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Amazon Linux vs Kali Linux comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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 AWS Marketplace
34th
Average Rating
9.0
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Kali Linux
Ranking in AWS Marketplace
5th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
Operating Systems (OS) for Business (11th)
 

Featured Reviews

Henry Rivera - PeerSpot reviewer
Reliable documentation and support streamline deployment and troubleshooting
The best features with Amazon Linux include the integration with AWS and other services. It is an operating system that AWS manages, and I feel I can trust it regarding the updates without interfering with or interrupting services. The performance of Amazon Linux with AWS services is perfectly fine. I use it and change the instance type to give it more resources at times, and for the sandbox, I give it less, and it satisfies what we want. Amazon Linux reduces the time it would take for setup or deployment because I rely on the documentation for AWS since it's streamlined, and the commands I need to run are easily accessible whenever I need to look up anything. We've used the application load balancers with Amazon Linux, and that's the main one I can think of regarding advanced networking capabilities. That feature has definitely helped us enhance the scalability and reliability of our cloud applications by easing administration, as the application load balancer is managed by AWS and ties in with Amazon Certificate Manager, ensuring I do not have to concern myself with scalability and any updates. The main positive impact of Amazon Linux on my company has been no interruptions of services. The public website is up and running, which allows us to monetize with virtually no staff hours for downtime or service interruptions.
Rohit Srivastava - PeerSpot reviewer
SQLmap for web application testing and good for web application penetration testing, network testing, vulnerability assessment of any devices or domains
Sometimes, I do face challenges. There's an issue where sometimes during the initial installation, it doesn't install properly. It gives multiple errors like packages not installing, so we have to install those tools separately. For instance, if we want to install a network or other tools, we have to install those complete toolkits manually. So, the challenge is with the initial setup, where I sometimes get errors. Regarding wireless attacks, OS attacks, and social engineering... the tools should be easier to learn because I know everything very well, but some people in my team struggle to understand. If there were GUI interfaces for the tools, it would help me guide my team in using them step-by-step. Command lines are very difficult for other team members who know the tool's purpose but not the Linux commands. GUI interfaces need more improvement. So, the UI interface needs improvement to make it more visible and easier for users. Expert users can do everything without any issues, but new users will struggle.

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."
"The interface is good and straightforward to use."
"The solution's stability is very good."
"The most valuable feature of Kali Linux is the attack it performs using a CVE script that's already on the internet."
"Kali Linux is much better than other OS because it gives you a good set of tools. It is preferred for vulnerability assessments and cybersecurity."
"We use the product for open-source intelligence and identifying vulnerabilities."
"The tools available in Kali Linux are incredibly effective for conducting security assessments."
"The solution's most valuable feature is that it is very easy to use."
"I use the tool with Nmap to perform network audits. We use it to find vulnerabilities in our network through attacks. It's for those who want to launch or create viruses or perform attacks on systems. With Kali Linux, you can conduct penetration testing for networks, web applications, and Android mobile apps."
 

Cons

"I have honestly never had any problems with Amazon Linux, aside from disk space issues."
"The tool is already stable and well-developed, so there's minimal feedback for enhancement or change. However, it should improve security, which is crucial, especially with the increasing use of Kali Linux in cloud environments."
"From an improvement perspective, Kali Linux could include more ML to help with academic literature, as it is one of the areas where there are shortcomings in the solution."
"Any new user or someone without deep expertise won't be able to understand how to scale or manage it"
"The product should improve its security features."
"The product should integrate AI and GPT capabilities."
"I would like to have automation in Kali Linux instead of manually configuring or setting up something in case of an upgrade."
"There can be some lagging issues because the product gets stuck at times, making it an area of concern where improvements are required."
"The tool is slightly difficult to learn."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"The licensing fee is expensive compared to other products."
"I use it free of charge."
"Kali Linux is a free product, and you don't have to pay for a license."
"Kali Linux is open source."
"The price is good because Kali Linux already provides a good bundle of tools."
"It is an open-source tool."
"There is no need to make any payments towards the licensing costs since it is a solution that is available for free."
"Kali Linux offers a perpetual license, meaning you pay for it once and can use it. While free versions of Linux are available, Kali Linux, being an enterprise edition, usually comes with a perpetual license. I rate its pricing a five out of ten."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Comms Service Provider
14%
Computer Software Company
13%
University
12%
Educational Organization
11%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Amazon Linux?
I have been experimenting with new terminals, and I think that the default terminals for Linux machines in general could be improved. For example, Alacritty. I have been using these things extensiv...
What is your primary use case for Amazon Linux?
I work with Kubernetes tools. My job is L3 support and I troubleshoot Red Hat-based systems and Kubernetes. Those are my two areas and that is all I do. When a client's system breaks down, it is my...
What advice do you have for others considering Amazon Linux?
I deploy applications atop it. I mostly use it as a server for various DevOps concerns. For example, I have a Kubernetes server running on Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Ansible server running on Red...
What do you like most about Kali Linux?
I use the tool with Nmap to perform network audits. We use it to find vulnerabilities in our network through attacks. It's for those who want to launch or create viruses or perform attacks on syste...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Kali Linux?
Kali Linux offers a perpetual license, meaning you pay for it once and can use it. While free versions of Linux are available, Kali Linux, being an enterprise edition, usually comes with a perpetua...
What needs improvement with Kali Linux?
The tool is already stable and well-developed, so there's minimal feedback for enhancement or change. However, it should improve security, which is crucial, especially with the increasing use of Ka...
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Amazon Linux vs. Kali Linux and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
860,592 professionals have used our research since 2012.