diff --git a/doc/conf.py b/doc/conf.py
index 73acfef9859..1cf598ff838 100644
--- a/doc/conf.py
+++ b/doc/conf.py
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 import time
 import warnings
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
 
 import numpy as np
 import matplotlib
@@ -26,9 +25,10 @@
 from mne.tests.test_docstring_parameters import error_ignores
 from mne.utils import (linkcode_resolve, # noqa, analysis:ignore
                        _assert_no_instances, sizeof_fmt, run_subprocess)
+from mne.fixes import _compare_version
 from mne.viz import Brain  # noqa
 
-if LooseVersion(sphinx_gallery.__version__) < LooseVersion('0.2'):
+if _compare_version(sphinx_gallery.__version__, '<', '0.2'):
     raise ImportError('Must have at least version 0.2 of sphinx-gallery, got '
                       f'{sphinx_gallery.__version__}')
 
diff --git a/mne/conftest.py b/mne/conftest.py
index 9f22ae34182..47bb4241f80 100644
--- a/mne/conftest.py
+++ b/mne/conftest.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 # License: BSD-3-Clause
 
 from contextlib import contextmanager
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
 import inspect
 from textwrap import dedent
 import gc
@@ -22,7 +21,7 @@
 from mne import read_events, pick_types, Epochs
 from mne.channels import read_layout
 from mne.datasets import testing
-from mne.fixes import has_numba
+from mne.fixes import has_numba, _compare_version
 from mne.io import read_raw_fif, read_raw_ctf
 from mne.stats import cluster_level
 from mne.utils import (_pl, _assert_no_instances, numerics, Bunch,
@@ -202,7 +201,7 @@ def matplotlib_config():
     class CallbackRegistryReraise(orig):
         def __init__(self, exception_handler=None):
             args = ()
-            if LooseVersion(matplotlib.__version__) >= LooseVersion('2.1'):
+            if _compare_version(matplotlib.__version__, '>=', '2.1'):
                 args += (exception_handler,)
             super(CallbackRegistryReraise, self).__init__(*args)
 
@@ -396,7 +395,7 @@ def _check_pyqtgraph():
     except ModuleNotFoundError:
         pytest.skip('PyQt5 is not installed but needed for pyqtgraph!')
     try:
-        assert LooseVersion(_check_pyqt5_version()) >= LooseVersion('5.12')
+        assert _compare_version(_check_pyqt5_version(), '>=', '5.12')
     except AssertionError:
         pytest.skip(f'PyQt5 has version {_check_pyqt5_version()}'
                     f'but pyqtgraph needs >= 5.12!')
@@ -665,7 +664,7 @@ def brain_gc(request):
         yield
         return
     import pyvista
-    if LooseVersion(pyvista.__version__) <= LooseVersion('0.26.1'):
+    if _compare_version(pyvista.__version__, '<=', '0.26.1'):
         yield
         return
     from mne.viz import Brain
diff --git a/mne/cov.py b/mne/cov.py
index 893cf70a1fc..296d60b5f31 100644
--- a/mne/cov.py
+++ b/mne/cov.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 # License: BSD-3-Clause
 
 from copy import deepcopy
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
 import itertools as itt
 from math import log
 import os
@@ -42,7 +41,7 @@
 from . import viz
 
 from .fixes import (BaseEstimator, EmpiricalCovariance, _logdet,
-                    empirical_covariance, log_likelihood)
+                    empirical_covariance, log_likelihood, _compare_version)
 
 
 def _check_covs_algebra(cov1, cov2):
@@ -1020,7 +1019,7 @@ def _eigvec_subspace(eig, eigvec, mask):
 def _get_iid_kwargs():
     import sklearn
     kwargs = dict()
-    if LooseVersion(sklearn.__version__) < LooseVersion('0.22'):
+    if _compare_version(sklearn.__version__, '<', '0.22'):
         kwargs['iid'] = False
     return kwargs
 
diff --git a/mne/datasets/_fetch.py b/mne/datasets/_fetch.py
index 2844820ca25..8779e837fa7 100644
--- a/mne/datasets/_fetch.py
+++ b/mne/datasets/_fetch.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 import sys
 import os
 import os.path as op
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
 from shutil import rmtree
 
 from .. import __version__ as mne_version
@@ -17,6 +16,7 @@
     MISC_VERSIONED,
 )
 from .utils import _dataset_version, _do_path_update, _get_path
+from ..fixes import _compare_version
 
