Tails (which stands for The Amnesic Incognito Live System) is a security-focused, privacy-oriented operating system based on the Debian Linux distribution. It is designed to be used on a USB stick or DVD and aims to preserve the user's privacy and anonymity. The system runs entirely in RAM and does not store any data on the local machine, making it difficult for anyone to track the user's activities. It comes with a wide range of security and privacy tools, such as the Tor Browser, TorChat, Pidgin, GPG, KeePassX, and OTR. It also includes a suite of security and privacy enhancements, such as a secure delete, encrypted storage, and a virtual machine. Tails is used by journalists, activists, and whistle-blowers to protect their anonymity and privacy online.
Linux Tails is based on Debian Linux, but Debian doesn't come out of the box with TOR, RAM wiping, privacy tools or Veracrypt.
Linux Mint is a generic Linux distribution that does not come standard with Tor routing all network traffic, which is the main feature of Tails.
Arch Linux is a generic Linux distribution that does not come standard with Tor routing all network traffic, which is the main feature of Tails.
Fedora is a generic Linux distribution that does not come out of the box with Tor routing all network traffic, which is the main feature of Tails.
The elementary operating system is a generic Linux distribution that does not come standard with Tor routing all network traffic, which is the main feature of Tails.
Xubuntu is a generic Linux distribution that does not come out of the box with Tor routing all network traffic, which is the main feature of Tails.
Tails is a Debian-based distribution that you can install on a USB stick and run live. It broadcasts traffic through TOR to protect anonymity and wipes your ass on the way out. Qubes can do the same through its Whonix VM, but it also offers much more. It offers security by creating ephemeral virtual machines on which applications can run. These can be Debian, Fedora or Whonix based. Anonymity + security with Qubes.
Great alternative to Linux Tails. It is more secure by isolating everything using virtual machines. It takes more resources obviously but more secure. The downside is that it is not portable like Linux Tails, but you can carry it on a USB stick, preferably 128 GB.
Lubuntu is a generic Linux distribution that does not come standard with Tor routing all network traffic, which is the main feature of Tails.
Kubuntu is a generic Linux distribution that does not come out of the box with Tor routing all network traffic, which is the main feature of Tails.
Ubuntu MATE is a generic Linux distribution that does not come out of the box with Tor routing all network traffic, which is the main feature of Tails.
Antergos is a generic Linux distribution that does not come standard with Tor routing all network traffic, which is the main feature of Tails.
Red Hat is a generic Linux distribution that does not come standard with Tor routing all network traffic, which is the main feature of Tails. It is also commercial software, so the source code is not open to look for vulnerabilities, unlike Tails, which is open source. Red Hat is an operating system for servers and system administrators, not for privacy.
KDE neon is a generic Linux distribution that does not come out of the box with Tor routing all network traffic, which is the main feature of Tails.
Puppy Linux is a generic Linux distribution that does not come out of the box with Tor routing all network traffic, which is the main feature of Tails.
Any BSD based operating system is secure as no one is hacking it because it is unpopular, it is also very stable. OpenBSD is for a full installation, although it does not run on USB. So be sure to use full disk encryption.
Trisquel Linux only has free software, so you won't be spied on by propaganda drops. It's easier to use than Tails because it's based on Ubuntu, but it's more for a desktop installation than for a live USB OS like Tails. You can use full disk encryption to protect your files in Trisquel.
Debian
Linux Mint
Arch Linux
Fedora
elementary OS
Xubuntu
Qubes OS
openSUSE
Lubuntu
Kubuntu
Ubuntu MATE
Antergos
Red Hat
KDE neon
Puppy Linux
OpenBSD
Whonix
Trisquel
Parrot Security OS
Knoppix
Debian is a generic Linux distribution that does not come standard with Tor routing all network traffic, which is the main feature of Tails.