Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs Ubuntu Linux vs openSUSE Leap comparison

openSUSE and Red Hat are both solutions in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category. openSUSE is ranked #14 with an average rating of 9.0, while Red Hat is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.8. openSUSE holds a 5.6% mindshare in OSB, compared to Red Hat’s 7.4% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of openSUSE users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of Red Hat users who would recommend it.

openSUSE Leap

Read 6 openSUSE Leap reviews

5,723 Views
5,723 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (R...

Read 393 Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) reviews

19,529 Views
19,138 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Ubuntu Linux

Read 150 Ubuntu Linux reviews

13,455 Views
12,917 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

openSUSE Leap

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (R...

Ubuntu Linux

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), Ubuntu Linux, and openSUSE Leap based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Red Hat, Rocky Linux, Canonical and others in Operating Systems (OS) for Business.

To learn more, read our detailed Operating Systems (OS) for Business Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Operating Systems (OS) for Business

March 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:

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of openSUSE Leap is 5.6%, down from 6.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is 7.4%, down from 10.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ubuntu Linux is 8.8%, down from 14.5% 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)	7.4%
Ubuntu Linux	8.8%
openSUSE Leap	5.6%
Other	78.19999999999999%

Operating Systems (OS) for Business

Featured Reviews

Nagendra Kavadi

Senior Manager at Cognizant

Provides BTRFS file system, which allows you to take snapshots

I only use the tool for testing purposes on my team, but multiple people use it. We don't make a team effort to install the solution. When it comes to maintenance, we ask our company to buy SUSE Linux Enterprise. My team consists of 13 people. We are currently integrating the solution with Ansible to do some coding. Although not a full-fledged automation, we are integrating the solution with Ansible and executing a couple of playbooks connected to openSUSE Leap. I would recommend the solution to other users looking for an open-source solution. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Read full review

Ray Ortega

Server administrator at Northrop Grumman

Empowers collaboration through streamlined integration and extensive documentation

Improving Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) can be tough, however, a significant area is collaboration tools. We have many Windows users that use Outlook and Skype or Teams to collaborate on our network. They want Linux desktops due to the fact that they want to use containers. Their biggest complaint is, 'I need two workstations to do my container work and one to collaborate.' If somehow RHEL can start introducing or collaborating with Teams and Outlook so their users can work with their Windows peers, that would be great. But I don't think that's available yet. Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing, there needs to be more of an education piece to it. For instance, when purchasing 10 or 100 node licenses, they could suggest, 'We also offer this 1,000 node license instead, and it'll save you specific amounts.' Just more education on their offerings would be helpful, because usually, we're coming out with the requirements, and then they just provide it to us. They could inform us about saving by bundling it differently or using alternative approaches.

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Salim Ahmed

System Administrator at mmcytech

Has supported secure application hosting and reliable server management

I find the GUI to be good in Ubuntu Linux, and I appreciate the open SSH. The fact that it is free since it is open and open-source is why I appreciate it and feel it is secured. We have multiple different kinds of support related to Ubuntu Linux, including official support and other options. I am currently using laptops, desktops, and servers, and Ubuntu Linux supports all these devices. If I need it for Raspberry Pi or something similar, I can download another Linux distribution. Ubuntu Linux is scalable, especially for servers. We prefer using Ubuntu Linux Servers rather than Windows. The biggest advantage of Ubuntu Linux for me is that it is open-source, secured, and scalable.

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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

"Stable - it just runs without the necessity to reboot."

"Leap has provided me with the ability to offer what I consider Enterprise class server O/S platforms to my smaller customers who are looking to improve their competitive stances without breaking the bank."

"The most valuable feature by far has been the virtualization capabilities of the operating system."

"openSUSE Leap has helped me with using containers in Podman."

"This solution has helped my organization's security from the use of its firewall, and the features for blocking or allowing traffic are very effective and have worked well for us."

"The solution is easy for me to use because the backend is derived from FreeBSD and this is something I have been using for over 20 years."

"The solution's most valuable feature is the BTRFS file system, which allows you to take snapshots."

"The solution is very stable after it is configured. It is hard to have a panel slow, a problem, misconfiguration, or any kind of loss function."