 
 _FAKE_VERSION = None  # used for monkeypatching while testing versioning
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ def fetch_dataset(
     # get the version of the dataset and then check if the version is outdated
     data_version = _dataset_version(final_path, name)
     outdated = (want_version is not None and
-                LooseVersion(want_version) > LooseVersion(data_version))
+                _compare_version(want_version, '>', data_version))
 
     if outdated:
         logger.info(
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ def fetch_dataset(
     data_version = _dataset_version(path, name)
     # 0.7 < 0.7.git should be False, therefore strip
     if check_version and (
-        LooseVersion(data_version) < LooseVersion(mne_version.strip(".git"))
+        _compare_version(data_version, '<', mne_version.strip(".git"))
     ):
         warn(
             "The {name} dataset (version {current}) is older than "
diff --git a/mne/datasets/sleep_physionet/_utils.py b/mne/datasets/sleep_physionet/_utils.py
index c3984672fd0..7c5af9ce30d 100644
--- a/mne/datasets/sleep_physionet/_utils.py
+++ b/mne/datasets/sleep_physionet/_utils.py
@@ -7,13 +7,12 @@
 import os
 import os.path as op
 import numpy as np
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
 
 from ...utils import (verbose, _TempDir, _check_pandas_installed,
                       _on_missing)
 from ...utils.check import _soft_import
 from ..utils import _get_path
-
+from ...fixes import _compare_version
 
 AGE_SLEEP_RECORDS = op.join(op.dirname(__file__), 'age_records.csv')
 TEMAZEPAM_SLEEP_RECORDS = op.join(op.dirname(__file__),
@@ -110,7 +109,7 @@ def _update_sleep_temazepam_records(fname=TEMAZEPAM_SLEEP_RECORDS):
 
     # Load and massage the data.
     data = pd.read_excel(subjects_fname, header=[0, 1])
-    if LooseVersion(pd.__version__) >= LooseVersion('0.24.0'):
+    if _compare_version(pd.__version__, '>=', '0.24.0'):
         data = data.set_index(('Subject - age - sex', 'Nr'))
     data.index.name = 'subject'
     data.columns.names = [None, None]
@@ -132,7 +131,7 @@ def _update_sleep_temazepam_records(fname=TEMAZEPAM_SLEEP_RECORDS):
     data = data.set_index(['id', 'subject', 'age', 'sex', 'drug',
                            'lights off', 'night nr', 'record type']).unstack()
     data.columns = [l1 + '_' + l2 for l1, l2 in data.columns]
-    if LooseVersion(pd.__version__) < LooseVersion('0.21.0'):
+    if _compare_version(pd.__version__, '<' '0.21.0'):
         data = data.reset_index().drop(labels=['id'], axis=1)
     else:
         data = data.reset_index().drop(columns=['id'])
@@ -189,7 +188,7 @@ def _update_sleep_age_records(fname=AGE_SLEEP_RECORDS):
                                      .str.split('.', expand=True)[0]
                                      .astype('category'))
 
-    if LooseVersion(pd.__version__) < LooseVersion('0.21.0'):
+    if _compare_version(pd.__version__, '<', '0.21.0'):
         data = data.reset_index().drop(labels=['id'], axis=1)
     else:
         data = data.reset_index().drop(columns=['id'])
diff --git a/mne/externals/tqdm/__init__.py b/mne/externals/tqdm/__init__.py
index f1ea99de6a0..20b57f8f66e 100644
--- a/mne/externals/tqdm/__init__.py
+++ b/mne/externals/tqdm/__init__.py
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
+from ...fixes import _compare_version
 
 try:
     from tqdm import __version__
-    if LooseVersion(__version__) < LooseVersion('4.36'):
+    if _compare_version(__version__, '<', '4.36'):
         raise ImportError
 except ImportError:  # use our copy
     from ._tqdm import *
diff --git a/mne/io/eeglab/tests/test_eeglab.py b/mne/io/eeglab/tests/test_eeglab.py
index bad9a02e44c..1818265176e 100644
--- a/mne/io/eeglab/tests/test_eeglab.py
+++ b/mne/io/eeglab/tests/test_eeglab.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 # License: BSD-3-Clause
 
 from copy import deepcopy
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
 import os.path as op
 import shutil
 from unittest import SkipTest
@@ -25,6 +24,7 @@
 from mne.utils import check_version, Bunch
 from mne.annotations import events_from_annotations, read_annotations
 from mne.externals.pymatreader import read_mat
+from mne.fixes import _compare_version
 
 base_dir = op.join(testing.data_path(download=False), 'EEGLAB')
 
