Fedora and Ubuntu are two of the most popular and well-supported Linux-based desktop operating systems. Both have been around for well over a decade and come from separate corners of the world, but the differences between them are rather nuanced. So between Fedora vs Ubuntu, which is right for you? How Fedora and Ubuntu Came to Be Fedora is a free and open source Linux-based operating system that has been around since 2003. Red Hat, the worlds largest open source company prior to being bought by IBM, sponsors the project.