The Nexus 6 might be a year old, but it is still a fine handset by all means. Yes, its camera might not be as good as other mid-range Android devices, but its performance is still top-notch and can rival even the Nexus 5X in gaming and other benchmarks.

Being a Nexus device, the 6 is also a community favorite. There are a plethora of custom ROMs available for the handset, and with Marshmallow here, the custom ROM scene for the device has only improved. So, if you want to try out a custom ROM on your shamu, but are confused on which one to flash, check out the list below of what I think are the top 5 custom ROMs for the Nexus 6.

Note: All the ROMs below are based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Before you install any of them, make sure to backup all your important data, including messages and app data.

Cataclysm

If you want a near-stock based ROM that is extremely stable and has just the right amount of features, look no further than Cataclysm. Instead of going overboard with features, the developer — atl4ntis — has only added features that are useful on a day-to-day basis like Quick Pin unlock, double tap to sleep, Navigation bar customisation, and more.

A small feature list of the ROM can be found below:

• Quick Torch
• Immersive mode
• Flash on notifications
• Smart timeout
• Smart Radio
• AppOps
• InCall blocker
• Custom HeadsUp timeout
• Quick Settings customisation
• Navigation bar customisation
• LED customisation
• Advanced Reboot menu
• Battery icon customisation
• Battery saver scheduler

→ Download: Cataclysm

Chroma

As the developer of Chroma puts it, Chroma is a “lightweight AOSP ROM focused on battery, performance and stability.” Like Cataclysm, Chroma only has the bare minimum essential features and customisation options. It also comes with a slightly modified kernel that has been optimised for performance and battery life.

A quick feature list of the ROM can be found below:

• Navigation bar customisation
• Lock screen customisation
• Status bar customisation
• Volume rocker wake
• Quick Unlock
• Quick Settings customisation
• Improved VoLTE reception
• Double tap power button to launch camera

→ Download: Chroma

Stock Debloated ROM

If you are more than satisfied with the features present in stock Android and are only looking for some performance improvements, the stock debloated ROM from developer tupac4u will suffice your needs. The developer has removed all the unnecessary Google apps and APKs from the ROM to make it lighter, and also deoxeded and zipalinged it to extract maximum performance. The only notable tweaks in the ROM include enabling of the hidden Multi-Window feature in Marshmallow, support for Layers, and encryption being disabled for better NAND performance.

→ Download: Stock Debloated ROM

CyanogenMod 13

A list of custom ROMs for a Nexus device cannot be complete without having CyanogenMod in it. While the CM team has not yet released official builds of CyanogenMod 13 for the Nexus 6, unofficial builds of the ROM are available for download over at XDA forums.

Since Marshmallow has been out for just over a month now, CM13 is pretty much in barebones state right now. Most of the features that are usually present in CyanogenMod is currently missing, but be rest assured that the CM team is working behind the scenes to port over these features to Marshmallow as soon as possible.

→ Download: CyanogenMod 13

MELLOW-SHAMUrom

Mellow-SHAMUrom is among the most feature rich ROMs available for the Nexus 6. Beside the usual features that are found in every other ROM mentioned in this list, MELLOW-SHAMUrom also comes with features like wake gestures, sweep to wake/sleep, vibration control, and more. It is also the only ROM in this list that comes with Xposed framework for Marshmallow and GravityBox module pre-installed.

The developer has also bundled a theme with the ROM, though it is optional and needs to be installed by flashing another ZIP file.

→ Download: MELLOW-SHAMUrom

Which is your favorite custom ROM for the Nexus 6? Drop in a comment below and let us know.