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ def test_io_set_raw_more(tmp_path):
     # SciPy writing bug that pops up sometimes:
     # nopos_chanlocs = np.array(chanlocs[['labels', 'Z']])
 
-    if LooseVersion(np.__version__) == '1.14.0':
+    if _compare_version(np.__version__, '==', '1.14.0'):
         # There is a bug in 1.14.0 (or maybe with SciPy 1.0.0?) that causes
         # this write to fail!
         raise SkipTest('Need to fix bug in NumPy 1.14.0!')
diff --git a/mne/surface.py b/mne/surface.py
index 8dbe7c5df20..110b5261067 100644
--- a/mne/surface.py
+++ b/mne/surface.py
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 # C code.
 
 from copy import deepcopy
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
 from functools import partial, lru_cache
 from collections import OrderedDict
 from glob import glob
@@ -21,7 +20,7 @@
 
 from .channels.channels import _get_meg_system
 from .fixes import (_serialize_volume_info, _get_read_geometry, jit,
-                    prange, bincount)
+                    prange, bincount, _compare_version)
 from .io.constants import FIFF
 from .io.pick import pick_types
 from .parallel import parallel_func
@@ -1101,7 +1100,7 @@ def write_surface(fname, coords, faces, create_stamp='', volume_info=None,
     if file_format == 'freesurfer':
         try:
             import nibabel as nib
-            has_nibabel = LooseVersion(nib.__version__) > LooseVersion('2.1.0')
+            has_nibabel = _compare_version(nib.__version__, '>', '2.1.0')
         except ImportError:
             has_nibabel = False
         if has_nibabel:
diff --git a/mne/tests/test_epochs.py b/mne/tests/test_epochs.py
index 26c544084d8..b65989c0bc7 100644
--- a/mne/tests/test_epochs.py
+++ b/mne/tests/test_epochs.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 # License: BSD-3-Clause
 
 from copy import deepcopy
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
 from functools import partial
 from io import BytesIO
 import os
@@ -42,6 +41,7 @@
 from mne.utils import (requires_pandas, object_diff,
                        catch_logging, _FakeNoPandas,
                        assert_meg_snr, check_version, _dt_to_stamp)
+from mne.fixes import _compare_version
 
 data_path = testing.data_path(download=False)
 fname_raw_testing = op.join(data_path, 'MEG', 'sample',
@@ -3106,7 +3106,7 @@ def assert_metadata_equal(got, exp):
         assert isinstance(exp, pandas.DataFrame)
         assert isinstance(got, pandas.DataFrame)
         assert set(got.columns) == set(exp.columns)
-        if LooseVersion(pandas.__version__) < LooseVersion('0.25'):
+        if _compare_version(pandas.__version__, '<', '0.25'):
             # Old Pandas does not necessarily order them properly
             got = got[exp.columns]
         check = (got == exp)
diff --git a/mne/time_frequency/tests/test_multitaper.py b/mne/time_frequency/tests/test_multitaper.py
index 18eae3ae39a..4c9f9db4f40 100644
--- a/mne/time_frequency/tests/test_multitaper.py
+++ b/mne/time_frequency/tests/test_multitaper.py
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
-
 import numpy as np
 import pytest
 from numpy.testing import assert_array_almost_equal
@@ -8,6 +6,7 @@
 from mne.time_frequency.multitaper import dpss_windows
 from mne.utils import requires_nitime
 from mne.io import RawArray
+from mne.fixes import _compare_version
 from mne import create_info
 
 
@@ -48,7 +47,7 @@ def test_multitaper_psd():
         raw = RawArray(data, info)
         pytest.raises(ValueError, psd_multitaper, raw, sfreq,
                       normalization='foo')
-        ni_5 = (LooseVersion(ni.__version__) >= LooseVersion('0.5'))
+        ni_5 = _compare_version(ni.__version__, '>=', '0.5')
         norm = 'full' if ni_5 else 'length'
         for adaptive, n_jobs in zip((False, True, True), (1, 1, 2)):
             psd, freqs = psd_multitaper(raw, adaptive=adaptive,
diff --git a/mne/utils/_testing.py b/mne/utils/_testing.py
index 1784dc59ded..49e28b0d1b2 100644
--- a/mne/utils/_testing.py
+++ b/mne/utils/_testing.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 # License: BSD-3-Clause
 
 from contextlib import contextmanager
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
 from functools import partial, wraps
 import os
 import inspect
@@ -21,6 +20,7 @@
 
 from ._logging import warn, ClosingStringIO
 from .numerics import object_diff
+from ..fixes import _compare_version
 
 
 def _explain_exception(start=-1, stop=None, prefix='> '):
@@ -109,8 +109,8 @@ def requires_module(function, name, call=None):
 
