Amazon Linux vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Red Hat are both solutions in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is ranked #14 with an average rating of 8.5, while Red Hat is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.9. Amazon Web Services (AWS) holds a 1.8% mindshare in OSB, compared to Red Hat’s 6.7% mindshare. Additionally, 98% of Amazon Web Services (AWS) users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of Red Hat users who would recommend it.

Amazon Linux

Read 47 Amazon Linux reviews

7,012 Views
4,558 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (R...

Read 452 Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) reviews

33,398 Views
32,396 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Amazon Linux

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (R...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 25, 2026

Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Amazon Linux compete in the enterprise Linux distribution space. RHEL excels in support and security, while Amazon Linux offers seamless AWS integration, making it often preferable for cloud-native applications.

Features: RHEL offers robust security, a certified ecosystem of hardware partners, and stable long-term support. Amazon Linux integrates with AWS, providing easy access to cloud-native tools without extra cost, and benefits from AWS ecosystem synergy.

Room for Improvement: RHEL could improve cloud-native compatibility and reduce deployment complexity. Amazon Linux could enhance enterprise-level support features, improve adoption for non-technical users, and offer more comprehensive security tools.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: RHEL provides robust deployment tools and professional customer support but can be more complex to deploy. Amazon Linux is known for straightforward AWS deployment and offers strong AWS-specific support.

Pricing and ROI: RHEL requires a subscription model with setup costs but offers solid ROI. Amazon Linux incurs no additional cost with AWS, enhancing immediate cost-effectiveness and rapid ROI for cloud projects.

To learn more, read our detailed Amazon Linux vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Report (Updated: November 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Amazon Linux vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

November 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score

4.8

Amazon Linux boosts ROI with cost savings, improved performance, scalability, rapid deployment, and enhanced AWS integration ensuring reliability.

Sentiment score

6.3

Organizations gained ROI with RHEL via cost reduction, enhanced security, reliability, compliance, automation, integration, and community support.

With Amazon Linux, selecting and launching instances on a public cloud provider means the machine spins up in fewer than ten seconds, making it efficient.

reviewer2797587

Cloud Solution Engineer at a outsourcing company with 10,001+ employees

By switching the compute fleet from a paid distribution to Amazon Linux, we have reduced our OS-related overhead cost by 100%.

BasilJiji

System engineer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

Some wins commonly seen after switching, particularly when moving from general-purpose distributions such as Ubuntu, include approximately twenty to forty percent better price-performance ratio.

Janindra Janekumaradi

configuration and management deployment at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Amazon Linux report

A long lifecycle is key to having a good return on investment.

Troels Hansen

Architect at KnowIT

Being able to transform common manual tasks that previously took all day into processes that take an hour, half an hour, or even less, demonstrates clear value.

Chris Perrault

Systems administrator at a retailer with 501-1,000 employees

I invest effort and money in RHEL 8, expecting the system to be secure and reliable when serving my clients.

Suresh Babu Thatikonda

Associate Director at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.3

Amazon Linux support is highly rated for its fast response, knowledgeable engineers, and comprehensive documentation and resources.

Sentiment score

7.3

Red Hat Enterprise Linux support is praised for responsiveness and competence, though some report slower response times with complex issues.

Amazon has the best expertise and they are available 24/7.

Saurab Gnagurde

IT Analyst | Aws Cloud Ops | Dev Ops | Fin Ops at Tata Consultancy

Timely and helpful responses for performance, updates, or AWS integration issues.

Anastasiya Sousa

QA Engineer at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees

I rate the support or customer service of Amazon as very good because our customer has a support contract, so they pay a lot of money for access; my team can reach AWS engineers 24/7.

Alfredo Barba

Founder at Asynka

For more quotes and insights, download the Amazon Linux report

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) support is great, as they go beyond their duty to help resolve issues and provide solutions even for third-party software such as XRDP.

Antoine Ragland

Senior Infrastructure Systems Administrator at a healthcare company with 1,001-5,000 employees

When we do contact customer service, they are generally very knowledgeable and well-versed in our size.

Tucker Hewitt

Solutions Architect at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

Usually, I send the information, and they have something for me within hours, sometimes even minutes.

ChristianLopez

Team manager at Evertec

For more quotes and insights, download the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.1

Amazon Linux efficiently scales workloads via AWS integration, offering reliable performance and quick response to traffic spikes.

Sentiment score

7.2

RHEL effectively scales across environments, supporting vertical and horizontal scaling while integrating with tools like Ansible despite potential costs.

