No more typing reviews! Try our Samantha, our new voice AI agent.

SUSE Linux Enterprise vs openSUSE Leap comparison

openSUSE and SUSE are both solutions in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category. openSUSE is ranked #14 with an average rating of 9.0, while SUSE is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.9. openSUSE holds a 5.6% mindshare in OSB, compared to SUSE’s 5.2% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of openSUSE users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of SUSE users who would recommend it.
openSUSE Leap
Read 6 openSUSE Leap reviews
  • 5,723 Views
  • 5,723 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
SUSE Linux Enterprise
Read 36 SUSE Linux Enterprise reviews
  • 6,706 Views
  • 6,438 Comparison Views
94% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report
Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 11, 2026

SUSE Linux Enterprise and openSUSE Leap compete in the Linux-based systems category for enterprise and personal use. SUSE Linux Enterprise holds the upper hand due to its robust enterprise functionalities and comprehensive support services.

Features: SUSE Linux Enterprise offers advanced features like YaST for simplified administration, seamless SAP and Oracle integration, and support for high availability and clustering. This provides stability and ease of configuration favorable to enterprises. openSUSE Leap is designed with usability in mind, featuring the BTRFS file system for snapshots, ideal for server management and system reliability.

Room for Improvement: SUSE Linux Enterprise needs enhanced cloud integration, improved package management, and better documentation. Its pricing competitiveness and support quality require attention. openSUSE Leap could improve with better GUI experiences, enhanced automation, and stronger integration capabilities.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SUSE Linux Enterprise is versatile across environments like public and hybrid clouds, with strong technical support and 24/7 customer service. openSUSE Leap is mainly used in on-premises deployments with community support, making it suitable as a testbed for environments not needing professional support.

Pricing and ROI: SUSE Linux Enterprise involves licensing costs for professional support, delivering significant ROI through its enterprise-grade functionalities, especially in SAP deployments. openSUSE Leap is open-source and free, offering great cost-efficiency for users not requiring commercial support, though users wish for a more flexible pricing model.

DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE REPORT
To learn more, read our detailed SUSE Linux Enterprise vs. openSUSE Leap Report (Updated: March 2026).
Buyer's Guide
SUSE Linux Enterprise vs. openSUSE Leap
March 2026
Download the complete report
Helped 885,311 peers since 2012

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

openSUSE Leap
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
14th
Average Rating
9.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
6
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
6.4
Number of Reviews
36
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 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 SUSE Linux Enterprise is 5.2%, down from 7.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Operating Systems (OS) for Business Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
SUSE Linux Enterprise5.2%
openSUSE Leap5.6%
Other89.2%
Operating Systems (OS) for Business
 

Featured Reviews

NK
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
MoezCHEBBI - PeerSpot reviewer
MoezCHEBBI
Senior Lead DevOps Engineer at Kyndryl
Has delivered expert training and enabled smooth migrations using automated deployment tools
SUSE Linux Enterprise is a mature and reliable platform, but there are areas where it can be improved. Modernizing the system management tools is important as many users appreciate YaST for its centralized management, but there is a growing demand for more modern, web-based, and modular tools. The introduction of tools such as Agama, a web-based installer, and Cockpit in newer releases is a step in the right direction.SUSE has made progress with multi-Linux support, allowing organizations to manage and support not just SUSE systems but also other distributions such as Red Hat and CentOS; continuing to expand these capabilities, especially for hybrid and multi-cloud environments, will help organizations manage diverse infrastructure more effectively. Security is a top concern, and further strengthening default security policies, simplifying compliance management, and integrating advanced vulnerability management tools would be a valuable improvement.
Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"openSUSE Leap has helped me with using containers in Podman."
"The most valuable feature by far has been the virtualization capabilities of the operating system."
"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."
"Stable - it just runs without the necessity to reboot."
"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."
"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 solution's most valuable feature is the BTRFS file system, which allows you to take snapshots."
More openSUSE Leap pros
"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."
"SUSE Linux Enterprise is scalable."
"Out-of-the-box SLES supported all of our HBAs and hardware specific components."
"SAP HANA and SUSE Linux Enterprise are the best to run the SAP business."
"Any company looking to standardize on a Linux platform should seriously review this product."
"Some of the functionalities I like the most are the security features. This includes security restrictions on specific folders and secure communication for SFTP. These features are more secure and reliable. The tool also makes compliance possible."
"SUSE Linux Enterprise is easy to configure for those who are not hardcore command-line driven."
"The solution offers a secure operation system."
More SUSE Linux Enterprise pros
 