 _pandas_call = """
 import pandas
-version = LooseVersion(pandas.__version__)
-if version < '0.8.0':
+version = pandas.__version__
+if _compare_version(version, '<', '0.8.0'):
     raise ImportError
 """
 
@@ -193,9 +193,8 @@ def check_version(library, min_version):
         ok = False
     else:
         if min_version:
-            this_version = LooseVersion(
-                getattr(library, '__version__', '0.0').lstrip('v'))
-            if this_version < min_version:
+            this_version = getattr(library, '__version__', '0.0').lstrip('v')
+            if _compare_version(this_version, '<', min_version):
                 ok = False
     return ok
 
diff --git a/mne/utils/tests/test_linalg.py b/mne/utils/tests/test_linalg.py
index a4a92fc1f1d..a7452196cff 100644
--- a/mne/utils/tests/test_linalg.py
+++ b/mne/utils/tests/test_linalg.py
@@ -3,13 +3,13 @@
 #
 # License: BSD-3-Clause
 
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
 import numpy as np
 from numpy.testing import assert_allclose, assert_array_equal
 from scipy import linalg
 import pytest
 
 from mne.utils import _sym_mat_pow, _reg_pinv, requires_version
+from mne.fixes import _compare_version
 
 
 @requires_version('numpy', '1.17')  # pinv bugs
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 ])
 def test_pos_semidef_inv(ndim, dtype, n, deficient, reduce_rank, psdef, func):
     """Test positive semidefinite matrix inverses."""
-    if LooseVersion(np.__version__) >= LooseVersion('1.19'):
+    if _compare_version(np.__version__, '>=', '1.19'):
         svd = np.linalg.svd
     else:
         from mne.fixes import svd
diff --git a/mne/viz/_brain/_scraper.py b/mne/viz/_brain/_scraper.py
index 7f98acf5c94..58795eadd82 100644
--- a/mne/viz/_brain/_scraper.py
+++ b/mne/viz/_brain/_scraper.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import os
 import os.path as op
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
 
+from ...fixes import _compare_version
 from ._brain import Brain
 
 
@@ -70,9 +70,10 @@ def func(frame):
                 # Out to sphinx-gallery:
                 #
                 # 1. A static image but hide it (useful for carousel)
-                if LooseVersion(matplotlib.__version__) >= \
-                        LooseVersion('3.3.1') and \
-                        animation.FFMpegWriter.isAvailable():
+                if (
+                    _compare_version(matplotlib.__version__, '>=', '3.3.1') and
+                    animation.FFMpegWriter.isAvailable()
+                ):
                     writer = 'ffmpeg'
                 elif animation.ImageMagickWriter.isAvailable():
                     writer = 'imagemagick'
diff --git a/mne/viz/backends/_notebook.py b/mne/viz/backends/_notebook.py
index 69e74eaae5e..58ac0f0936f 100644
--- a/mne/viz/backends/_notebook.py
+++ b/mne/viz/backends/_notebook.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 # License: Simplified BSD
 
 from contextlib import contextmanager, nullcontext
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
 
 import pyvista
 from IPython.display import display
@@ -13,6 +12,7 @@
                         IntSlider, IntText, Text, VBox, IntProgress, Play,
                         Checkbox, RadioButtons, jsdlink)
 
+from ...fixes import _compare_version
 from ._abstract import (_AbstractDock, _AbstractToolBar, _AbstractMenuBar,
                         _AbstractStatusBar, _AbstractLayout, _AbstractWidget,
                         _AbstractWindow, _AbstractMplCanvas, _AbstractPlayback,
@@ -461,7 +461,7 @@ def show(self):
             self._create_default_tool_bar()
         display(self._tool_bar)
         # viewer
-        if LooseVersion(pyvista.__version__) < LooseVersion('0.30'):
+        if _compare_version(pyvista.__version__, '<', '0.30'):
             viewer = self.plotter.show(
                 use_ipyvtk=True, return_viewer=True)
         else:  # pyvista>=0.30.0
diff --git a/mne/viz/backends/_pyvista.py b/mne/viz/backends/_pyvista.py
index 3a938950e85..fd59927512d 100644
--- a/mne/viz/backends/_pyvista.py
+++ b/mne/viz/backends/_pyvista.py
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 # License: Simplified BSD
 
 from contextlib import contextmanager
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
 import os
 import sys
 import warnings
@@ -23,7 +22,7 @@
 from ._abstract import _AbstractRenderer
 from ._utils import (_get_colormap_from_array, _alpha_blend_background,
                      ALLOWED_QUIVER_MODES, _init_mne_qtapp)
-from ...fixes import _get_args, _point_data, _cell_data
+from ...fixes import _get_args, _point_data, _cell_data, _compare_version
 from ...transforms import apply_trans
 from ...utils import copy_base_doc_to_subclass_doc, _check_option
 