Since it is tightly integrated with AWS services, I can easily scale instances up or down based on demand using EC2 auto-scaling and load balancing.

Vibin Thomas

Technical Team Lead - Content Security at Valuepoint Systems

Its real scalability comes from its seamless integration with AWS tools like CloudFormation, Auto Scaling, and user data scripts, which allow me to deploy and configure hundreds of identical ready-to-use instances automatically.

Leo Ladeira

Student at Unemployed at the moment

The beauty here is that we can scale it immediately, which also saves cost.

Saurab Gnagurde

IT Analyst | Aws Cloud Ops | Dev Ops | Fin Ops at Tata Consultancy

For more quotes and insights, download the Amazon Linux report

Many of our applications scale really well, with some having several hundreds of VMs, which we couldn't accomplish on Windows.

Sean Doyle

Solutions Architect at a transportation company with 10,001+ employees

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) scales very well with the growing needs of our company.

Sheldon Kroner

Director, DevOps at Lightedge Solutions

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) handles increases in users, applications, or data smoothly, which is why we use it for all our projects, as it provides us with confidence.

reviewer2753943

Cloud Administrator at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

8.5

Amazon Linux offers exceptional stability, reliability, and security, seamlessly integrating with AWS services for highly available, resilient performance.

Sentiment score

7.9

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is praised for its stability, reliability, quick support, and minimal downtime, enhancing server efficiency.

Combined with AWS managed infrastructure, it provides enterprise-grade reliability suitable for production workloads.

Deva Rugved

Software Engineer at INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

Since it is purpose-built for the cloud, it lacks the bloat of traditional desktop-focused distributions, which leads to fewer crashes and higher uptime.

BasilJiji

System engineer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

Compared to other Linux distributions, Amazon Linux is significantly more stable for AWS workloads because it is pre-optimized for EC2 hypervisor and includes integrated AWS tools out of the box.

Hussain Gagan

FullStack Developer at EnactOn Technologies

For more quotes and insights, download the Amazon Linux report

It works consistently with minimal downtime and very few bugs or glitches.

reviewer2592627

Senior DevOps Engineer at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

It just works, and that's really the key factor; I can't remember the last time we had a system go down and had to restore it due to a bad patch.

Jason Cummings

Senior software engineer at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

We've not had a service outage with Red Hat in six years.

ScottPalmer

Team Lead, Linux Systems & Tools at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) report

Room For Improvement

Amazon Linux enhancements focus on documentation, package availability, migration support, and improved usability for broader adoption and engagement.

RHEL could improve container support, setup ease, and pricing, while enhancing AI integration and streamlining licensing.

Documentation explaining the differences between Ubuntu and Amazon Linux would be valuable.

Tim Robles

full stack developer at 71Lbs

Since we are working in a real-time manner and need to scale things immediately, the time it takes to boot an instance and then deploy things is preventing me from giving it a perfect rating.

reviewer2785038

Senior Data Engineer at a transportation company with 501-1,000 employees

My advice for others looking into using Amazon Linux is to make sure the command line is easy and that Amazon Linux has more performance than other Linux environments and is more secure than other Linux environments as well.

Arjun Parmar

DevOps Engineer at Wissen infotech

For more quotes and insights, download the Amazon Linux report

Addressing these limitations would significantly enhance the operating system's flexibility and efficiency.

reviewer2592627

Senior DevOps Engineer at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

The built-in security features of Red Hat Enterprise Linux were insufficient for our needs, necessitating the implementation of supplementary security measures.

reviewer2591346

IT Infrastructure Engineer at a manufacturing company with 11-50 employees

By providing pre-installed, native automation tools within the operating system, Red Hat would streamline processes and improve user efficiency.

reviewer2620827

Systems Engineer at a tech vendor with 501-1,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) report

Setup Cost

Amazon Linux offers cost-effective, scalable solutions without licensing fees, making it a budget-friendly choice for enterprises.

RHEL's subscription model offers cost-effective support and reliability, appealing to enterprises despite being pricier than open-source alternatives.

With Amazon Linux itself, there is no cost associated with using it, so I would say it is very good from a pricing perspective.

reviewer2795433

Cloud Ops Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

If I am a new AWS customer, the AWS Free Tier typically includes, for the first six months, micro instances such as t2.micro or t3.micro for free.

Deva Rugved

Software Engineer at INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

I only pay for the EC2 instance and any other AWS resources I use, but the operating system itself has no licensing fees, which is a significant advantage over commercial operating systems like Red Hat Enterprise Linux or Windows servers, which incur extra hourly charges.

