Founded to provide a unified platform for distributing applications across all Linux distributions, Flathub has become a central hub for users seeking diverse software.
From essential utilities and productivity tools to games and development software, Flathub offers compatible applications across different Linux distros, simplifying the installation process and improving access to software.
Recently, Flathub reached 2 billion downloads. But what’s particularly remarkable is that in just one year, from May 2023, when Flathub had reached 1 billion downloads, the platform has doubled that figure to 2 billion.
Currently, the platform hosts over 2,600 applications divided into the following ten groups:
- Games: 630
- Utilities: 621
- Networking: 306
- Audio & Video: 295
- Developer Tools: 245
- Graphics & Photography: 245
- Productivity: 229
- Education: 190
- Science: 117
- System: 101
The reported statistics on the number of downloads by country are also intriguing. With almost 440 million downloads, the US is the clear leader among Flatpak app users. Germany takes second place with 203 million downloads, with Brazil rounding out the top three with around 187 million.
There are two main reasons why Flathub is often chosen as the primary software source alongside the native package managers of Linux distributions.
Firstly, Flatpak is a distro-agnostic format. In other words, it doesn’t matter what distribution you use; as long as it has Flatpak support available, you can take advantage of the software available on Flathub.
Secondly, the software is fresh. Although much of the software in Flathub is also available in the repositories of the respective distributions as distro-specific installation packages, it is often not the most current version.
In contrast, on Flathub, you’re more likely to find the most up-to-date software releases quickly, sometimes as soon as they are launched or shortly after.
So, what conclusion can be drawn from all that has been said so far? Overall, as Flathub continues to grow and evolve, it will continue to play an increasingly central role in shaping the future of the Linux ecosystem.
While there are other formats like AppImage and Ubuntu’s Snap for distributing distro-agnostic software, Flatpak is currently the most popular choice among users. All indications are that this trend won’t change anytime soon and will only consolidate.
The stats are based on data from 2018 onwards. For more information, visit Flathub’s stats page.