More openSUSE Leap pros

"I like open source and prefer it over some closed proprietary software. In my early days, I was involved in the open-source community of the Red Hat Directory Server, communicating with developers to ensure password policies were implemented and asking questions. It showed me the power of open source."

"One of the most valuable aspects is the ease of installing packages on the server."

"When it comes to development, it saves time because, unlike Windows, you don't require a lot of different things and licenses."

"My experience with the customer service and technical support of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has been amazing; they are very helpful."

"Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is an open source OS which allows us to modify the system as per our requirements; it is also secure and user-friendly."

"Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is the platform being used for running applications."

"Red Hat provides support for a variety of file systems, making it easy to create and manage them, and the knowledge base offered by Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is excellent, giving access to all documents online free of cost with even a single subscription."

"I like its user-friendliness for the admins administering the servers and the ease of doing fix packs on the servers and upgrades with the Red Hat software. It saves time and cost because we don't need to have expensive hires to do the work. We can do it ourselves a lot of times. It's a pretty straightforward, easy-to-learn, and user-friendly operating system."

More Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) pros

"Ubuntu doesn't use a lot of resources, so I think that's pretty cool, and it's totally like Microsoft."

"The solution is always adding more features."

"One of the best features of Ubuntu Linux is that if I need something, I just download it."

"The product is easy to use."

"Ubuntu Linux is very useful as an operating system, with longer support than some Linux distributions for each version that comes out, so it's good for enterprise-level organizations, and compared to other Linux distributions, it is more user-friendly."

"Ubuntu Linux is developer-oriented."

"The security is very good."

"The solution is very lightweight and extremely powerful."

More Ubuntu Linux pros

Cons

"In the future, the Active Directory could improve."

"There is room for improvement in the console."

"Somehow the change from OS12.x via 13.x to Leap was a bit bumpy and some old issues seemed to reappear."

"Like most Linux-based operating systems, the biggest challenge Leap faces is the GUI."

"It would be helpful if we could easily switch from openSUSE Leap for testing to SUSE Linux Enterprise for production."

"I would like openSUSE Leap to have better link integration with Windows."

"Somehow the change from OS12.x via 13.x to Leap was a bit bumpy and some old issues seemed to reappear."

More openSUSE Leap cons

"With on-premise Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), scalability is not easy because I cannot deploy new machines."

"Their biggest complaint is, 'I need two workstations to do my container work and one to collaborate.'"

"The product should be made more accessible to someone who isn't experienced with Linux."

"The only issue we have had with it is around the SELinux configuration because the way Ansible installs, it sticks the platform passwords in a flat file. We want that locked down more strongly than what is there currently with SELinux."

"The vendor keeps rolling out many packets, which complicates our job."

"Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has not helped me to mitigate downtime and lower risks."

"Red Hat has several areas ripe for improvement. In the Asia Pacific region, where cost-optimization is highly valued, Red Hat's support and subscription costs are perceived as high and could be reduced."

"One area for improvement is the Subscription Manager, which is sometimes an inconvenience, especially when it doesn't work well with Satellite."

More Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) cons

"Stability could be improved."

"Sometimes certain tasks are challenging due to issues with the command-line interface. Users who prefer Windows may find it difficult to transition to Linux."

"What I think could be improved greatly is the support for the majority of hardware vendors like ATI, Nvidia, and all the other vendors producing hardware and supplying perfect drivers for Windows operating system, but they don't care much for Linux."

"On the GUI, when I use SSH or PuTTY or what is called a console port to connect with the network devices or servers, it is somehow difficult compared with Windows."

"There aren't enough experts in my country to be able to help troubleshoot or to post answers to problems."

"Ubuntu Linux needs to improve its stability. I would like it to show the battery percentage at the screen top."

"Management monitoring and interface could be better."

"The user interface could be improved, as it looks a little bit older."

More Ubuntu Linux cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"This is an open-source operating system that can be used free of charge."

"The cost of this solution was reasonable and it was within our budget."

"openSUSE Leap is an open-source solution that is free of cost."

"The solution is open-source."

