NethServer vs Rocky Linux comparison

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NethServer

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 15, 2025

Rocky Linux and NethServer are competitive products in enterprise operating systems, each servicing distinct organizational needs. Rocky Linux is often preferred for its strong community support and stability, whereas NethServer tends to be favored for its adaptability and feature-rich management interface.

Features: Rocky Linux is known for its stability, compatibility with Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and extensive support for enterprise applications. NethServer's modular architecture enhances its adaptability, offering a centralized management dashboard and streamlined administration capabilities. Rocky Linux focuses on delivering reliable performance, while NethServer emphasizes flexible service management and ease of use for diverse environments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Rocky Linux provides a familiar deployment model consistent with Red Hat environments, offering predictable updates and community-driven assistance. NethServer simplifies deployment through a user-friendly web interface and broad integration capabilities, benefiting small to medium-sized businesses seeking easy-to-use solutions. Rocky Linux maintains steady performance in traditional setups, whereas NethServer is versatile in small-scale environments, supported by comprehensive options that enhance usability.

Pricing and ROI: Rocky Linux's community-driven setup is cost-effective, ideal for enterprises prioritizing long-term stability with significant ROI. NethServer's low-cost entry and customizable services facilitate quick ROI, particularly for smaller deployments requiring agile server solutions. Rocky Linux is suited for cost-conscious enterprises focusing on enduring benefits, while NethServer offers value in adaptable setups with immediate cost efficiencies.

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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:

Categories and Ranking

NethServer

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

16th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Rocky Linux

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

4th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

5.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Featured Reviews

Raj Ashish

Founder - Director (Technology Business) at a tech services company with 1-10 employees

Use of NethServer as DNS and DHCP along with Domain controller and multiple NIC cards

Few of the pointers marked below on the products improvement(s).. - A separate documentation section should be there for custom/DIY application installations and how to make it a part of hosted menu. - More work needs to be done on UI. - Some work would be required to allow systems integrators to configure LVMs and RAID with ease. - Preparing the HDD/SSD to ready to be used and to create Partition takes hell-lot-of time, this needs more work to be done. - NethServer 7.9.xxx is EOL, 8 is already in making, hope for the best! - CAPTCHA security code - capabilities should be added.

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Massimiliano Adamo

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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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Most important advantage of NethServer is - it gives "one-stop-solution" for SMB's, MsMe's and Startup businesses all-at-one place with virtually no cost other than the setup cost and the quality of the product is appreciable and acceptable with no vendor-lock-in."

"Rocky Linux has been a major driver for our cloud migration strategy and has proven to be one of the most cost-effective solutions for us, allowing us to save huge revenue while maintaining fantastic consistency with updates."

"When we moved from Red Hat to Rocky Linux, we saved around 70% of the cost which was used for subscriptions, and that money is now used for other things such as middleware applications and monitoring applications including DataDog and Dynatrace."

"Rocky Linux is best for someone who wants good scalability, enterprise-grade stability, substantial community engagement, compatibility with RHEL, and strong security."

"It's very simple to work with, easy to learn, and know where things are."

"In my opinion, the best features Rocky Linux offers are stability, compatibility, and community support, all of which I think are extremely necessary and essential for the distribution, and I find that all three pillars are very supported by Rocky Linux."

"Rocky Linux performs excellently in low-latency live streaming and content packaging workflows, as we use it for optimizing compatibility with the streaming platforms, utilizing an optimized kernel for networking, tuning profiles, IRQ affinity, security, reliability, and hardware and driver support."

"Rocky Linux provides us with extended maintenance, security patches, and support lifecycle aligned with RHEL, making it highly reliable for critical systems."

"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."

More Rocky Linux pros

Cons

"Preparing the HDD/SSD to ready to be used and to create Partition takes hell-lot-of time, this needs more work to be done."

"In terms of improvement, Rocky Linux needs to clarify its identity and target audience."

"One of the potential issues is that if you don't pay for support, you may need to manage certain aspects on your own and rely on the community for assistance."

"The package versions can be quite older compared to other distributions such as Ubuntu."

"To improve Rocky Linux, providing releases for each package, firmware, and kernel more quickly would be beneficial."

"The solution's audio integration for virtual machines could be improved."

