CentOS vs Rocky Linux comparison

CentOS

Read 64 CentOS reviews

13,383 Views
13,273 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

Rocky Linux

Read 3 Rocky Linux reviews

9,152 Views
8,649 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

CentOS

Rocky Linux

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between CentOS and Rocky Linux based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Operating Systems (OS) for Business solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed CentOS vs. Rocky Linux Report (Updated: June 2024).

Buyer's Guide

CentOS vs. Rocky Linux

June 2024

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Helped 787,817 peers since 2012

Categories and Ranking

CentOS

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

5th

Average Rating

8.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Rocky Linux

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

12th

Average Rating

8.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2024, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of CentOS is 7.1%, down from 8.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Rocky Linux is 13.6%, up from 11.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Operating Systems (OS) for Business

Unique Categories:

No other categories found

Featured Reviews

Erick-Guevara

Application Server Manager at Centro Nacional de Registros

Aug 2, 2022

Free to use and simple to set up but needs a better package manager

CentOS is an operating system for business. Basically, it is used for application servers used for deploying We've improved ourselves via testing. When we want to create a new environment or test a new product, for example, if we have to deploy maybe testing passwords with high ability, we first…

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JohanWiklund

System Administrator at Maxar Technologies

Sep 22, 2023

A stable and reliable open-source solution

There is a wealth of valuable information available online when it comes to using Rocky Linux. It provides clear guidance on the initial setup steps to get your system up and running for experimentation. Once the system is up and running, you'll notice that, as a user, the experience is quite similar to using other Linux distributions like CentOS or RHEL. The primary differences tend to surface when it comes to system management and administration, where you may notice distinctions between Rocky Linux and other distributions. However, with the available resources and documentation, navigating these differences becomes manageable. I would rate it eight out of ten.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The user access level is most valuable. When you do administration with CentOS, the number of customizations that you can do for each user is higher than other solutions. It is very customizable."

"It has minimal updates compared to other distributions."

"It has all the features of Red Hat, but you don't have to pay for the subscription."

"It is a scalable and cost-effective product compared to public cloud solutions."

"The user interface of CentOS is intuitive, we can also use the command prompt."

"The solution is easy to troubleshoot."

"The most valuable feature of CentOS is that it is easy to use."

"The product is based on Red Hat and very stable."

More CentOS pros

"It helps us keep our workstations in sync and ensures consistent settings across most of our machines."

"I haven't needed to use customer service or support, which speaks volumes about their product's reliability and ease of use."

"It's very simple to work with, easy to learn, and know where things are."

Cons

"The solution is stable, however, it could always be even more stable if possible."

"We would like Red Hat to keep supporting the solution but they have decided to get rid of it and there isn't much we can do about it."

"The security could be improved because the server system isn't very secure."

"The tool has no official support."

"The product lacks a graphical user interface that can help users automate certain systems using the native features offered by CentOS."

"If a proper GUI-based tool was connected remotely or on the machine, it could be a great addition to CentOS."

"I would like to see more frequent updates."

"CentOS could improve by having troubleshooting logs."

More CentOS cons

"In terms of improvement, Rocky Linux needs to clarify its identity and target audience."

"The solution's audio integration for virtual machines could be improved."

"One of the potential issues is that if you don't pay for support, you may need to manage certain aspects on your own and rely on the community for assistance."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There are no licensing fees. CentOS is a free solution."

"This is an open source solution."

"There are no costs for CentOS, it is open-source."

"The price could be better. The cost depends on how the organization or a specific person licenses it. If you want the free version, there's Ubuntu which is supported by forums. You can pay for the license yearly or pay for a specific version."

"I'm not required to pay a licensing fee."

"We have a CentOS license that we pay for on a yearly basis."

"For the enterprise version of CentOS, there is a license required. However, for personal use, I do not need a license."

"It is open-source, which means it is a free product. It has a one-time deployment cost."

