As a Linux user myself, I understand what you are saying. Every distribution has its advantages and disadvantages, and you can’t expect regular people to know which one is best for them. Saying it’s not confusing to the average consumer is disingenuous.

Having said that, if you want to make the switch, go for Linux Mint and be happy. In my opinion, it’s the easiest Linux distribution by far, and everything just works.

As others have said both options are inferior to Signal because you can’t verify the privacy claims Meta makes.

However I’d argue that WhatsApp Web is slightly better, because it being a web app means Meta can collect less data about you compared to a phone app.