@@ -37,7 +36,7 @@
     except ImportError:
         from pyvista import BackgroundPlotter
     from pyvista.plotting.plotting import _ALL_PLOTTERS
-VTK9 = LooseVersion(getattr(vtk, 'VTK_VERSION', '9.0')) >= LooseVersion('9.0')
+VTK9 = _compare_version(getattr(vtk, 'VTK_VERSION', '9.0'), '>=', '9.0')
 
 
 _FIGURES = dict()
@@ -181,7 +180,7 @@ def __init__(self, fig=None, size=(600, 600), bgcolor='black',
             self._enable_aa()
 
         # FIX: https://github.com/pyvista/pyvistaqt/pull/68
-        if LooseVersion(pyvista.__version__) >= '0.27.0':
+        if _compare_version(pyvista.__version__, '>=', '0.27.0'):
             if not hasattr(self.plotter, "iren"):
                 self.plotter.iren = None
 
@@ -1109,9 +1108,8 @@ def _glyph(dataset, scale_mode='scalar', orient=True, scalars=True, factor=1.0,
 
 
 def _require_minimum_version(version_required):
-    from distutils.version import LooseVersion
-    version = LooseVersion(pyvista.__version__)
-    if version < version_required:
+    version = pyvista.__version__
+    if _compare_version(version, '<', version_required):
         raise ImportError('pyvista>={} is required for this module but the '
                           'version found is {}'.format(version_required,
                                                        version))
diff --git a/mne/viz/misc.py b/mne/viz/misc.py
index eb05819fd90..52c8c43ef25 100644
--- a/mne/viz/misc.py
+++ b/mne/viz/misc.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 from itertools import cycle
 import os.path as op
 import warnings
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
 from collections import defaultdict
 
 import numpy as np
@@ -38,6 +37,7 @@
 from ..filter import estimate_ringing_samples
 from .utils import (tight_layout, _get_color_list, _prepare_trellis, plt_show,
                     _figure_agg, _validate_type)
+from ..fixes import _compare_version
 
 
 def _index_info_cov(info, cov, exclude):
@@ -765,7 +765,7 @@ def _get_presser(fig):
     callbacks = fig.canvas.callbacks.callbacks['button_press_event']
     func = None
     for key, val in callbacks.items():
-        if LooseVersion(matplotlib.__version__) >= '3':
+        if _compare_version(matplotlib.__version__, '>=', '3'):
             func = val()
         else:
             func = val.func
diff --git a/mne/viz/utils.py b/mne/viz/utils.py
index 1f09dcfdb98..33de31367a7 100644
--- a/mne/viz/utils.py
+++ b/mne/viz/utils.py
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 import math
 import numpy as np
 from copy import deepcopy
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
 import warnings
 from datetime import datetime
 
@@ -40,6 +39,7 @@
                      logger, fill_doc, _pl, _check_sphere, _ensure_int,
                      _validate_type, _to_rgb, warn)
 from ..transforms import apply_trans
+from ..fixes import _compare_version
 
 
 _channel_type_prettyprint = {'eeg': "EEG channel", 'grad': "Gradiometer",
@@ -1407,7 +1407,7 @@ class SelectFromCollection(object):
     def __init__(self, ax, collection, ch_names, alpha_other=0.5,
                  linewidth_other=0.5, alpha_selected=1, linewidth_selected=1):
         from matplotlib import __version__
-        if LooseVersion(__version__) < LooseVersion('1.2.1'):
+        if _compare_version(__version__, '<', '1.2.1'):
             raise ImportError('Interactive selection not possible for '
                               'matplotlib versions < 1.2.1. Upgrade '
                               'matplotlib.')
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index cbfd9a220c2..6d2b9d8076d 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ release = egg_info -RDb ''
 # tag_build = .dev
 
 [bdist_rpm]
-doc-files = doc
+doc_files = doc
 
 [flake8]
 exclude = __init__.py,*externals*,constants.py,fixes.py,resources.py,*doc/auto_examples*,*doc/_build*