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reviewer1597158 - PeerSpot reviewer
Lead Solutions Architect - International Projects at a media company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Jun 11, 2021
Lightweight, powerful, and stable
Pros and Cons
  • "The pricing is good. We pay a minimal fee."
  • "We use the solution due to the fact that it's a lightweight, powerful, stable OS."
  • "The solution is stable, however, it could always be even more stable if possible."
  • "Often, the solution doesn't scale as you expect."

How has it helped my organization?

We just see it as an operating system to run our applications. We're in the media industry and we make a lot of TV programs and OTT items. We have developed backend applications that make, let's say, 10 locations happen or make OTT happen.

Everything is running on CentOS due to the fact that it's lightweight. It's not a huge overhead. It's not like Windows eating up a lot of CPU resources. 

What is most valuable?

The performance in the past, the open-source approach, has been great. 

It helps us with our internal applications for very low pricing.

All our applications internally have been running on CentOS since 2006 when I joined the company so we have been developing on things like that.

We use the solution due to the fact that it's a lightweight, powerful, stable OS. It's being used for a lot of different use cases. 

The stability is very good.

The pricing is good. We pay a minimal fee.

What needs improvement?

Often, the solution doesn't scale as you expect.

I cannot recall if there are features that need improvement or if there's anything that should be added.

For me, it just has to perform and carry our application. I don't really care about how the user interface looks like as we don't use the user interface. We have an application running on it and that needs to be stable and that's the only thing. Therefore, we have no issues with the solution and don't feel it's missing anything.

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

CentOS recently announced some changes. I'm not sure what they will be, however, we look forward to seeing what they come out with. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for about ten to 12 years or so. It's been a very long time.

Buyer's Guide
CentOS
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about CentOS. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable. The reason that we have standardized the usage of CentOS is the stability. It has proven to us to be very stable compared to other options. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I'm running around 1,400 CentOS VMs at the moment.

In terms of scalability, of course, things don't scale always as you want, however, it's a powerful solution.

The Dutch organization where I work has eight people on the payroll, however, we are not the users. We are the people building the backend and we have hundreds of thousands of people using the applications running on the data center. The people that watch OTT or watch television make use of parts of the installation.

How are customer service and support?

I'm not on the operational side of the business and therefore have never been in touch with technical support. I cannot speak to how helpful or responsive they are.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We are using Ubuntu, CentOS, and also Red Hat. It really depends on the applications. If we buy applications or we use applications from vendors, if they say it has to run on Red Hat we'll run Red Hat. If they say it better runs on CentOS, it will run on CentOS. We have all the different file systems as we run applications that we buy or rent from vendors that make the applications.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is fairly straightforward. We have been using it for a long time it's an automatic deployment and has templates. People just have to click on the template being installed in the background. It's an automated process in VMware.

The end-user can go to the portal and they can just select which type of machine they want to have and which CentOS release is being deployed. It's a matter of minutes until they can log in.

What about the implementation team?

A company really doesn't need outside assistance. It's fairly automated and simple to manage. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing is very reasonable. From what I understand, we pay a minimal fee, if we pay anything at all.

What other advice do I have?

We use different versions of the solution. It's a mixture depending on the application. Some applications are not upgraded by vendors and therefore we are using old versions. We try to stay with our own applications on the latest and greatest, however, generally, it's a mixture.

I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten.

I'd recommend the solution to other organizations.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Independent Technical Consultant at i4c
Real User
Top 20
Jun 6, 2021
Low memory consumption, many options for user access customization, and top-notch scalability
Pros and Cons
  • "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."
  • "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 and its memory consumption is much lower than any other OS."
  • "The YUM install manager can be improved. It is below average as compared to the other install managers. This is the only major problem that I see with CentOS. They should reduce dependency on the YUM manager."
  • "The YUM install manager can be improved. It is below average as compared to the other install managers."

What is our primary use case?

It can be used for setting up virtual spaces and the development environment. We have CentOS VPS.

What is most valuable?

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.

Its memory consumption is much lower than any other OS.

What needs improvement?

The YUM install manager can be improved. It is below average as compared to the other install managers. This is the only major problem that I see with CentOS. They should reduce dependency on the YUM manager.

