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Amazon Linux vs CentOS comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 3, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

Amazon Linux
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
19th
Average Rating
9.0
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
CentOS
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
9th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
69
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of Amazon Linux is 0.2%. The mindshare of CentOS is 4.5%, down from 7.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Operating Systems (OS) for Business Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
CentOS4.5%
Amazon Linux0.2%
Other95.3%
Operating Systems (OS) for Business
 

Featured Reviews

Martin Mato - PeerSpot reviewer
Extensive support experience and seamless deployment enable efficient troubleshooting
Red Hat is definitely the reason why we go for Linux and why we choose it above Ubuntu. The idea is security and the inbuilt security features. We don't have separate security experts here, so we configure it ourselves. We choose those systems that already have a lot of security features. Red Hat SE Linux is something we appreciate. Regarding the most valuable features of Red Hat Enterprise Linux, flexibility is the biggest reason. The fact that I can easily manage kernel parameters is a testament to the flexibility of the operating system, and that is why we use it on virtually all our servers. There are two reasons why I always turn to either Amazon Linux or Ubuntu. My preference for Amazon Linux is because of its SE Linux implementations. My preference for Linux entirely is because of its customizable nature. It is flexible and I can change it to fit whatever my applications' needs are.
Mahender Nirwan - PeerSpot reviewer
In-depth documentation available and command-line utility works well
One issue I recently faced, but I think it was due to my IT support guys, was that when the server storage gets full, the service crashes. It's very difficult to regain access and stability in that situation. That could be improved. So, the stability might be improved. But I don't think it's a CentOS-level issue. The system administrators need to come up with a solution for that, but I don't think it's CentOS's fault. I haven't done any research [R&D] on this issue. There's one thing for sure. We recently migrated from CentOS 7 to CentOS 9, and it was a bit difficult. For example, updating Windows is simple; you just download it, and it takes about 15-20 minutes. But that's not the case with migrating from CentOS 7 to 9. We had to back up the entire server, launch a new server, and then restore the backup to the new server. We couldn't directly migrate. I think that was a bit of a problem. The setup and updates are not that new in CentOS.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Whenever I deploy solutions on Amazon Linux, I almost never have to worry about the operating system."
"There's lots of great documentation available."
"The open architecture is useful for us. That's why we're using CentOS."
"A valuable features of CentOS is that it's quite stable and doesn't crash often. It's also quite intuitive."
"The initial setup is very easy."
"CentOS's most valuable features are that it's cost-saving and helps to scale down your usage."
"Offers useful information and has good compatibility."
"CentOS' best feature is that it's the standard product for Linux, so it's well-supported."
"You can work with the UI or in command line, if you prefer."
 

Cons

"I have honestly never had any problems with Amazon Linux, aside from disk space issues."
"In the future, CentOS will no longer be compatible with Red Hat."
"The product lacks a graphical user interface that can help users automate certain systems using the native features offered by CentOS."
"The price could be better. They could add more drivers in terms of peripherals and other things. Add more drivers for the Linux specifications in the next release. Right now, they are just pushing to have more drivers for Windows instead of Linux."
"The solution could improve by making the management tools better for the DevOps teams. For example, WebEX and Webstacks."
"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."
"CentOS could be improved with more user-friendly monitoring."
"GUI could be merged and expansion simplified."
"The solution might be discontinued but I hope that IBM will continue to develop it and improve on the functionally and features."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"For the enterprise version of CentOS, there is a license required. However, for personal use, I do not need a license."
"CentOS is an expensive solution. There are other solutions that are rated at the top that are not expensive, such as Red Hat."
"It's freeware, so we can use it without worrying about licensing."
"There are no costs for CentOS, it is open-source."
"CentOS is free."
"This is an open source solution."
"CentOS is an open source that is free of cost."
"Once you buy the license, Linux will provide you with yearly or monthly patches, so your systems will be scalable for a long time."
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Comparison Review

it_user281973 - PeerSpot reviewer
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…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Government
19%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Energy/Utilities Company
7%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Educational Organization
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business29
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise23
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Amazon Linux?
In my opinion, for improvement, Amazon Linux could make better integration with third-party vendors, perhaps enhance user experience or lower the price compared to other Linux solutions. For the fu...
What is your primary use case for Amazon Linux?
My use case for Amazon Linux is mostly for running containers. I am using SELinux for enhanced security in Amazon Linux, and it is helpful for me.
What advice do you have for others considering Amazon Linux?
I am not using IPv6 and I'm okay with that. On a scale of one to ten, I rate Amazon Linux an eight.
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...
What do you like most about CentOS?
CentOS is very easy to use, and all the commands are user-friendly.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for CentOS?
CentOS is a free product with free updates. There are third-party companies available for support, but they charge varying amounts for their services.
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

No data available
CentOS 7 (x86_64) - with Updates HVM
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Amazon Linux vs. CentOS and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
869,202 professionals have used our research since 2012.