Cons

"In the future, the Active Directory could improve."
"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."
"I would like openSUSE Leap to have better link integration with Windows."
"Like most Linux-based operating systems, the biggest challenge Leap faces is the GUI."
"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."
More openSUSE Leap cons
"The solution could be more stable."
"I would like to see GUI improved, it could be more user-friendly."
"I don't like the frequency of updates, especially if they're only from the vendor."
"Red Hat has more packages that are available than SUSE does."
"The software management side was a bit difficult, especially compared to Ubuntu."
"The free version sometimes has security holes."
"The price of SUSE Linux Enterprise could improve, it is too expensive."
"We have had trouble integrating Autodesk with the SUSE manager."
More SUSE Linux Enterprise cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is open-source."
"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."
"This is an open-source operating system that can be used free of charge."
"The tool is expensive compared to Red Hat. I rate its pricing a nine out of ten."
"There is no license for this solution, there is only a subscription of support available."
"I have to pay for a license in order to get support."
"The platform is affordable."
"I would advise others to download the free or strictly open source versions, then test them in their environment before committing to a purchase. This will allow for testing suitability for applications that they want to run."
"The price of SUSE Linux Enterprise could be cheaper. Other solutions, such as"
"The license we pay is for Oracle. We make use of the community edition."
"Anyone can use Linux because it is open-source."
More SUSE Linux Enterprise pricing and cost advice
report
See which vendors are best for you
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Operating Systems (OS) for Business solutions are best for your needs.
See recommendations
885,311 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
19%
Educational Organization
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business2
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise4
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise11
Large Enterprise22
 

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 can run openSUSE to test all my products. It would be helpful if I could easily sw...
See all answers
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 solution. My office usually uses production servers on the SUSE Linux enterprise ver...
See all answers
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
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.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SUSE Linux Enterprise?
I would rate pricing for SUSE Linux Enterprise considering one is a high price and ten is a low price.
See all answers
What needs improvement with SUSE Linux Enterprise?
SUSE can make improvements to SUSE Linux Enterprise. I have suggestions about what they can add to the product to simplify users' lives. They need to intensely work on their marketing strategy.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Ubuntu Linux vs openSUSE Leap Logo
Ubuntu Linux vs openSUSE Leap
Compared 14% of the time
Debian vs openSUSE Leap Logo
Debian vs openSUSE Leap
Compared 13% of the time
Rocky Linux vs openSUSE Leap Logo
Rocky Linux vs openSUSE Leap
Compared 12% of the time
Fedora Linux vs openSUSE Leap Logo
Fedora Linux vs openSUSE Leap
Compared 8% of the time
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs openSUSE Leap Logo
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs openSUSE Leap
Compared 8% of the time
More openSUSE Leap Competitors
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs SUSE Linux Enterprise Logo
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs SUSE Linux Enterprise
Compared 19% of the time
Ubuntu Linux vs SUSE Linux Enterprise Logo
Ubuntu Linux vs SUSE Linux Enterprise
Compared 17% of the time
Oracle Linux vs SUSE Linux Enterprise Logo
Oracle Linux vs SUSE Linux Enterprise
Compared 7% of the time
CentOS vs SUSE Linux Enterprise Logo
CentOS vs SUSE Linux Enterprise
Compared 6% of the time
Rocky Linux vs SUSE Linux Enterprise Logo
Rocky Linux vs SUSE Linux Enterprise
Compared 6% of the time
More SUSE Linux Enterprise Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Operating Systems (OS) for Business
March 2026
openSUSE Leap reportDownload openSUSE Leap product report
Buyer's Guide
SUSE Linux Enterprise
March 2026
SUSE Linux Enterprise reportDownload SUSE Linux Enterprise product report
 

Also Known As

No data available
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP3
 

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

SUSE Linux Enterprise offers features like YaST for server management, seamless integration with Oracle and SAP, and a robust security setup. Renowned for stability, it efficiently supports workstations, SAP workloads, and cloud migrations across diverse industries.

SUSE Linux Enterprise is known for its lightweight design, high performance, and ease of installation. Its flexible architecture supports extensive documentation and efficient patching. The system uses the BTRFS file system for effective virtualization, and community support is significant. However, challenges include package updates causing conflicts, difficult initial setup and software management, high pricing, and support response times. Improvements in security compliance, cloud integration, hardware compatibility, and documentation are also needed.

What are SUSE Linux Enterprise's important features?

  • YaST Server Management: Simplifies server setup and configurations.
  • Oracle & SAP Integration: Enhances performance with major enterprise applications.
  • HANA Firewall: Provides robust security measures.
  • BTRFS File System: Supports advanced storage management and snapshots.
  • Virtualization: Efficiently runs multiple operating systems on a single machine.

What benefits should users expect from using SUSE Linux Enterprise?

  • Stability & Performance: Reliability for critical applications and workloads.
  • Lightweight Design: Reduces resource consumption while maintaining efficiency.
  • Community Support: Access to extensive user and developer collaboration.
  • Automated Upgrades: Simplifies system maintenance and updates.

Industries like healthcare and banking use SUSE Linux Enterprise for secure transactions and structured application deployment. It is also a choice for organizations involved in testing, automation, and web development, offering support for SAP HANA integration and facilitating cloud migrations.

SUSE
 

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, ...
Buyer's Guide
SUSE Linux Enterprise vs. openSUSE Leap
March 2026
Free Report: SUSE Linux Enterprise vs. openSUSE Leap
Find out what your peers are saying about SUSE Linux Enterprise vs. openSUSE Leap and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
DOWNLOAD NOW
885,311 professionals have used our research since 2012.
See our SUSE Linux Enterprise vs. openSUSE Leap report.
See our list of best Operating Systems (OS) for Business vendors.

We monitor all Operating Systems (OS) for Business reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.