They can improve the help for features. It has so many features, but there is no help. They should provide more information and tutorials. Currently, because of the lack of knowledge or availability of resources, features are getting underutilized.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using CentOS for around two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is quite stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is one of the top-notch products in terms of scalability. For scalability, many premium features are available.

Currently, we have around 12 to 15 users. We have plans to increase its usage.

How are customer service and technical support?

We don't have much experience with their technical support.

How was the initial setup?

Its installation was quite straightforward. There is not much in terms of the setup cost. It was quite straightforward, and it happened quite quickly. From scratch, it took around one and a half hours.

What about the implementation team?

I installed it myself. For its deployment and maintenance, we don't have any technical team. We are able to manage with less than one person per month. We have a manager who manages it.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

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

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I evaluated Red Hat.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others. I would rate CentOS a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
CentOS
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about CentOS. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
885,264 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Fabián Balseca Chávez - PeerSpot reviewer
Security Presales Engineer at GMS Seguridad de la Información
Real User
Top 20
Dec 4, 2022
The open-source community includes valuable collections and collaborations
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is open source."
  • "The interface could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

Our company has fourteen administrators and developers who use the solution to develop code. 

What is most valuable?

The solution is open source.

The community collections and collaborations are valuable. 

What needs improvement?

The interface could be improved. 

I would like more features for the system manager. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for seven years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. 

How are customer service and support?

The solution is open source so there is no formal technical support. The community is a great resource and the solution's developers post content or answer questions. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We previously used Oracle Linux. 

How was the initial setup?

The setup is easy. 

What about the implementation team?

We implemented the solution in-house.

Four administrators handle ongoing maintenance and management. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is open source so it is free. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We switched from Oracle Linux because the solution is free and now private. 

What other advice do I have?

The solution is a good product and I recommend using it. 

I rate the solution a ten out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1934385 - PeerSpot reviewer
Director of Electronic procurement department at a government with 51-200 employees
Real User
Nov 7, 2022
Easy to use, simple implementation, and good support
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of CentOS is that it is easy to use."
  • "The most valuable feature of CentOS is that it is easy to use."
  • "The price of CentOS could improve."
  • "CentOS is an expensive solution. There are other solutions that are rated at the top that are not expensive, such as Red Hat or Oracle Linux."

What is our primary use case?

Support of public systems

How has it helped my organization?

We are going with CentOS due to minimalistic and stable approach during OS build preparation.

What is most valuable?

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

What needs improvement?

The price of CentOS could improve.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using CentOS for approximately five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

CentOS is stable.

How are customer service and support?


How was the initial setup?

The setup of CentOS is easy.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

CentOS is an expensive solution. There are other solutions that are rated at the top that are not expensive, such as Red Hat or Oracle Linux.

What other advice do I have?

I rate CentOS an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Team Leader Operations at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Oct 30, 2022
Deployment management software used to support a telecommunications platform that offers consistent stability
Pros and Cons
  • "The stability of this solution is its most useful feature. It is a high quality product and you know what you're getting. You also receive wide support from the community."
  • "The stability of this solution is its most useful feature, as it is a high quality product and you know what you're getting while also receiving wide support from the community."
  • "This solution is no longer suited to our business following the change they have made to the release process. It is no longer an enterprise solution."
  • "This solution is no longer suited to our business following the change they have made to the release process."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution for our telecommunications platform and call center application for video, text and audio calls.

What is most valuable?

The stability of this solution is its most useful feature. It is a high quality product and you know what you're getting. You also receive wide support from the community.

What needs improvement?

This solution is no longer suited to our business following the change they have made to the release process. It is no longer an enterprise solution. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for five years. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have not needed to scale this solution because we work with several small servers or containers.

How are customer service and support?

We have not needed to make use of the support team. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very straightforward. You do need a team for maintenance and we would recommend using maintenance tools like Ansible or Chef. 

What about the implementation team?

Deployment was done in-house. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

This is an open source solution.  

What other advice do I have?