Leo Ladeira

Student at Unemployed at the moment

For more quotes and insights, download the Amazon Linux report

Windows Servers base their cost on the number of users and have high licensing fees, while Red Hat Enterprise Linux offers free versions alongside its paid, supported versions.

reviewer2592627

Senior DevOps Engineer at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Compared to cloud-based platforms like AWS or Azure, which offer flexible pay-as-you-go options, RHEL's subscription-based model can become cost-prohibitive for those with limited budgets or smaller-scale projects.

Ye Tun Thu

Senior Systems Engineer at a tech services company with 1-10 employees

Lowering the cost of enterprise-level offerings could attract organizations seeking operating systems or Kubernetes solutions.

reviewer2641572

Technical Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) report

Valuable Features

Amazon Linux, optimized for AWS, offers robust security, cost-effectiveness, and seamless integration, enhancing deployment confidence and reducing overhead.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux enhances security, trust, and support, excelling in reliability, scalability, and integration with automation tools.

In terms of service security, there are many constraint security protocols and policies that help me create our own networks, security groups, and inline policies.

Jagadeesh J

Software Engineer at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees

Amazon Linux's security updates have been helpful in general because I have had to be more specific in using the Identity Access Management (IAM) service so that we can have role-based permissions in preference to just keeping it open.

Steven Alila

Fullstack Developer at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Amazon Linux natively supports many AWS features, offers long-term support, and regularly updates security.

reviewer2797587

Cloud Solution Engineer at a outsourcing company with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Amazon Linux report

There is also no downtime.

Siphosethu Ndebele

Linux/DevOps Engineer at Ekwantu Consulting

The operating system allows for the simple addition of kernels, modules, and other applications, making it highly adaptable to various needs.

reviewer2641572

Technical Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

The integration of open-source with enterprise support.

Konstantin-Spadijer

Senior Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) report

Categories and Ranking

Amazon Linux

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

14th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (R...

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

1st

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

452

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of Amazon Linux is 1.8%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is 6.7%, down from 8.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Operating Systems (OS) for Business Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)	6.7%
Amazon Linux	1.8%
Other	91.5%

Operating Systems (OS) for Business

Featured Reviews

Saurab Gnagurde

IT Analyst | Aws Cloud Ops | Dev Ops | Fin Ops at Tata Consultancy

“Amazon Linux delivers automated security updates— including live kernel patching in AL2023—ensuring protected workloads with minimal manual effort and zero-downtime patching.”

One improvement for Amazon Linux would be stronger support for running it outside AWS. Although Amazon provides local VM images for VirtualBox and VMware, they are intended mainly for development and testing. Unlike Ubuntu, Debian, or Red Hat, Amazon Linux is not designed or fully supported as a production OS in on-prem or hybrid environments. Expanding official support outside AWS would offer more flexibility for teams that maintain mixed infrastructure. Another area for improvement is the community ecosystem. Compared to Ubuntu or Red Hat, Amazon Linux has a smaller community and fewer third-party resources or tutorials. A larger ecosystem would make troubleshooting and adoption easier. Finally, improving backward compatibility between Amazon Linux 2 and Amazon Linux 2023—especially around package management (DNF vs yum) and updated toolchains—would simplify upgrades for teams managing large fleets.

Read full review

Gowtham Chettikam

Vice President at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Automation has transformed daily operations and supports secure, continuous infrastructure

When considering improvements to Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), I see one primary area. Within your portal, if you provided more study material along with demonstrations similar to the sessions we are attending, which feature a user-friendly guide, you could incorporate this into your Red Hat console. When I want to install an agent or something else, typing in the console should provide me with clear step-by-step instructions. Throughout the years, installation steps have been available, but regarding AI agents or Ansible automation, I need to verify whether clear information exists. Including this information would be beneficial. Additionally, if you add the sessions that have occurred to your portal or another location, this would help us review them multiple times to gain better understanding. Time is limited, and many sessions occur simultaneously, making it impossible to attend everything. Making these sessions available on your website would be very helpful.

Read full review

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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…

Read full review

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Outsourcing Company

11%

Construction Company

11%

Educational Organization

Financial Services Firm

11%

Outsourcing Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	21
Midsize Enterprise	15
Large Enterprise	21

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	102
Midsize Enterprise	53
Large Enterprise	321

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Amazon Linux?

I do not feel there are any major improvements needed for Amazon Linux at this time.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Amazon Linux?

Amazon Linux is primarily used for development and operating services. I operated a real estate transaction site and also ran a used car parts sales website on this platform.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Amazon Linux?

