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Docker on CentOS vs Rocky Linux comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 15, 2026

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
4.3
CentOS with Docker enhances cost-efficiency and time savings, offering up to 50% financial returns over traditional VMs.
Sentiment score
4.6
Rocky Linux reduces costs, maintenance time, and boosts community support, leading to significant savings and resource onboarding opportunities.
I could say it is maybe forty percent compared to before using Docker.
Network &Security Engineer at Natioanal Drug Authority Uganda
I have not seen a return on investment because the deprecation made it so there was none, and if anything, the ROI would have been negative since money and time were spent using something that did not progress.
Cloud Ops Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
After switching to Docker on CentOS from VMs, I have seen a return on investment, saving 40 to 50 percent of our money as well.
Cloud Operations Engineer at a tech vendor with 51-200 employees
When it comes to return on investment, a lot of money is saved since we moved from a purchased license to the open source provided by Rocky Linux.
System Engineer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
ROI has been good as we have significant open source community involvement.
Technical Manager at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
I have seen a return on investment since there was definitely money saved at the time due to the lack of need for licensing since Rocky is available openly.
System Administrator at a computer software company with 5,001-10,000 employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
5.8
Extensive resources and community support minimize the need for direct Docker on CentOS customer service and support.
Sentiment score
4.7
Rocky Linux support is reliable with active community help, excellent customer support, and a preference for in-house assistance.
We purchase the software and product from them, so when I have an issue with Red Hat or Docker on CentOS or Kubernetes, I create a ticket with the partner who works directly with the respective teams.
Solution engineer at Vijatech
Most things can be easily found as resources online to help resolve those issues.
Network &Security Engineer at Natioanal Drug Authority Uganda
Docker has lots of documentation and community support.
Senior DeevOps Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
The support level is extraordinary, providing on-time assistance.
Senior System Engineer at Al Jazeera Media Network
We have not yet needed to contact a vendor regarding Rocky Linux.
Senior Network Engineer at KLC bvba
Even if we raise a support ticket, we receive a resolution or a reply from the team within two business days.
System Engineer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
4.3
Docker on CentOS offers good scalability with robust hardware, but deprecated status raises concerns about future support.
Sentiment score
5.9
Rocky Linux is highly scalable, easily automated, Red Hat compatible, and suitable for diverse environments from small to large clusters.
if we need more resources, we can just spin up a new Docker image, so scalability is good.
Cloud Operations Engineer at a tech vendor with 51-200 employees
If you have good hardware, you can scale Docker on CentOS as required.
Devops Engineer at a engineering company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Docker on CentOS is scalable; I can build virtual machines, EC2 instances, and scale from zero to however many I want.
Cloud Ops Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Even if the server is not responding and we want to attach the volume on another instance or a temporary instance, it is very easy and straightforward with no hiccups.
CloudOps Engineer at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
It has handled growth or changing needs well.
System Administrator at a computer software company with 5,001-10,000 employees
The scalability is quite good, though there are some issues with Rocky Linux.
System Engineer at clusterkit
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.2
Docker on CentOS is stable but faces strategic challenges due to CentOS lifecycle changes and competition from Kubernetes.
Sentiment score
7.3
Rocky Linux is praised for stability, reliability, ease of use, scalability, and performance on low-resource systems without complexity.
Docker on CentOS is not stable anymore because it is not actively being maintained.
Cloud Ops Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Docker on CentOS is quite stable.
Solution engineer at Vijatech
Docker on CentOS is stable, but as I mentioned, there are some improvements needed.
Cloud Operations Engineer at a tech vendor with 51-200 employees
Rocky Linux is stable, scalable, and it is very much easier to use.
System Engineer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
Rocky Linux is stable.
Software Engineer at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
 

Room For Improvement

Users want better documentation, security, and OS integration for Docker on CentOS, addressing compatibility and stability issues.
Rocky Linux users seek better Kubernetes integration, faster updates, improved Windows support, and enhanced documentation for better overall experience.
To achieve a higher rating of 9 or 10, they might need more automation features.
Solution engineer at Vijatech
The metrics of the containers in Docker on CentOS can also be improved, along with the monitoring part which needs enhancement.
Cloud Engineer at a consultancy with 11-50 employees
The main issue comes from running out of space; that is when crashes happen.
Network &Security Engineer at Natioanal Drug Authority Uganda
It is based on customer requirements, as they might want to use Rocky Linux or Ubuntu, depending on their needs.
System Engineer at clusterkit
Rocky Linux could be improved by having more integration with Kubernetes.
Linux architect at European Commission
Currently, it takes more than one month to release a new package or kernel, so speeding that up would help reduce reported vulnerability remediations.
System Engineer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
 

Setup Cost

Docker on CentOS is cost-effective, requiring simple setup but needing skilled manpower, with concerns about support and security.
Rocky Linux is valued for its cost-effectiveness and stability, offering enterprise-level features without licensing fees.
there is no licensing cost required.
Senior DeevOps Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
There is no licensing in Docker on CentOS.
Cloud Operations Engineer at a tech vendor with 51-200 employees
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing was all good; cost was never an issue.
Cloud Ops Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
We switched to Rocky Linux because of the license price, and in our business, we don't need to have a higher cost as that is not a good idea.
Network Infrastructure Manager at SAGEMCOM
There is no extra cost for a license if we are purchasing Rocky Linux from the AWS Marketplace.
CloudOps Engineer at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
Rocky Linux is free, and I can download it and deploy it in whatever environment I have, whether it be H3C, VMware, or Hyper-V.
Server & Cloud Engineer at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
 