I would not recommend this solution for enterprises. If you are looking for an enterprise solution, I would recommend Rocky, Linux, Oracle or Red Hat from our point of view.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Systems and Virtualization Engineer at Altelios Technology Group
Real User
Oct 27, 2022
reliable, scales well, and beneficial community support available
Pros and Cons
  • "The scalability of CentOS is good. We can deploy the operating system in many hardware, laptops, and servers."
  • "The scalability of CentOS is good, and we can deploy the operating system on many types of hardware, laptops, and servers."
  • "CentOS should extend the support of the solution. The solution is set to have no update support in 2023."
  • "CentOS should extend the support of the solution. The solution is set to have no update support in 2023."

What is our primary use case?

I use CentOS as an operating system for many of the services we are using.

What needs improvement?

CentOS should extend the support of the solution. The solution is set to have no update support in 2023.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using CentOS for approximately 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

CentOS is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of CentOS is good. We can deploy the operating system in many hardware, laptops, and servers.

This solution is not used by end-users, it is used by IT staff.

How are customer service and support?

There is not any technical support available from CentOS since it is open-source. However, there is a large community where information can be found for any problem that might arise.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of CentOS was simple. There was some configuration to be completed but then it is up and running.

What about the implementation team?

We did the implementation in-house.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

This is a free solution.

What other advice do I have?

The number of maintenance people needed depends on the company and its strategy.

I recommend this solution to others but the support of the solution is ending next year.

I rate CentOS an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
System Engineer at CMC CSI saigon
Real User
Mar 16, 2022
We get good support, and our apps run much faster on this
Pros and Cons
  • "Its performance is most valuable. There is a performance boost as compared to when the applications are run on Windows OS."
  • "Its performance is most valuable, and there is a performance boost as compared to when the applications are run on Windows OS."
  • "It could be more secure."
  • "It could be more secure."

What is our primary use case?

We use it for the DNS server, and we have some in-house apps that we are running on it for internal processes.

What is most valuable?

Its performance is most valuable. There is a performance boost as compared to when the applications are run on Windows OS.

What needs improvement?

It could be more secure.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for a few months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable. In the previous upgrade, there were a lot of bug fixes.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have cluster nodes, so we can extend and have more servers in the cluster. When we have more incoming requests and more processes for extending functions of the software, we need to scale the server. We work with the vendor for maintaining the software and the server.

We have more than 300 users, and half of them are using the software.

How are customer service and support?

Their support is good.

How was the initial setup?

It took two to three days. We did it over the weekend, and we had two technical people.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others. I would rate it an eight out of 10.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1734405 - PeerSpot reviewer
Head Channel and Capacity at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Dec 2, 2021
Stable and intuitive operating system
Pros and Cons
  • "A valuable features of CentOS is that it's quite stable and doesn't crash often. It's also quite intuitive."
  • "A valuable features of CentOS is that it's quite stable and doesn't crash often."
  • "CentOS could be improved by being more secure. Of course, we use a firewall, but security is always a concern."
  • "CentOS could be improved by being more secure. Of course, we use a firewall, but security is always a concern."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case of CentOS is running our personal applications. We use it on practically all of the machines and servers. It's deployed on-prem. 

What is most valuable?

A valuable features of CentOS is that it's quite stable and doesn't crash often. It's also quite intuitive. 

What needs improvement?

CentOS could be improved by being more secure. Of course, we use a firewall, but security is always a concern. 

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this solution for almost eight years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution is quite stable and doesn't crash often. You only need one person to maintain it. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

There aren't any issues with scalability. It's easy to test our applications. 

Everything is totally on CentOS, so there are about 300 people in my organization using CentOS. 

How are customer service and support?

We don't actually require much support for CentOS. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We used to use Windows 7, but we had issues with licensing and other things. 

How was the initial setup?

CentOS is quite easy to install. Our IT guys install it themselves and it doesn't take many people. The installation takes almost four hours, depending on the machine. If the machine is good, it can even be installed and updated in two hours. You can handle the installation yourself. 

What about the implementation team?

We implemented through an in-house team. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate this solution a nine out of ten. I would recommend CentOS to others because it's a good operating system. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free CentOS Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2026
Buyer's Guide
Download our free CentOS Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.