Generally depends on the device. Overall, KDE for desktops, Gnome for laptops. Xfce on older devices.

preparing to make the jump to linux soon. Here for recommendations. I haven't been happy with windows since XP.

My personal favorites in order from most to least favorite:

1. XFCE
2. KDE
3. Hyprland
4. Cinnamon
5. i3
6. CDE
7. LXQt
8. Deepin

My DE choices:

• KDE Plasma -- It's pretty, it's customizable. Workflow is customizable
• XFCE -- Honestly I consider XFCE to be like Plasma's sibling, in that its workflow is also very customizable and there is a lot of space for theming, but is lighter and acts nicer on weaker hardware

I tried Gnome and I just hate it? It needs a lot of fennagling to look and act in a way I find enjoyable. Cinnamon is eeeeeeeeehhhhh.

WM-wise, I played with Hyprland and I3WM, but tiling WMs aren't for me. They just aren't. For what convenience I gained from being able to use Super+something to do basically everything, I don't enjoy the workflow.

I also used Wayfire for a bit -- Writing my own configuration file and customizing everything IS fun, but like.... Nah?

Maybe because I used windows first and not Mac, but KDE. Gnome is just opensource Mac DE/WM with the same mentality "we know what's best for you and you'll like it".

plasma

Gnome on my desktop, LXQt on my laptop.

XFCE with OpenSuse style is my favorite. Low resource usage, windows-easy ability to put shortcuts all over the desktop (fuck you, Unity), searchbox that just works. I don't need to spend hours or months customizing the setup for it to work as I want.

I'll be switching to COSMIC DE as soon as it gets into the beta phase.

GNOME. Also, trying to use as many apps as possible that follows its guidelines.

Sometimes i just cant understand why a post gets downvotes... maybe some hate anime?

From unity to gnome for Wayland support from gnome to KDE because of painful stutterstthough now I use both on wayland, just dep3nding on which syst3m I'm on at th3 time.

Great DEs over all, though in excited to try outt cosmic once I get past some systems projects :)

cosmic

I currently use Plasma 6 on both my laptop and my desktop, but XFCE has a special place in my heart, due to it being right in the middle between being lightweight with resources and still staying usable for a buffoon like me.

Good job in fitting the personalities of the DE to the girl.

Xmonad

cinnamon.appimage