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CentOS vs SUSE Linux Enterprise vs Ubuntu 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:
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of CentOS is 4.8%, down from 8.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SUSE Linux Enterprise is 7.0%, down from 8.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ubuntu Linux is 12.9%, down from 21.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
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.
PrashantSharma - PeerSpot reviewer
Performs efficiently but requires overcoming a learning curve
There are many differences between Ubuntu Linux and Windows as they are totally different systems. You need to have more knowledge about Linux before using Ubuntu Linux. Although it is designed as a desktop system, basic knowledge is still required. Windows can be used by any layman, which is the main difference. I do not know much about security breaches or potential issues. The Wi-Fi and wireless capabilities work perfectly fine. Excluding the learning curve, I would rate it a 10. However, considering the learning curve, I would give it a six or seven. My advice would be to have patience. Overall rating: 10 out of 10.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"You can work with the UI or in command line, if you prefer."
"It is a scalable and cost-effective product compared to public cloud solutions."
"The stability of this solution is its most useful feature. It is a high quality product and you know what you're getting. You also receive wide support from the community."
"There are a lot of sources on the internet that you can use to solve any issues, and people share their experiences. It's not a closed system"
"The solution is productive."
"We used the solution as an operating system."
"I like its stability, performance, and usability."
"The open architecture is useful for us. That's why we're using CentOS."
"The initial setup for most modern Linux distributions is normally straightforward. Most of the common distributions use an ncurses or GUI install."
"It also was very easy to setup, and offered an easy to use advanced setup option as well. This helped to create special configurations for different use cases."
"I like how the tool handles kernel modules and upgrades - we rarely have issues after upgrades, unlike with other Linux distributions like Oracle Linux or Ubuntu. The kernel module management is excellent. Changes made in one version typically work the same in other versions too, which isn't always the case with other distributions. There's also lots of information and community support available if you run into any problems, both on the official website and in forums and user groups. I know many people who use it specifically, so it's easy to get independent support if needed. I've been working with the tool for a long time, since 2003, before they became SUSE Linux Enterprise. It's always been one of the most admin-friendly Linux versions."
"The most important feature is the automatic kernel lifecycle subscription, which is critical for us because the server cannot go down once we start offering any services on the cluster."
"From a functionality perspective, the suite is quite rich. We like that."
"SUSE Linux Enterprise is scalable."
"SUSE Linux had a clean user interface, which was a valuable feature for me."
"The solution is easy to use, secure and allows for simple manipulation."
"What makes Ubuntu easy to use is the large set of applications and the interface. The graphical interface is user friendly."
"The product’s stability is valuable."
"I use Ubuntu Linux to update some drivers related to some of my work."
"Of value is that the solution is stable, easy to use, has features that are easy to connect to other Linux systems and can be managed and administered."
"The most valuable features are stability and updates. We are not using the interface, the interface of the OS, we are using it as the server. We actually sync it through SSH and we deploy our application, so we don't have access to do it. The updates are very helpful and the way they update their OS is very helpful."
"It's faster than Windows."
"Ubuntu Linux has the advantage of performance. It runs very quickly."
"Overall, I rate this solution ten out of ten."
 

Cons

"The stability could always be improved."
"I would like the integration to be more secure."
"Integration with other platforms could be improved."
"The solution could be more scalable."
"If a proper GUI-based tool was connected remotely or on the machine, it could be a great addition to CentOS."
"In terms of commands, it's all CLI and there isn't any GUI which can make it challenging to use for some people."
"CentOS should extend the support of the solution. The solution is set to have no update support in 2023."
"CentOS is not easy."
"The software management side was a bit difficult, especially compared to Ubuntu."
"I would appreciate the product's future releases being lighter and operating more efficiently on smaller systems."
"Compared with the competition, of late actually, the solution has increased its pricing tremendously."
"The free version sometimes has security holes."
"The platform doesn't support certain APMs."
"I would like to see GUI improved, it could be more user-friendly."
"The product must improve its UI."
"The price of SUSE Linux Enterprise could improve, it is too expensive."
"The user interface must be more user-friendly for non-technicians."
"There should be more integration with other operating systems applications."
"When you talk of some of the flexibility, like you want to install from scratch, Windows is more user-friendly compared to Linux."
"For a broken Ubuntu system, you must do a new installation. There is no existing repair option."
"Like most Linux systems, they can just keep increasing support in Ubuntu for hardware systems. They can increase the number of drivers so that Ubuntu can work on more hardware. They have been improving greatly, but they can definitely keep doing that."
"The solution could improve by being more user-friendly, you need to know how to use the command-line interface which you might not understand."
"When installing software, an online interface has to be used and commands written to run the installation. The solution could be improved if it was possible to click twice in an icon for the installation process to begin."
"In terms of what could be improved, I would say management and storage. Mostly, the storage mechanism."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I'm not required to pay a licensing fee."
"There are no licensing fees for CentOS."
"CentOS is an open source that is free of cost."
"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 free."
"CentOS is an open-source tool."
"CentOS is free."
"There is no price or licensing required — it's open-source."
"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."
"There is no license for this solution, there is only a subscription of support available."
"Regarding pricing, everybody would want it to be cheaper."
"The price of SUSE Linux Enterprise could be cheaper. Other solutions, such as"
"There is a free tier and a paid support tier. If you do not need support, then the solution is free to use. If you need support then there is an option for that as well."
"I have to pay for a license in order to get support."
"The product's licensing options align well with the evolving landscape of Linux variants."
"Anyone can use Linux because it is open-source."
"The solution is free."
"The solution is free."
"There are no licensing fees, it's an open-source solution."
"It is open-source. We don't have to pay for its license."
"We don't pay a licensing fee for the solution."
"We are using Ubuntu Linux free of cost, and there is no licensing."
"It is also manageable and financially affordable."
"On a personal level, I'm using the free version."
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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
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
14%
University
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

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 st...
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 va...
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 f...
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, ...
Which would you choose - Ubuntu Linux or Oracle Linux?
Ubunto Linux is a complete Linux operating system that is freely available with both community and professional suppo...
What do you like most about Ubuntu Linux?
It has a good support system for loading databases.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Ubuntu Linux?
The cost is not much, and I am not sure about the licensing cost because a separate team handles it.
 

Also Known As

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Ubuntu
 

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, ...
Samsung, eBay, AT&T, Walmart, Cisco, Time Warner Cable, Bloomberg, Best Buy, Dell, Intel, Microsoft, Ericsson, Orange, Wells Fargo
Find out what your peers are saying about Red Hat, Canonical, Oracle and others in Operating Systems (OS) for Business. Updated: June 2025.
858,327 professionals have used our research since 2012.