"The only drawback we have seen is that even though there are timely deliveries of security patches and vulnerability fixes, the Rocky Linux Security Advisor or RLSA updates via the DNF utilities are broken or delayed."

"I have certain problems with the tool's DNS part, making it an area where improvements are required."

"Currently, the customer support for Rocky Linux is not fully developed and is in a growing stage; the customer support is also not very responsive."

More Rocky Linux cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"The product is expensive. I rate the pricing a three."

"Compared to the market prices of other tools, the solution has a very competitive pricing."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Computer Software Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

12%

University

11%

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Large Enterprise	11

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NethServer?

Very important! This you need to connect with us :), as it is highly depended on complexity of business needs, availability of associated Hardware's and how scalable you want the solution would be ...

What needs improvement with NethServer?

What is your primary use case for NethServer?

Since last four years we have used NethServer 7.9.xxxx { by Nethesis SRL} (community editions...). Which is basically based on Rocky Linux. A well architected with web user interface and also suppo...

What do you like most about Rocky Linux?

It's very simple to work with, easy to learn, and know where things are.

What needs improvement with Rocky Linux?

I have no suggestions regarding how Rocky Linux can be improved. I haven't identified any areas that need improvement yet.

What is your primary use case for Rocky Linux?

As a Cloud Ops Engineer, we are setting up the server on the EC2 machine with Rocky Linux, while also doing some setup related to the frameworks for Ruby. We are installing their dependencies relat...

Fedora Linux vs Rocky Linux

Comparisons

No data available

Compared 26% of the time

Debian vs Rocky Linux

Compared 18% of the time

Ubuntu Linux vs Rocky Linux

Compared 17% of the time

Oracle Linux vs Rocky Linux

Compared 11% of the time

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs Rocky Linux

Compared 7% of the time

More Rocky Linux Competitors

Product Reports

Operating Systems (OS) for Business

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Overview

NethServer is an open-source server solution that facilitates IT infrastructure management. Tailored for small and medium-sized enterprises, it streamlines the deployment of key services.

Designed with flexibility in mind, NethServer supports a broad range of applications and services while ensuring ease of use. It simplifies the management of a company's IT needs with a modular architecture, offering robust features without demanding extensive IT knowledge. With thousands of installations worldwide, NethServer has gained a strong user base thanks to its reliability and customizability. Its community-driven development model ensures continuous improvement and adaptation to emerging technologies.

What are the key features of NethServer?

Modular Architecture: Allows users to add only the necessary modules.
Web-based Management: Simplifies administration tasks through a centralized interface.
Comprehensive Security: Offers robust firewall and VPN support.
Email Server: Provides reliable email services with anti-spam measures.
Virtualization Support: Enables virtual machine hosting for better resource allocation.

What benefits should you look for in NethServer reviews?

Cost-Effectiveness: Offers a budget-friendly alternative to proprietary solutions.
Scalability: Accommodates growing business demands with ease.
Community Support: Access to a helpful community for troubleshooting and tips.
Customizability: Adaptable to specific business requirements.

NethServer implementations vary across industries such as education, where its scalability and security are essential for schools managing diverse software environments. In healthcare, its reliable email and communications solutions support critical operations. Businesses seeking robust networking solutions can benefit from its extensive VPN and firewall capabilities, ensuring secure and efficient IT infrastructures.

NethServer

Rocky Linux is a robust and secure enterprise-grade operating system designed as a drop-in replacement for CentOS. Its primary use case is to provide a stable and reliable platform for organizations to run their critical workloads and applications.

The most valuable functionality of Rocky Linux lies in its compatibility with CentOS, ensuring a seamless transition for organizations already using CentOS. It offers long-term support, regular security updates, and a predictable release cycle, providing stability and reliability for mission-critical systems.

Rocky Linux helps organizations by offering a free and open-source alternative to CentOS, which was discontinued by Red Hat. It allows businesses to continue using their existing CentOS-based infrastructure without the need for costly migrations or vendor lock-in. With its strong community support and active development, Rocky Linux ensures a sustainable and community-driven future for CentOS users.

Moreover, Rocky Linux is built with security in mind, providing robust features like SELinux and secure defaults. This helps organizations protect their data and systems from potential threats and vulnerabilities.

Operating Systems (OS) for Business