More CentOS pricing and cost advice

"Compared to the market prices of other tools, the solution has a very competitive pricing."

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Comparison Review

it_user281973

Storage and VMware Expert at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees

Aug 24, 2017

It's improved our company's system environments that run Oracle databases.

Red Hat is mission critical to our environment Red Hat has improved the mission critical environments running Oracle databases, while CentOS has improved our web environment and MySQL. Oracle and SAP Environment and all HPC environments. 10 years No issues Very stable i don´t find any problem…

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Government

University

Computer Software Company

14%

University

11%

Educational Organization

10%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

Which would you choose - RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux) or CentOS?

Red Hat Enterprise Linux is fantastic. It is an inexpensive solution that has excellent security, performance, and stability, and also lots of features. I specifically like that the solution has fe...

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What do you like most about CentOS?

CentOS is very easy to use, and all the commands are user-friendly.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for CentOS?

CentOS is an open-source tool.

See all answers

What do you like most about Rocky Linux?

It's very simple to work with, easy to learn, and know where things are.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Rocky Linux?

The solution's audio integration for virtual machines could be improved. It took me almost a day to get my audio drivers to work while running it as a virtual machine. I run Oracle Virtual Box. Wit...

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What is your primary use case for Rocky Linux?

I'm currently running the solution at home to teach myself all of the flavors of Linux. If a new one comes out that I don't know or haven't worked on, I'll install it and see how easy it is to conf...

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Comparisons

Oracle Linux vs CentOS

Compared 44% of the time

Ubuntu Linux vs CentOS

Compared 16% of the time

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs CentOS

Compared 14% of the time

Windows Server vs CentOS

Compared 8% of the time

Kali Linux vs CentOS

Compared 0% of the time

More CentOS Competitors

Ubuntu Linux vs Rocky Linux

Compared 48% of the time

Oracle Linux vs Rocky Linux

Compared 22% of the time

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs Rocky Linux

Compared 12% of the time

openSUSE Leap vs Rocky Linux

Compared 7% of the time

Kali Linux vs Rocky Linux

Compared 1% of the time

More Rocky Linux Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

CentOS

June 2024

Download CentOS product report

Buyer's Guide

Operating Systems (OS) for Business

May 2024

Download Rocky Linux product report

Learn More

CentOS

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Rocky Linux

Overview

CentOS is a versatile operating system with many use cases, including virtual spaces, scientific computing, data center servers, web-based applications, and more. Its valuable features include customization options, low memory consumption, performance, scalability, open-source nature, cost-saving, and compatibility with Red Hat packages.

The solution has helped organizations save money on licensing and improve testing capabilities for new implementations without spending additional resources. CentOS is a stable, reliable, and efficient operating system that is easy to use and integrate with other applications and services.

Rocky Linux is a robust and secure enterprise-grade operating system designed as a drop-in replacement for CentOS. Its primary use case is to provide a stable and reliable platform for organizations to run their critical workloads and applications.

The most valuable functionality of Rocky Linux lies in its compatibility with CentOS, ensuring a seamless transition for organizations already using CentOS. It offers long-term support, regular security updates, and a predictable release cycle, providing stability and reliability for mission-critical systems.

Rocky Linux helps organizations by offering a free and open-source alternative to CentOS, which was discontinued by Red Hat. It allows businesses to continue using their existing CentOS-based infrastructure without the need for costly migrations or vendor lock-in. With its strong community support and active development, Rocky Linux ensures a sustainable and community-driven future for CentOS users.

Moreover, Rocky Linux is built with security in mind, providing robust features like SELinux and secure defaults. This helps organizations protect their data and systems from potential threats and vulnerabilities.

Buyer's Guide

CentOS vs. Rocky Linux

June 2024

Free Report: CentOS vs. Rocky Linux

Find out what your peers are saying about CentOS vs. Rocky Linux and other solutions. Updated: June 2024.

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