"We are coming from CentOS, so technically, our total cost of ownership has gone up, but it is still cheaper than Windows for a database server and things like that."

"The cost is based on each organization's budget and infrastructure."

"Red Hat Enterprise Linux can be expensive, but its cost is not a deterrent for many organizations willing to invest in its stability, security, and support ecosystem."

"RHEL's price seems to be consistently changing, depending on what you're after. We might need a more extended license to lock in a price if it keeps changing. It would be nicer if it stayed steady within a specific range, but it's negotiable. We try to negotiate, and maybe a more extended contract would be better."

"The setup cost is non-existent. With licensing, there was a little snafu because I misread something. There was a slight learning curve because we use virtual data center licensing. We had to understand how it all maps. We had to understand how that mapping works when the hypervisors are Red Hat or VMware. There is a slight learning curve, but it worked out. It ends up being easy."

"It's been good, but I don't really get involved with that."

"It is pretty expensive, but it is worth it. Generally, in an enterprise environment, there is no cheap solution. This is coming from someone who is working with a company that provides a lot of solutions a bit cheaper than the industry standard. In the enterprise environment, I believe no solution is inexpensive, but RHEL is still pretty expensive. Additional costs that I am aware of are usually for support and setup."

"The solution's price is reasonable."

More Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) pricing and cost advice

"On a personal level, I'm using the free version."

"The solution is open-sourced."

"We are not using the licensed version of the solution, we are using the free version."

"Ubuntu is an open-source Linux operating system that can be used free of charge."

"It is open-source. We don't have to pay for its license."

"It is open source, so it is free. There is no licensing fee."

"The solution is open source, so there is no licensing fee."

"Ubuntu pricing is reasonable."

More Ubuntu Linux pricing and cost advice

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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

Comms Service Provider

19%

Educational Organization

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Government

Comms Service Provider

11%

University

10%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	2
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	4

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	90
Midsize Enterprise	49
Large Enterprise	268

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	84
Midsize Enterprise	22
Large Enterprise	52

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with openSUSE Leap?

Both openSUSE Leap and the SUSE Enterprise version use the same kernel. Suppose I have a lower environment where I ca...

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What is your primary use case for openSUSE Leap?

I use openSUSE Leap for testing purposes. Before officially using any server in our office, we test it using the solu...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for openSUSE Leap?

openSUSE Leap is an open-source solution that is free of cost.

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 st...

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What do you like most about Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)?

It is open source. We can customize it as per our requirements.

See all answers

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

Regarding the pricing of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) subscription, I believe the pricing is fair. The support tha...

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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...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Ubuntu Linux?

My experience with the pricing for Ubuntu Linux is that I always use the free version, so I never paid for any instal...

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What needs improvement with Ubuntu Linux?

I was thinking that Ubuntu Linux and Windows would work on the same machine. With Windows 11, they came together, so ...

See all answers

Comparisons

SUSE Linux Enterprise vs openSUSE Leap

Compared 15% of the time

Debian vs openSUSE Leap

Compared 14% of the time

Rocky Linux vs openSUSE Leap

Compared 12% of the time

Fedora Linux vs openSUSE Leap

Compared 8% of the time

AlmaLinux vs openSUSE Leap

Compared 7% of the time

More openSUSE Leap Competitors

SUSE Linux Enterprise vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 12% of the time

Windows Server vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 10% of the time

Rocky Linux vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 8% of the time

AlmaLinux vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 8% of the time

CentOS vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 5% of the time

More Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Competitors

Oracle Linux vs Ubuntu Linux

Compared 16% of the time

SUSE Linux Enterprise vs Ubuntu Linux

Compared 9% of the time

Rocky Linux vs Ubuntu Linux

Compared 8% of the time

Windows Server vs Ubuntu Linux

Compared 7% of the time

Windows 11 vs Ubuntu Linux

Compared 5% of the time

More Ubuntu Linux Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Operating Systems (OS) for Business

