If you buy the Raspberry Pi Kit which comes with preloaded NOOBS on an SD card, then it will make it easier to download and install the OS for your Pi because the NOOBS is an OS manager needed for installation and easy setup of the OS on PI device. We can install the OS manually on an empty SD card too. Here is a list of Operating Systems that is suitable for your Raspberry Pi.

Raspbian

Raspbian – Official standard operating system based on Linux Debian. It is the best Operating System for Raspberry Pi 3, and Raspbian Buster is the apt OS for Raspberry Pi 4. Raspbian is very simple to use, you just have to dump an image available on the official website of Raspberry Pi. Though Raspbian is a light-weight OS that is based on Debian distribution, it is specifically designed for Raspberry Pi, also it comes with pre-installed software such as Thonny Editor for Python, Libre Office, email client and many more.

You can update the software by using the Linux command,

sudo apt-get update

You will find guidelines and installation easily on their official website.

Windows IoT Core

If you bought the Pi 3 for coding and programming specifically, then the Windows 10 IoT Core is the best option to go with. Don’t get confused with the name because the Pi will not support the same Windows 10 version we use on our desktop PC, but uses a slightly simpler and slimmed down version of the OS.

Despite the lack of a classic Windows GUI, Windows IoT Core has the advantage above all that it works seamlessly with Microsoft’s in-house technologies such as the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) as well as Azure Cloud, Office 365 and other cloud and server services. It also allows the relatively smooth use of Windows hardware on the Pi. This makes the Raspberry Pi fit for the Internet of Things according to Microsoft reading.

Pidora

Pidora – Interesting Raspbian alternative with Fedora

Famous alternative for the Fedora OS for Raspberry Pi. It is based on the Fedora build for ARM V6 Architecture. It uses Fedora 20 package set. Many people stick to the Raspbian OS but the new and advanced OS is giving tough competition to the Raspbian. The new version came up in 2014.

They can be useful for headless mode rather than having a monitor to connect to the OS like in Rasbian. It also comes with all the necessary software which is useful for Raspberry Pi.

 Arch Linux ARM

base Archlinux – In contrast to Raspbian, Archlinux relies on current software updates. Unfortunately, system stability can suffer.

The Arch Linux ARM has a simple base Linux, that will shape it according to your needs and full control over your Pi. It is basically a distribution of Linux for ARM Architecture. The kernel and software support is focussed on hard-float ARMv6 and ARMv7, soft-float ARMv5te, and ARMv8 AArch64. The update is done vial small packages daily. To conclude, this OS can be used for full control over the system.

OpenELEC

OpenElec – Recommended MediaCenter-Distribution with automatic updates. Open Embedded Linux Entertainment Center is a small Linux based Just Enough Operating System (JeOS) built from scratch as a platform to turn your computer into a Kodi media center.

As it is designed to be lightweight, it uses very little system resources for processor or memory. With support for Intel’s HD Graphics, NVIDIA’s GeForce & ION platform, AMD’s Radeon & Fusion platform as well as Broadcom’s Crystal HD chip, it can support high definition content on machines with low-powered processors by offloading video content to the supported graphics cards and decoders.

For Raspberry Pi 1 and 2: Click here.

OSMC

Raspbmc – Simple and powerful XBMC-Mediacenter. Its tagline says, “OSMC is a free and open-source media center built for the people, by the people.” The OSMC is based on the Debian Linux and Kodi Media Center. OSMC runs on all models of Raspberry Pi prior to the Pi 4. They recommend you use a Class 10 SD card, a stable power supply, and at least the Pi Model 2 for the best experience.

RISC OS – Non-Linux based operating system

The concept of RISC OS is something that is non-Linux and works on its own. It is unique rather than other traditional OS for Raspberry Pi. It has a super responsive Universal Storage Platform. The RISC OS Pico is suitable for Pi users. A minimum of 2 GB memory in the SD card is a pre-requisite to run this OS on Pi. If you are a Pi enthusiast, then you should try this OS.  It is not built on Linux and does not support the electronic prototype projects, but it is a whole new concept of OS which works on its own. 

Other OS available for Raspberry Pi:

New Linutop OS – It is an ideal Operating System for professional use like Internet Kiosk, Embedded Systems, Digital Signage, etc.
Kali Linux – Successor of the well-known BackTrack Hacking Distribution
Razdroid – Android for the Raspberry
Currently still unstable RetroPi – Emulated with your Pi over 15 retro consoles

To conclude…

Raspbian – the best

The Raspbian Is the Best All-Around Operating System, is the “official” operating system of the Raspberry Pi and because of that, it’s the one most people will want to start with. It is a version of Linux built specifically for the Raspberry Pi.