GNOME favors minimalism with a focus on virtual desktops, while KDE Plasma offers a traditional, feature-rich Windows-like experience.

GNOME requires extra tools for customization with limited theming capabilities, whereas KDE Plasma has extensive built-in customization options.

GNOME is more laptop-friendly, whereas KDE Plasma caters to heavy desktop users.

While GNOME and KDE Plasma stand as Linux's most popular desktop environments (DEs), they couldn't be more different. Let's compare the desktop experience, customizability, and performance to give you a better idea of what each has to offer.

The biggest point of difference between GNOME and KDE Plasma is how they approach the desktop. While KDE Plasma provides a more traditional experience by default with tons of features under the hood, GNOME takes a different route, aiming to reinvent the desktop with a focus on minimalism.

GNOME's focus on simplicity, minimalist design, and a streamlined workflow culminates in an extremely unique and one-of-a-kind desktop experience. Unlike traditional desktops, GNOME strips away common elements like a bottom taskbar (or dock), desktop icons, folders, and widgets by default. Instead, you get a clean desktop designed to house only your active windows.