March 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

March 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Ubuntu Linux

March 2026

Download Ubuntu Linux product report

Also Known As

No data available

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

Ubuntu

Overview

openSUSE Leap is a brand new way of building openSUSE and is new type of hybrid Linux distribution. Leap uses source from SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLE), which gives Leap a level of stability unmatched by other Linux distributions, and combines that with community developments to give users, developers and sysadmins the best stable Linux experience available. Contributor and enterprise efforts for Leap bridge a gap between matured packages and newer packages found in openSUSE’s other distribution Tumbleweed.

openSUSE

Red Hat Enterprise Linux offers stability, security, and support for mission-critical applications with robust tools and scalable architecture, ideal for diverse environments and hybrid cloud compatibility.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux provides organizations with a reliable platform ideal for high-performance computing and virtualization. Known for its robust security and seamless network administration, it integrates well with OpenShift and Ansible, ensuring adaptability and scalability. Despite challenges with documentation, upgrade complexity, and cost, RHEL remains a formidable choice thanks to its comprehensive documentation and extensive community support.

What are the key features of Red Hat Enterprise Linux?

Stability and Security: Maintains high stability and advanced security measures, critical for enterprise environments.
Extensive Support: Offers robust support through community and documentation, assisting with problem-solving and integration.
Automation with Ansible: Simplifies tasks and enhances efficiency, optimizing operations across the infrastructure.
Hybrid Cloud Compatibility: Supports cloud environments, enabling flexibility and strategic deployments.
Scalable Architecture: Adapts to different workloads, making it suitable for growing organizational demands.

What benefits should users look for when evaluating Red Hat Enterprise Linux?

Reliable Performance: Ensures consistent and secure operations across diverse environments, including cloud infrastructure.
Efficient Management: Centralized operations make it easy to manage enterprise workloads effectively.
Community and Documentation: Access to a strong community and comprehensive documentation aids in resolving issues.
Integration Capabilities: Easily integrates with technologies like OpenShift and SAP, enhancing operational versatility.
Adaptability: Supports a wide range of environments and technical requirements, improving strategic deployment.

Organizations across industries like financial services, telecommunications, and application hosting implement Red Hat Enterprise Linux for server and application management. Its compatibility with technologies such as SAP, Oracle, and Ansible supports functions including web, database, and enterprise solutions, ensuring stable and secure performance in high-pressure environments.

Red Hat

Ubuntu Linux is an open-source platform known for its robust security, ease of use, and rapid performance. Its lightweight design and comprehensive support system make it ideal for diverse IT environments, providing seamless management and scalability options.

Ubuntu Linux stands out with its open-source nature that allows extensive customization and access to a broad range of free software. It is widely praised for its stability and a vast package repository offering regular updates, enhancing its usefulness across different sectors. The platform is equipped with a lightweight design and excellent community support, making it scalable and easy to manage. While it could improve in areas like Windows software compatibility and user interface refinement, its benefits in enterprise management and development projects are undeniable. Improved documentation, better hardware integration, and enhanced third-party application compatibility are additional focal points to consider.

What are the key features of Ubuntu Linux?

Robust Security: Offers strong security protocols to protect user data.
Rapid Performance: Delivers fast and efficient processing speeds.
Open-source Customization: Provides extensive customization options.
Vast Package Repository: Features frequent updates and diverse software choices.
Lightweight Design: Ensures optimal performance even on limited resources.
Community Support: Backed by excellent community resources for assistance.

What benefits should be considered from reviews?

Resource Efficiency: Efficient utilization of system resources for enhanced performance.
Development Flexibility: Supports a wide range of programming and development tasks.
Enterprise Compatibility: Suited for large-scale enterprise solutions and cloud computing.
Scalability: Capable of managing and scaling across different environments.
Troubleshooting Support: Comprehensive community support for troubleshooting issues.

Ubuntu Linux is prominently implemented in industries for tasks such as server management, application deployment, and software development. Its resource efficiency and open-source tool compatibility make it a favorite for programming, research, and cybersecurity. Companies frequently use it for web hosting, cloud services, and managing multi-user enterprise solutions.

Canonical

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

Samsung, eBay, AT&T, Walmart, Cisco, Time Warner Cable, Bloomberg, Best Buy, Dell, Intel, Microsoft, Ericsson, Orange, Wells Fargo

Buyer's Guide

Operating Systems (OS) for Business

March 2026

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