Valuable Features

Docker on CentOS offers volume mount, portability, and fast deployment, enhancing productivity and efficient resource utilization for scalable applications.
Rocky Linux offers stability, RHEL compatibility, seamless CentOS migration, enterprise support, cost savings, and strong security for efficient workflows.
It also ensures a consistent environment where applications will work on every machine, not just the developer's machine, and offers resource efficiency, such as no full OS per application, allowing me to share my infrastructure with multiple containers and applications.
Cloud Operations Engineer at a tech vendor with 51-200 employees
Docker on CentOS has positively impacted my organization by making testing easier. I do not have to install older versions of applications and then make my system or service study.
Senior DeevOps Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
The benefits are significant as it is easy to operate and maintain, making it more flexible.
Solution engineer at Vijatech
Rocky Linux has positively impacted my organization, specifically through cost savings, because we did not have to buy any licenses or extra licenses of other distros, such as Oracle or Red Hat.
IT / IAM Senior Specialist at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
For production deployment, Rocky Linux is a great choice because it offers full RHEL compatibility without licensing costs, along with strong community support.
CloudOps Engineer at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
Since migrating to Rocky Linux, I've seen specific outcomes such as improved security because CentOS stopped the project, and security patches aren't being released.
Linux architect at European Commission
 

Categories and Ranking

Docker on CentOS
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
25th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
5.3
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Rocky Linux
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.7
Number of Reviews
18
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of Docker on CentOS is 0.3%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Rocky Linux is 8.2%, down from 15.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Operating Systems (OS) for Business Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Rocky Linux8.2%
Docker on CentOS0.3%
Other91.5%
Operating Systems (OS) for Business
 

Featured Reviews

Boaz Katabazi - PeerSpot reviewer
Network &Security Engineer at Natioanal Drug Authority Uganda
Container orchestration has improved performance and resource use but exposes disk space issues
How fast the application runs is one of the biggest advantages for me in Docker, but on the downside, issues to do with space utilization arise sometimes. Since we implemented it, the system really improved and became responsive very fast. When you have limited space, the system tends to crash from time to time, so you have to ensure that you have enough space at any one point. We are using the orchestration feature in Docker. That was the main motive for having orchestration; it helps better manage the containers. I am comparing Docker on CentOS with the one that is running on Ubuntu, and in terms of scaling up, it is easy to work with when it comes to that. That is the main feature I have been benefiting from. Because it was first, we recently did it on Ubuntu, but initially, it was running on CentOS. We were comparing and seeing which one runs better, but I realized on Ubuntu it is much easier to work with. The lightweight architecture on CentOS affects my resource utilization significantly.
Massimiliano Adamo - PeerSpot reviewer
Linux architect at European Commission
Has supported seamless migrations and enabled running complex data workloads securely
The best features Rocky Linux offers include clustering and all the packages from Red Hat.Rocky Linux has impacted my organization very positively because we migrated everything from CentOS and Windows servers to Rocky Linux. Everything is clear, with good packaging, and now it's version 9.6, which is very important for us due to security problems since we are in Europe. Rocky Linux is very good for security and other aspects. Since migrating to Rocky Linux, I've seen specific outcomes such as improved security because CentOS stopped the project, and security patches aren't being released. We need to maintain a system similar to Red Hat, which is very stable and has many features such as file system, topology, and containers.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Construction Company
40%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Outsourcing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
15%
University
11%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Large Enterprise6
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Large Enterprise16
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Docker on CentOS?
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing is that there is no licensing in Docker on CentOS, and the setup is easy; we just need to create the images for our application, so it is easy.
What needs improvement with Docker on CentOS?
Crashes are the main issue I see. I have not really noted down specific metrics, but I realize that when it comes to disk space utilization, it really goes up so fast. We are not using a CI/CD pipe...
What is your primary use case for Docker on CentOS?
We have servers running operating systems like Ubuntu and CentOS. Regarding Ubuntu, we are interested in LAMP stack, Ubuntu, or Jenkins on hardened Ubuntu, but we are not using LAMP stack. We are u...
What needs improvement with Rocky Linux?
I am not an expert on Rocky Linux, but I do not have anything to say regarding improvements; I think it is doing better. I chose a rating of eight out of ten because Rocky Linux must grow more; it ...
What is your primary use case for Rocky Linux?
My main use case for Rocky Linux is for the Nutanix environment, where we have a data center and everything is hosted there, including all the services and systems. Rocky Linux is the main OS of th...
What advice do you have for others considering Rocky Linux?
My advice to others looking into using Rocky Linux is to go ahead and use it. I give Rocky Linux a rating of eight out of ten.
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Docker on CentOS vs. Rocky Linux and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
894,738 professionals have used our research since 2012.