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Amazon Linux vs Oracle Solaris 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 Operating Systems (OS) for Business
19th
Average Rating
9.0
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Oracle Solaris
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
10th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
52
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 Oracle Solaris is 1.9%, down from 3.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Operating Systems (OS) for Business Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Oracle Solaris1.9%
Amazon Linux0.2%
Other97.9%
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.
Prabir Kumar Kundu - PeerSpot reviewer
Experience robust performance and security for large organizations
For big organizations who look for performance, better security, and better manageability, I usually recommend Oracle Solaris. It is not recommended for smaller organizations because you need a specialized person to manage this operating system. Linux can be managed by anybody. However, maintaining Oracle Solaris, creating clusters, and tuning at the OS level needs a specialized resource. Smaller organizations may not have those resources, or it will be too costly for them to maintain. Everybody is moving towards the cloud. I am not sure how they are going to do that because it is going to be a dead product already compared to its competitors. I would recommend Oracle Linux instead of Oracle Solaris now. On a scale of 1-10, I rate Oracle Solaris a 9.

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."
"One of the main advantages is the rock-solid reliability. It works. The stability is very good. It has a very good track record in the data security database."
"The stability of the solution is good."
"We are able to deploy new environments very quickly and securely. Using the virtualization features, we can migrate the environments very flexibly between our servers."
"Oracle Solaris provides an ease of use."
"Oracle Solaris is great due to the fact that it actually is meant for high-end servers."
"It is a scalable solution. I recommend it for bigger companies."
"Oracle Solaris is pre-installed in our environment. Thus, it is simple to customize."
"The most valuable feature is the ease of setup."
 

Cons

"I have honestly never had any problems with Amazon Linux, aside from disk space issues."
"Oracle Solaris needs to improve its compatibility with office tools like Excel."
"Solaris is not easy to use. It needs better GUI, UI, and configuration tools."
"The challenge arises from the differences in commands and configurations compared to more common systems like Linux."
"I believe before Oracle was using Oracle Linux, they were using Oracle Solaris for their customers who are using Oracle databases. This was because it was more optimized for the hardware built for it. It has good performance for the database only. However, if you take it out of the Oracle applications, it will not do well compared to other operating systems, such as Linux or even Windows can have better performance."
"It is not easy to use. It doesn't have a user-friendly interface. It should be easy to use. We are planning to move from Solaris to Linux because Linux is more flexible and user-friendly. Its installation should also be easier. Solaris also needs specific hardware to work well, which is another reason why we are moving to Linux. It should be more flexible in terms of hardware. It should have better integration with other hardware platforms."
"One of the drawbacks is Oracle itself. Oracle has its good and bad they are not putting resources into the development."
"This product is not as flexible as other similar solutions on the market today."
"Oracle is going to discontinue it, so I do not think any improvement is possible in Oracle Solaris."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"The solution is expensive and is based on an annual fee."
"There should be an option to install the solution for free and just pay for the support. We purchased an annual license and the price could be better."
"It is an expensive product. I rate the pricing a ten out of ten."
"The current setup with hardware devices involves a higher cost, but the performance is top-notch."
"If you buy Oracle hardware it's supported free with the hardware. If you're putting it on non-Oracle hardware, that is when you buy the support license, which is also very reasonable. It is $1000 dollars per year, so it's not overly expensive."
"As a private user or individual, I wouldn't recommend it to others, considering it is a costly product."
"The price of Oracle Solaris could be less expensive."
"It is a very expensive product."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Government
19%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Energy/Utilities Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Computer Software Company
11%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business21
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise31
 

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.
How does Oracle Linux compare with Solaris?
When comparing Oracle Linux and Solaris, I believe that Linux is more secure and more flexible. It is also very suitable for enterprises that are already Oracle solution users. I found Linux to be ...
What do you like most about Oracle Solaris?
We use the solution as an internal operating system.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle Solaris?
I find the pricing of Oracle Solaris to be affordable compared to competitors like Windows.
 

Also Known As

No data available
Solaris 11, Solaris
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Siemens, IVV
Find out what your peers are saying about Amazon Linux vs. Oracle Solaris and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
869,202 professionals have used our research since 2012.