time and effort compared to manually configuring a standard Debian system.
Thank you for the great comparison.
Is it relatively straightforward to get extra bits working that work out-of-the-box on the normal pi-lite distribution? e.g., to apt-get install the things needed for the newer PiDiePi offers pre-configured setups for various applications like web servers, and game servers. this can save you time and effort compared to manually configuring a standard Debian system. cameras? Or drivers for 4g dongle?
Yes, dietpi-config and dietpi-software can simplify and speedup setup and installation of the system and several typical server applications. But e.g. Raspberry Pi OS has raspi-config, Armbian has armbian-config and armbian-software (though limited to Docker container installations, with much fewer options), so it is hard to numerically compare, and depends much on the hardware. So this comparison focuses on the objectively numerically measurable “Diet” factor, which gave DietPi its name.
Raspberry Pi OS is a Unix-like operating system developed for the Raspberry Pi line of single-board computers. Based on Debian, a Linux distribution, it is maintained by Raspberry Pi Holdings and optimized for the Pi’s hardware, with low memory requirements and support for both 32-bit and 64-bit architectures. Originally released in July 2012 under the name Raspbian, it was introduced shortly after the launch of the first Raspberry Pi model.[3][4]
The operating system is compatible with all Raspberry Pi models except the Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller. It is available in several configurations: a standard edition, a “Lite” version without a desktop environment, and a “Full” version that includes additional software such as LibreOffice and Wolfram Mathematica. The operating system is available as a free download and can be installed using the official Raspberry Pi Imager utility. It is also sold preloaded on official microSD cards.
History
Raspbian was first developed by Mike Thompson and Peter Green as an independent and unofficial port of Debian to the Raspberry Pi.[5] The first build was released on 15 July 2012.[6] As the Raspberry Pi had no officially provided operating system at the time, the Raspberry Pi Foundation built on the work by the Raspbian project and began producing and releasing their own operating system images of the software.[7] The Foundation’s first release of Raspbian, which now referred both to the community project as well as the official operating system, was announced on 10 September 2013.[3]
On 28 May 2020, the Raspberry Pi Foundation announced a beta 64-bit version. However, this version was not based on Raspbian, instead taking its user space software from Debian.[8] When the Foundation did not want to use the name Raspbian to refer to software that was not based on the Raspbian project, the name of the officially provided operating system images was changed to Raspberry Pi OS.[8] This change was also carried over to the 32-bit images that they distributed, though it continued to be based on Raspbian.[8] The 64-bit version of Raspberry Pi OS was officially released on 2 February 2022.[9]
Features
User interface
The Raspberry Pi OS user interface is optimized for Raspberry Pi hardware and tuned to have low base memory requirements, aiming to deliver a lightweight, fast, and energy-efficient desktop experience.[10][11][12] It is built on the Wayland display protocol, using labwc as its compositing manager, which is based on wlroots, a modular Wayland implementation that underpins several other compositors.[13]
The operating system previously used the X Window System. A transition to Wayland began with the Bullseye release in 2021, which introduced the mutter window manager to support both X and Wayland environments. In the Bookworm release of 2023, wayfire was adopted as a dedicated Wayland compositor. However, performance issues on older Raspberry Pi models prompted a search for a more suitable alternative. In 2024, developers ultimately selected labwc, a lightweight compositor that better matched the hardware’s capabilities. Following collaboration and extensive optimization, labwc now offers performance comparable to X across all models, and Raspberry Pi OS now defaults to Wayland.[13]
The interface is designed to feel familiar to users of macOS and Microsoft Windows.[12] It provides a traditional desktop environment with a top menu bar that includes an application menu, shortcuts to frequently used programs, and system controls such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, volume, and clock.[14]
Other components
Raspberry Pi OS originally included the Epiphany web browser, but transitioned to Chromium in 2016.[10] Firefox was added as an additional pre-installed browser option in 2023. The included browsers come with uBlock, an ad-blocking extension, and h264ify, an extension that makes YouTube serve videos using the H.264 codec which is supported by the Raspberry Pi’s hardware acceleration.[10][15] As of May 2025, other pre-installed applications includes Geany, ImageMagick, Thonny, VNC Viewer and VLC media player.[16]
As of May 2025, installations with the full suite of recommended software includes Claws Mail, Firebird database server, KiCad, LibreOffice, Java, Scratch, and Wolfram Mathematica, and additional font packages.[17]
Software can be installed via the APT (Advanced Package Tool) command-line interface, or through graphical front-ends such as the included Add/Remove Software tool, or by using third-party app stores like Pi-Apps.[18]
Reception
According to Raspberry Pi Imager usage statistics, Raspberry Pi OS accounted for 67% of all operating system downloads for the Raspberry Pi in May 2025, followed by Ubuntu at 9%.[2]
In a 2015 review, Jesse Smith of DistroWatch found that while Raspbian was not well-suited for heavier desktop workloads, it provided a functional experience with its lightweight environment. He noted that the system was responsive when running a modest number of applications, but struggled with more resource-intensive software such as LibreOffice or Firefox.[19]
