When comparing Linux Lite vs Lubuntu, the Slant community recommends Lubuntu for most people. In the question“What are the best Linux distributions for misanthropes?” Lubuntu is ranked 25th while Linux Lite is ranked 34th. The most important reason people chose Lubuntu is:
Being based on Ubuntu (which itself is based on Debian), there's a good amount of information and support to be found when searching for it, both on Lubuntu specifically and Ubuntu that also applies to Lubuntu. It also means that there are certain security and usability standards enforced and you can use Ubuntu .deb packages.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Beginner friendly
Linux Lite renames software it comes bundled with to be more user-friendly, it gives suggestions on what additional software the user might be interested, support on how to keep the system up to date, etc. It should especially be familiar to Windows users, since the desktop layout and the basic way you interact with it is similar.
Pro Windows-alternative
It is extremely easy for a Windows user to get along with this OS.
Pro Based on XFCE
Linux Lite is based on XFCE. It makes Linux Lite extremely appropriate for old hardware without any compromise in features. Linux Lite is also loaded with lightweight apps which ensure smooth workflow.
Pro Good performance
Even on an old machine Linux Lite perform most everyday operations quickly and without stability issues.
Pro Works well with under 4 Gb RAM
Linux Lite seems to bring to life machines with 2-4 Gb RAM. There must be something that adjusts when it sees lower specs.
Pro Active forum and helpful community
The forum is pretty active and community is very friendly and helpful. The creator of Linux Lite itself is active on the forum and helps to get problem sorted out.
Pro Highly customizable
Linux Lite is a highly customizable OS. Background, icons, panel location, panel appearance, menu appearance and almost everything else you can imagine.
Pro Has an efficient Update Manager
Updating Linux Lite is made a breeze by Update Manager.
Pro Part of the Ubuntu family
Being based on Ubuntu (which itself is based on Debian), there's a good amount of information and support to be found when searching for it, both on Lubuntu specifically and Ubuntu that also applies to Lubuntu. It also means that there are certain security and usability standards enforced and you can use Ubuntu .deb packages.
Pro Lightweight
By utilizing minimal software Lubuntu is able to use less resources and power.
Pro Stable
Pro LXDE desktop
Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment performs fast and conserves resources.
Pro Offers a long term support release
Lubuntu offers a long term support release with their 14.04 Trusty Tahr based version.
Pro Uses Openbox as the default window manager
Lubuntu (LXDE) uses the lightweight Openbox window manager to manage its windows. By using Openbox by default LXDE is able to remain lightweight as there is no built in composite manager in Openbox to take up resources.
Cons
Con Working with local files can be messy
All XFCE distros are known for having little bugs here and there but Linux Lite takes the cake as local HTML files get executed as if they were shell scripts instead of being opened on Firefox.
Con Not compatible with UEFI
Linux Lite is not compatible with UEFI. You have to enable Legacy Mode to install Linux Lite. Which makes this OS a little behind latest OS.
Con No composite manager
Being a modern desktop many users expect compositing, even on lightweight systems. Without compositing there will be screen tearing, a lot of it. Though there is built in support for users to add their own compositors such as Compton.
Con Long term support not as long as other Ubuntu spins
Lubuntu has not always had LTS support. Luckily they do offer a 3 year LTS now but it is shorter than other Ubuntu spins that receive a full 5 years of support.
Con Clock in panel is broken currently in LXDE
The clock panel applet does not work as expected in the newest versions of LXDE. If the clock is set to not show seconds in the display when waking from suspend the clock will not update until the time actually changes in the applet which means it can take up to a minute for the clock to update when seconds are not shown. The work around to this is to display seconds on the clock which allows it to update after suspend within one second. Sadly the clock does not display seconds correctly as it skips them by one to three at least once a minute, often more.
This is also not the first time there have been problems with the panel clock which clearly illustrates this to be an ongoing problem for the developers.
Con Lacks some window management features
There's no built-in way to snap windows to the sides, re-size them by double clicking the bar, or dragging to the edges.
Con Redundant
There is absolutely no reason to install it, since it uses the same package repositories as Ubuntu and you can transform any Ubuntu install into a Lubuntu install.