Yes, Linux is free. The Linux kernel is released under the GNU General Public License version 2, so anyone can download, use, change and share it, and most popular distributions such as Ubuntu and Fedora cost nothing to install. You only pay when you want commercial support or extra security maintenance, usually for business servers.
When people ask me "is Linux free", they're usually asking two things at once: is the software free to use, and will I get stuck paying later? The first answer is a firm yes. The second depends on which version of Linux you pick and whether you need someone to call when it breaks. Here's how it works, from the official licence and vendor pages as of October 2026.
Why Linux is free: the licence
Linux, strictly, is the kernel: the core that talks to your hardware. The kernel's own licensing rules say it's provided under the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as described in its COPYING file. That licence lets you run the software for any purpose, study the code, change it and pass it on. The main condition is that if you distribute a changed version, you share the source under the same terms.
Everything you install day to day, the desktop, the apps and the installer, comes bundled as a distribution. Most distributions are built from free and open source software too, which is why the whole package is free.
Popular Linux versions and what they cost
| Distribution | Free to use? | Where paying comes in |
|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu | Yes | Ubuntu Pro adds longer security maintenance; Canonical says it's always free for personal use |
| Fedora | Yes | Community project, no paid tier from the Fedora Project |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux | Yes for individual developers | Organisations buy subscriptions; a no-cost individual subscription covers up to 16 systems |
| Debian, Linux Mint and similar | Yes | Community projects; paid help comes from third parties if you want it |
The Fedora Project describes itself as a community building a free and open source software platform. Ubuntu's maker, Canonical, sells Ubuntu Pro to businesses but states on its Pro page that it's always free for personal use.
The Ubuntu Pro detail most people don't know
A standard Ubuntu LTS release gets 5 years of security maintenance for its Main repository. Canonical's Pro page says Ubuntu Pro extends that to 10 years and covers the whole Ubuntu archive, Main and Universe, which is where thousands of community packages live. A Legacy add-on stretches it to 15 years.
For a home laptop that you upgrade every couple of years, you'll never need that. For a small business running one server for a decade, it matters, and it's the reason "free" Linux sometimes shows up on an invoice. I've gone into the Ubuntu side in more detail in my guide to whether Ubuntu is free.
Red Hat: free for individuals, paid for organisations
Red Hat Enterprise Linux is the one people assume is paid, and for companies it usually is. But Red Hat's developer FAQ says its Developer Subscription for Individuals is a no-cost offering, and joining the developer programme is free. It lets one person install RHEL on a maximum of 16 systems, physical or virtual.
The limits are worth reading carefully. Red Hat says the individual subscription is only for individuals, not organisations or teams, and it's designed for personal servers, home labs and small open source communities. It does allow development, testing and small production use cases. Companies with several developers are pointed to a separate Teams subscription through sales.
Free doesn't mean unsupported
One worry I hear is that free Linux means you're on your own. For personal use, the communities around Ubuntu and Fedora are huge, and most problems you'll hit have already been answered somewhere. Red Hat also notes that major RHEL releases are supported for ten years, and its individual subscription gives access to older versions covering a ten-year lifespan, which shows how long the paid world expects a Linux install to last.
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For a business, the honest test is this: if this machine stopped working on a Monday morning, who fixes it? If the answer is you and you're comfortable with that, free Linux is fine. If the answer is "I'd need to call someone", that's when a support subscription earns its keep.
How to try Linux for free without wiping your computer
- Pick a beginner-friendly distribution such as Ubuntu or Fedora.
- Download the installer image from the project's own website, never a mirror you found in an ad.
- Either write it to a USB stick and boot from it in live mode, which runs Linux without installing anything, or install it inside free virtual machine software on your current computer.
- Spend a week doing your real work: email, browser, documents, printing.
- Only install it for good once you're happy everything you rely on works.
If you go the virtual machine route, my roundup of free virtual machine software covers the options.
My verdict
Linux is free in the fullest sense: free to download, free to use for business and free to change. For a personal computer you'll almost certainly never pay a thing. The only time it costs is when you want a company to stand behind it with long-term security patches and support, which is a choice, not a licence fee. If you're a small business with one or two servers, start with a free distribution and add paid support only if downtime would hurt you.
Frequently asked questions
Is Linux free for commercial use?
Yes. The Linux kernel is licensed under the GPL version 2, which lets you use it for any purpose, including business. Free distributions such as Ubuntu and Fedora can also be used commercially.
Why do some companies pay for Linux?
They pay for support and security maintenance, not the right to use it. Ubuntu Pro, for example, extends security coverage from 5 to 10 years, and Red Hat sells subscriptions to organisations.
Is Red Hat Enterprise Linux free?
For individual developers, yes. Red Hat's no-cost Developer Subscription for Individuals covers up to 16 systems, but it's for individuals, not organisations or teams.
Is Ubuntu Pro free?
Canonical says Ubuntu Pro is always free for personal use. Businesses pay for it when they want the longer security maintenance on their machines.
Can I try Linux without installing it?
Yes. Most distributions run in live mode from a USB stick, or you can install one inside free virtual machine software and test it alongside your current system.