In a January 2024 review for Ars Technica, Andrew Cunningham tested Raspberry Pi OS version 5 on a Pi 5 with 8 GB of RAM and found it functional for general-purpose desktop use, but with notable limitations. While it handled basic tasks like writing, web browsing, and audio editing well, the OS lacked modern conveniences such as window snapping, a notification center, refined window borders, and smooth multi-monitor performance. Its software ecosystem was also constrained by limited native app availability for ARM Linux, often requiring users to rely on web-based versions of services like Slack, Zoom, and Dropbox.[20]
Microsoft repository controversy
In January 2021, the Raspberry Pi OS package raspberrypi-sys-mods added a Microsoft GPG encryption key and repository configuration to the APT package manager, enabling easier installation of Visual Studio Code, a source code editor. As a result, the system contacted Microsoft’s servers during update checks, prompting concerns among users due to privacy considerations and Microsoft’s once-adversarial history with the open source software community. The repository configuration was later removed.[21][22][23]
Versions
Raspberry Pi OS is available in three main variants:
Raspberry Pi OS Lite – a minimal version without a desktop environment
Raspberry Pi OS with desktop – includes the desktop environment and a limited number of pre-installed applications
Raspberry Pi OS with desktop and recommended software – includes the desktop environment and the full suite of recommended pre-installed applications
Each variant is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.[24][25]
A “legacy” branch has been available since December 2021. It is based on the previous stable release of Debian, allowing for continued use of older software while still receiving security and hardware support updates. All standard variants (Lite, with desktop, and with desktop and recommended software) are offered in this legacy form.[26]
New major versions of Debian are released every two years, typically in the summer of odd-numbered years (e.g., 2023, 2025, 2027). Raspberry Pi OS ports of each new Debian release generally follow a few months later, usually in the fall.[27]
Raspberry Pi OS can be purchased pre-installed on a microSD card or downloaded as a .img disk image file to be written to an SD card or other media. Official documentation recommends a minimum of 16 GB for the Lite version and at least 32 GB for versions with a desktop environment.[28]
The Raspberry Pi Imager utility was introduced in March 2020 to simplify the installation of a disk image file onto an SD card or other media. Available for macOS, Raspberry Pi OS, Ubuntu, and Windows, it allows users to download and write the disk image file in a single application. In addition to Raspberry Pi OS, the utility supports a variety of third-party operating systems.[29]
Releases
Legend:
Unsupported
Supported
Latest version
Version Release date Debian version Linux kernel GCC APT User interface 1 2 3 Zero 3+ 4 Zero 2 5
0 2013-09-27 7
(Wheezy) 3.6 4.7.2 0.9.7 X.Org Server 1 Yes No No No No No No No
2013-10-07 Yes No No No No No No No
2013-12-24 3.10 Yes No No No No No No No
2014-01-09 Yes No No No No No No No
2014-06-22 3.12 Yes No No No No No No No
2014-07-08 Yes No No No No No No No
2014-09-12 Yes No No No No No No No
2014-10-08 Yes No No No No No No No
2014-12-25 Yes No No No No No No No
2015-02-02 3.18 Yes Yes No No No No No No
2015-02-17 Yes Yes No No No No No No
2015-02-18 Yes Yes No No No No No No
2015-05-07 Yes Yes No No No No No No
2015-05-12 Yes Yes No No No No No No
1 2015-09-28 8
(Jessie) 4.1 4.9 1.0.9.8.1 Yes Yes No No No No No No
2015-11-24 Yes Yes No No No No No No
2016-02-08 Yes Yes No No No No No No
2016-02-09 Yes Yes No No No No No No
2016-02-29 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No
2016-03-18 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No
2016-05-13 4.4 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No
2016-05-31 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No
2016-09-28 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No
2016-11-29 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No
2017-02-27 4.9 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No
2017-03-03 Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
2017-04-10 Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
2017-06-23 Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
2017-07-05 Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
2 2017-08-17 9
(Stretch) 6.3 1.4.6 Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
2017-09-08 Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
2017-11-29 Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
2018-03-13 Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
2018-04-18 4.14 1.4.8 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
2018-06-29 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
2018-10-09 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
2018-11-13 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
2019-04-08 1.4.9 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
3 2019-06-24 10
(Buster) 4.19 8.3 1.8.2 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
2019-07-10 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
2019-09-30 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
2020-02-07 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
2020-02-14 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
2020-05-27 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
2020-08-20 5.4 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
2020-12-02 1.8.2.1 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
2021-01-11 1.8.2.2 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
2021-03-04 5.10 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
2021-05-07 1.8.2.3 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
2021-10-30 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
4 2021-12-03 11
(Bullseye) 5.10 10.2.1 2.2.4 X.Org Server 1.20 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
2022-01-28 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
2022-03-08 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
2022-04-04 5.15 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
