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CentOS vs SUSE Linux Enterprise 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

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
SUSE Linux Enterprise
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
6th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.5
Number of Reviews
33
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of CentOS is 4.6%, down from 8.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SUSE Linux Enterprise is 6.6%, down from 8.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Operating Systems (OS) for Business Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
SUSE Linux Enterprise6.6%
CentOS4.6%
Other88.8%
Operating Systems (OS) for Business
 

Featured Reviews

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.
Naveen Venugopal - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient IT management with crucial automatic updates but needs developer-friendly configuration
Sometimes it is a bit of work for developers to change the configurations. Some kernels will not fit with some packages, and this aspect could be improved. Furthermore, the system's rigidity when updating packages and services needs improvement. Additionally, there should be more loosely bound functionalities to improve developer experience.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"CentOS' best feature is that it's the standard product for Linux, so it's well-supported."
"Setup is straightforward. You can complete it in about 30 minutes."
"The most valuable feature is performance."
"CentOS is very efficient and very powerful with many capabilities."
"It's easy to install."
"Its performance is most valuable. There is a performance boost as compared to when the applications are run on Windows OS."
"I like its stability, performance, and usability."
"The most valuable features of CentOS are it is built from Linux, has good performance, and can we can create scripts. The scripts are you to do minor work automatically."
"Out-of-the-box SLES supported all of our HBAs and hardware specific components."
"SUSE Linux Enterprise is easy to configure for those who are not hardcore command-line driven."
"It is very easy to maintain, migrate and upgrade."
"SUSE Linux was stable for me. I did not experience any problems with its stability."
"It's a flexible solution."
"The tool’s idempotency ensures all configurations are in place at all times."
"I have not experienced any issues with this operating system."
"It provides a stable and reliable OS, and I recommended it based on its stability and functionality."
 

Cons

"CentOS can be somewhat difficult for beginners, as it has a complex UI, especially for those not in the IT field."
"The solution could improve by being more user-friendly."
"CentOS should extend the support of the solution. The solution is set to have no update support in 2023."
"CentOS is very close to the end of life."
"The price of CentOS could improve."
"CentOS is not easy."
"The GUI interface could always be better."
"There could be more integration features included in the product."
"The platform doesn't support certain APMs."
"I would like to see better functionality for interacting with cloud-based systems."
"They should probably just make clustering a bit simpler and also provide more descriptive log files for cluster services."
"The quality of support offered by SUSE Linux Enterprise is not that great, making it an area where improvements are required."
"They should improve their educational portal."
"The price of SUSE Linux Enterprise could improve, it is too expensive."
"We previously had trouble integrating Autodesk with the SUSE Manager, but the issue was resolved."
"The solution has to be fine-tuned with better documentation."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"This is an open-source solution, so there are no licensing costs involved."
"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."
"We are using a subscription-based license option for CentOS."
"There are no licensing costs for CentOS."
"It is open-source, which means it is a free product. It has a one-time deployment cost."
"The solution is open source."
"There is no license required for this solution."
"I have to pay for a license in order to get support."
"When we first implemented this product, we had licenses for support."
"I rate the product price an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is a low price, and ten is a high price."
"The platform is affordable."
"The price is reasonable."
"SUSE Linux Enterprise is reasonably priced compared to other operating systems. I find it's a much better option for us than Oracle, for example, because of the pricing structure. The pricing is easier to explain to clients and makes it easier to get clients' commitment. The licensing is also simpler to manage and keep track of. Their responsiveness is great - they give feedback very quickly when we ask questions about licensing or other aspects. This helps ensure we're always at the gold standard regarding licensing and everything related to SUSE Linux Enterprise."
"Anyone can use Linux because it is open-source."
"The tool is expensive compared to Red Hat. I rate its pricing a nine out of ten."
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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
Computer Software Company
16%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Educational Organization
7%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business29
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise23
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise18
 

Questions from the Community

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.
What do you like most about SUSE Linux Enterprise?
The initial setup is simple and takes five minutes for deployment and if you have automation in place, it will take four minutes.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SUSE Linux Enterprise?
I used the open-source version, so there were no setup costs.
What needs improvement with SUSE Linux Enterprise?
The software management side was a bit difficult, especially compared to Ubuntu. The software manager was different, making it challenging to install certain applications. Additionally, I encounter...
 

Also Known As

CentOS 7 (x86_64) - with Updates HVM
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP3
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Air India, Akademicki Szpital Kliniczny (ASK), Allone, Altran, Apollo, ARCHIVA, Asia Innovatory Management School, ATLAS ELEKTRONIK GmbH, AutoData Norge AS, Baldor Electric, Business Connexion, CASIO, Ciclum Farma, Delta Lloyd, Edumate , HPE,  SAP SE,  Lenovo, BMW, T-Systems, UCX, Turners & Growers, Shenzhen Development Bank, Bosch Group, JK Tyres & Industries, IOCL, European Space Agency, Daimler AG, China Minsheng Banking Corp, Café Coffee Day, Unisys,  Petrochina Company Ltd, Fitch Ratings, ABeam Consulting Co Ltd, Tyro Payments, Rackspace, Pacific Textiles, ...
Find out what your peers are saying about CentOS vs. SUSE Linux Enterprise and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
867,341 professionals have used our research since 2012.