Cinnamon’s applets in System Settings make me weigh its desktop controls against the panel controls in MATE when choosing an edition. I was surprised that Mint also describes MATE as using fewer resources and running faster on older computers.
Linux Mint recommends starting with Cinnamon when you are unsure. Compare the fuller desktop Mint describes with MATE’s traditional layout to see what that recommendation means for your choice.
Pick Cinnamon for features, MATE for a classic desktop
Linux Mint offers Cinnamon and MATE as editions with different desktop environments, the software that supplies menus, panels, settings and other parts of the graphical desktop. If you want a plain explanation of that layer, see our desktop environment and window manager comparison.
Linux Mint describes Cinnamon as its modern, full-featured desktop, while MATE keeps a traditional layout and uses fewer resources according to the project’s edition guide. That makes Cinnamon a sensible starting point when you want Mint’s fuller desktop feature set, and MATE a reasonable choice when a traditional desktop and lower resource use matter more.
| What you are choosing | Cinnamon | MATE |
|---|---|---|
| Linux Mint’s description | Modern, innovative and full-featured | Traditional, with a classic desktop style |
| Resource guidance | More desktop features | Mint says it uses fewer resources and can run faster on older computers |
| Development and features | Mint’s primary desktop project | Some features are absent, and development is slower than Cinnamon’s |
| When to start here | You want Mint’s full desktop feature set | You prefer the traditional workflow or want to reduce desktop resource use |
Linux Mint recommends starting with Cinnamon when you are unsure, though the choice depends on which desktop tools you want to use. Our guide to other Linux desktop environments helps when you are deciding beyond the two Mint editions.
What the two desktops look like
Cinnamon’s open application menu shows the category-and-search layout, with a panel along the bottom of the screen. The screenshot is from Linux Mint 20 and illustrates that release’s menu rather than a current Mint installation.
The menu and bottom panel give you one example of Cinnamon’s layout, but they do not prove that every installation looks the same. Themes, panels and other desktop settings can change the appearance.
The MATE screenshot has a traditional Menu button and panels at the top and bottom. This example comes from Ubuntu MATE 20.04, not the Linux Mint MATE edition, so it shows the MATE desktop rather than a matched Mint release.
The two images show different releases and distributions, so use them as examples of desktop layouts, not as a current side-by-side feature or performance test. Linux Mint’s edition descriptions are a better source for the supported differences.
How customization and desktop tools differ
The desktop projects expose different tools for changing the interface. Cinnamon groups its own session, settings and desktop components, while MATE’s panel is an area for application launchers and applets that you can reposition or rearrange.
| Task | Cinnamon | MATE |
|---|---|---|
| Add desktop functions | Install Cinnamon applets through the Applets tool in System Settings | Add or remove applets on the MATE panels |
| Change how the desktop is arranged | Use Cinnamon’s desktop settings and components | Create, move or remove panels, including across monitors |
| Next customization step | Follow our guide to customizing Cinnamon or changing its keyboard shortcuts | Start with the panel and its applets, then arrange them around the tasks you use |
Cinnamon’s applets are part of the Cinnamon Spices collection, and its settings can manage those additions from the desktop. The MATE panel documentation describes an interface built around panels, launchers and applets that can be added, removed or moved to another monitor.
Neither desktop owns the idea of customization. The useful difference is where the controls live and which built-in pieces you want to adjust. If you change menus or panels often, try those settings in a live session before choosing an edition.
Try both editions in a live session
A live session lets you use the desktop from a USB drive before installing it. Linux Mint’s boot instructions explain how to start Mint from the USB, and the edition guide explains the Cinnamon and MATE downloads.
- Use Cinnamon and MATE images for the same Linux Mint release and the same computer, so the desktop is the main change you are comparing.
- Open the same applications in each session, then try the menu, file manager, settings and window switching you use during a normal day.
- Keep the monitor and display settings the same, and note any delay or missing hardware support that changes your decision.
A live session is not a controlled benchmark, but it can show whether the menus feel familiar and whether your computer responds well to the desktop. For a fair comparison, do the same work in each edition instead of comparing one idle desktop with another running applications.
What resource use can tell you
Linux Mint says MATE uses fewer resources and can run faster on older computers, while also noting that it has fewer features and slower development than Cinnamon. The guide gives no Cinnamon-versus-MATE memory figures, so that description is direction, not a promised result for every PC.
Linux Mint’s general system requirements apply to the distribution, not to a separate RAM threshold for each desktop. I chose not to use those system-wide numbers as a Cinnamon-versus-MATE cutoff, because a desktop’s effect depends on the computer, its graphics support and the applications you keep open.
| What you notice | What the source supports | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| MATE on older computers | Linux Mint says MATE uses fewer resources and can run faster on older computers | Try MATE when the computer’s response is part of the decision |
| Cinnamon’s added desktop features | Mint describes Cinnamon as modern and full-featured | Choose it when those features help with the work you do |
| RAM number or minimum requirement | Mint publishes general requirements, not a separate Cinnamon/MATE memory comparison | Do not treat a distro-wide number as an edition cutoff |
An edition that uses fewer desktop resources does not guarantee faster application response, because graphics support and the work you have open also shape what you notice.
For Mint’s distribution-wide requirements and resolution note, read the Linux Mint system requirements. They do not establish how much memory Cinnamon or MATE uses on your machine.
Let your routine settle the choice
If both sessions feel similar, Linux Mint recommends Cinnamon for anyone who is unsure. Treat that as a starting point, not a promise about performance on a particular machine.
- If neither edition fits, compare KDE Plasma and Xfce as other desktop choices.
The controls you can find and use comfortably matter more than a generic speed label.
Linux Mint Cinnamon vs MATE FAQs
Which Linux Mint edition should I choose, Cinnamon or MATE?
Choose Cinnamon if you want Linux Mint’s fuller desktop feature set. Choose MATE if you prefer a traditional interface and lower resource use, especially on older hardware.
Does MATE use less RAM than Cinnamon?
Linux Mint says MATE uses fewer resources, but its edition guide does not give a Cinnamon-versus-MATE RAM comparison. Try both sessions on the same computer and with the same applications.
Are Linux Mint Cinnamon and MATE different distributions?
No. They are Linux Mint editions with different desktop environments, so the interface and desktop tools differ while both remain Linux Mint.