I give Amazon Linux an overall rating of 9 on a scale from 1 to 10. The reason for that score is that it is comparable to general Linux distributions, and in addition, it can be used in good integr...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)?

When choosing Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), our security requirement was that I am using it on IBM Power servers, which offered a bundle price. That is why I opted for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)?

Regarding disadvantages in Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), the certification cost is a concern for me. The problem with the certification is that its price is high, and it needs to be minimal for ...

See all answers

Comparisons

Debian vs Amazon Linux

Compared 14% of the time

AlmaLinux vs Amazon Linux

Compared 10% of the time

Ubuntu Linux vs Amazon Linux

Compared 7% of the time

Alpine Linux vs Amazon Linux

Compared 7% of the time

Rocky Linux vs Amazon Linux

Compared 7% of the time

More Amazon Linux Competitors

Ubuntu Linux vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 10% of the time

SUSE Linux Enterprise vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 9% of the time

Windows Server vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 8% of the time

Oracle Linux vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 7% of the time

Fedora Linux vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 3% of the time

More Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Amazon Linux

November 2026

Download Amazon Linux product report

Buyer's Guide

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

October 2026

Download Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) product report

Also Known As

No data available

Red Hat Enterprise Linux, RHEL, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) for AWS

Overview

Amazon Linux is a streamlined, reliable operating system designed to optimize performance and integration within AWS environments. It focuses on high uptime and security by default, with features aimed at efficient resource management and quick deployment.

Amazon Linux enhances operational efficiency through features like kernel live patching, which allows security updates without reboots. Its seamless integration with AWS services supports automation and cost savings for cloud deployments. While it offers pre-installed AWS tools and minimal resource usage, users see room for improvement in areas like package availability and expanded compatibility with non-AWS platforms. Desired enhancements include better documentation, improved third-party software integration, and a graphical interface. Supporting technologies like Docker and Kubernetes, it is widely used for hosting applications on EC2 instances.

What are the most important features of Amazon Linux?

Kernel Live Patching: Apply security updates without rebooting.
AWS Integration: Enhanced efficiency with built-in AWS tools.
Security by Default: Ensures a secure environment out of the box.
Fast Boot Times: Quick initialization for rapid deployment.
Minimal Resource Usage: Efficient for cloud environments.

What benefits should users expect from Amazon Linux?

Improved Performance: Optimized for AWS service interaction.
Cost Efficiency: Reduces expenses with its resource management.
Reduced Maintenance Effort: Simplified updates with automation tools.
Scalability: Easily supports expanding deployments.

Amazon Linux is implemented across industries for running containerized services, hosting web servers, and supporting cloud-native applications. Businesses rely on its integration with AWS tools for deploying microservices and databases, optimizing high-performance environments securely. Excelling in compatibility with technologies like Docker and Kubernetes, it enables agile, scalable cloud strategies.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is known for its strong security, stability, automation, and support, making it a choice for entities aiming to improve operational efficiency and integration with cloud services.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux offers robust tools like Ansible for automation and SELinux for security, with efficient package management using YUM and DNF. It is preferred for critical applications, databases, cloud infrastructure, and virtualization due to its minimized downtime and performance enhancements. Despite its advantages, improvements are needed in pricing, documentation, and the complexity of licensing. Challenges in integrating third-party tools, Kubernetes, and cloud environments are present. Enhancement in live patching, backward compatibility, virtualization, monitoring, and storage is also necessary.

What are RHEL's key features?

Ansible: Facilitates seamless automation.
SELinux: Provides comprehensive security features.
YUM and DNF: Enable efficient package management.
Satellite: Assists in effective management of systems.
Cloud Integration: Ensures smooth integration with cloud services.

What benefits do users find in RHEL?

Minimized Downtime: Reduces disruptions and maintains continuity.
System Performance: Enhances system operations and efficiency.
Compliance: Regular patches ensure standards adherence.
Comprehensive Support: Extensive documentation and support resources available.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux is implemented across sectors like telecommunications, finance, health care, and education, often supporting critical environments with rigorous security and management needs. Its compatibility with automation and management tools like OpenShift allows for efficient handling of enterprise demands.

Red Hat

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Travel Channel, Mohawk Industries, Hilti, Molecular Health, Exolgan, Hotelplan Group, Emory University, BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina, HCA Healthcare, Paychex, UPS, Intermountain Healthcare, Brinker International, TransUnion, Union Bank, CA Technologies

Buyer's Guide

Amazon Linux vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

November 2026

Free Report: Amazon Linux vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Find out what your peers are saying about Amazon Linux vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and other solutions. Updated: November 2026.

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