2022-09-06 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
2022-09-22 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
2023-02-21 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
2023-05-03 6.1 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
2023-12-05 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
2024-03-12 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
2024-07-04 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
2024-10-22 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
2025-05-06 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
5.0 2023-10-10 12
(Bookworm) 6.1 12.2.0 2.6.1 X.Org Server 21.1 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
5.1 2023-12-05 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
5.2 2024-03-15 6.6 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
5.3 2024-05-29 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
5.4 2024-07-04 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
5.5 2024-11-19 labwc 0.7.2 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
5.6 2025-05-06 6.12 labwc 0.8.1 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
5.7 2025-10-01 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
5.8 2025-11-24 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
5.9 2026-04-14 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
5.10 2026-06-18 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
6.0 2025-10-01 13
(Trixie) 6.12 14.2.0 3.0.3 labwc 0.8.4 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
6.1 2025-11-24 labwc 0.9.2 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
6.2 2026-04-14 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
6.3 2026-06-18 6.18 labwc 0.9.7 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
References
Free and open-source software portal
icon Linux portal
Michael Larabel (18 June 2026). “Raspberry Pi OS Moves To Linux 6.18 LTS Kernel, Updated LabWC Compositor”. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
“rpi-imager Stats”. Raspberry Pi. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
“Raspbian release notes”. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
Upton, Eben (28 May 2020). “8GB Raspberry Pi 4 on sale now at $75”. Raspberry Pi. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
“RaspbianAbout – Raspbian”. http://www.raspbian.org. Archived from the original on 14 June 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
“Index of /raspbian/images/2012-07-15-wheezy-raspbian”. downloads.raspberrypi.com. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
“RaspbianImages – Raspbian”. http://www.raspbian.org. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
Piltch, Avram (30 May 2020). “Raspberry Pi OS: Why It’s No Longer Called ‘Raspbian'”. Tom’s Hardware. The official Pi operating system is now called ‘Raspberry Pi OS.’
“Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit)”. Raspberry Pi. 2 February 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
Long, Simon (28 September 2016). “Introducing PIXEL”. Raspberry Pi Holdings.
Kabade, Rajat (30 September 2016). “Raspberry Pi gets LXDE-based PIXEL desktop environment”. Open Source For You. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
“Customise your Raspberry Pi desktop”. Raspberry Pi Foundation. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
Long, Simon (28 October 2024). “A new release of Raspberry Pi OS”. Raspberry Pi. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
Long, Simon (11 October 2023). “Bookworm — the new version of Raspberry Pi OS”. Raspberry Pi. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
Long, Simon (7 May 2025). “A new Raspberry Pi OS release”. Raspberry Pi. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
“Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm arm64 info”. Raspberry Pi Holdings. 2025-05-13. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
“Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm full arm64 info”. Raspberry Pi Holdings. 13 May 2025. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
Pounder, Les (2024-04-04). “How to manage applications on your Raspberry Pi with Pi-Apps”. Tom’s Hardware. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
Smith, Jesse (22 June 2015). “DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 615, 22 June 2015”. DistroWatch. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
Cunningham, Andrew (2024-01-08). “What I learned from using a Raspberry Pi 5 as my main computer for two weeks”. Ars Technica. Retrieved 2025-06-02.
Salter, Jim (8 February 2021). “Raspberry Pi OS added a Microsoft repo. No, it’s not an evil secret”. Ars Technica. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
“Raspberry Pi | Microsoft Visual Studio Code APT repository automatically added · Issue #4083 · MichaIng/DietPi”. GitHub. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
“Remove MS repo · RPi-Distro/raspberrypi-sys-mods@ed96790”. GitHub. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
“Operating system images”. Raspberry Pi. Retrieved 2025-06-14.
Bret (2025-05-24). “Raspberry Pi 5 Operating Systems: Complete Guide to All OS Options”. bret.dk. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
“”New” old functionality with Raspberry Pi OS (Legacy)”. Raspberry Pi. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
KL, Arun (13 December 2023). “Raspberry Pi OS Guide: Lite vs Desktop vs Full”. TheSecMaster. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
“Raspberry Pi Documentation – Getting Started”. Raspberry Pi. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
Hollingworth, Gordon (2020-03-05). “Introducing Raspberry Pi Imager, our new imaging utility”. Raspberry Pi. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
External links
Official website Edit this at Wikidata
Raspberry Pi OS on DistroWatch
vte
Linux distributions
Categories: ARM Linux distributionsDebian-based distributionsFree software culture and documentsLinux distributionsRaspberry Pi
Correct, and also explains the “Raspbian” => “Raspberry Pi OS” naming story correctly, which many get wrong. But what does it have to do with the topic of this article? 🙂