GNOME has superior workspace managemement and a full suite of visually and functionally consistant apps.

I stick with KDE (Kubuntu) after using GNOME, KDE Plasma, and Cinnamon. I think GNOME lack some settings available in KDE, KDE is the most customizable with a good default, and back then Cinnamon doesn’t have Wayland that some of my apps, especially Waydroid, need. The only thing I hate about KDE is the wallet that keeps popping up by default. GNOME keyring is better IMO. I’m a heavy terminal user tho, for automation with bash script and easier copy-paste from Arch Wiki etc., so mb I not quite representative on DE.

I find the lack of a system tray in Gnome to be a problem. I need to know when my sync app is actively syncing, etc. Background applications disappear for the most part on Gnome and I don’t like that.

I use KDE. I like that it doesn’t fight my choices and actively supports customization. GNOME is too opinionated for me. They have a specific vision on what the desktop should be and that vision just doesn’t jive with me.

KDE. I can do damn near whatever I want with it.

Both my gaming PC and my laptop run LMDE 7 with KDE Plasma on top. However, they are set up very differently. My laptop is almost a 1:1 clone of Mac OS (dock at the bottom, taskbar up top, menus for programs show up in the task bar, etc), while my gaming PC is much more Windows-esque.

Kde Much prefer the settings Visually it also looks nicer by far but that’s not really part of why I choose it.

Honestly needed the windows feel. Also, every update is something cool.

I use both but I like KDE more. I like that drag and drop files gives you the option to move or copy everytime.

kde is slightly better for gaming but I do like how gnome looks with some extensions

I don’t really like Gnome as a desktop interface. Not sure why but never really adapted well to it.

Love KDE and Cinnamon though. Probably because I was used to Windows interface for years before I started using Linux.

I like gnome because it’s a very clean, slick, and minimalist interface. it stays out of my way so I can use the tools I need to use. It’s very like macOS (in the way that KDE is like Windows). I also like its extensions.

I have also seen what’s coming up in GNOME 51, and I like the direction they’re going.

As far as I’m concerned, a DE should be a thin layer between me and my apps. In my experience, KDE is just “too much“.

KDE Plasma can be (and by default is) configured to work mostly like Windows, which I have to use at work anyway. I have no interest in having to do things radically differently on different computers I regularly use.

I feel like KDE does a good job of making Linux accessible to Windows expats, but it works a bit too hard to be like Windows (albeit better). Meanwhile Gnome takes cues from macOS (disclaimer: I’m a Mac guy), but it’s not made to imitate macOS. They just share some UX points.

I prefer Gnome but KDE isn’t bad.

I prefer the customization and vibrancy of KDE. KDE is just so thoughtful and rich with features that I find really useful, the ease of use makes me not want to ever leave it. You can get it heavy or light, customize that install to your delight. Plasma just speaks to me. I can literally leave it alone and it still looks very appealing or go hard on it and make it truly customized with little effort. The quirks are mostly ironed out these days with the latest 6.7 update and that makes me really happy, it’s starting to really feel like a mature DE.

GNOME is just there, breaking extensions with every major update, not doing much of anything (except recently they seem mildly concerned with adding QOL features in an upcoming major update). Still won’t get me to use that DE though, I’d use feature rich WMs before GNOME. That is simply the way it is. GNOME just doesn’t capture me based on its design, but this does not mean it is absolutely bad. Just a bit too minimal, bland, and inflexible for my tastes. I’ve used it for about 6 months (a fallback distro used GNOME) at a time during my distro-hopping days (doing my due diligence and figuring out was next for my machine). Not a good time for me, but I endured. ROFL At least until I landed on Garuda Linux and haven’t left their KDE based editions.

This is very personal and opinionated, but I just feel like Gnome isn’t going in the right direction. KDE Plasma feels vastly more modern.