Ubuntu Linux vs openSUSE Leap comparison

openSUSE and Canonical are both solutions in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category. openSUSE is ranked #12 with an average rating of 9.0, while Canonical is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.9. openSUSE holds a 6.1% mindshare in OSB, compared to Canonical’s 11.5% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of openSUSE users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Canonical users who would recommend it.

openSUSE Leap

Read 6 openSUSE Leap reviews

5,486 Views
5,486 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Ubuntu Linux

Read 150 Ubuntu Linux reviews

13,939 Views
13,660 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

openSUSE Leap

Ubuntu Linux

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 19, 2025

Ubuntu Linux and openSUSE Leap are two prominent players in the open-source operating system category. Based on features and deployment options, Ubuntu Linux seems to have the upper hand due to its extensive community support and versatility in deployment.

Features: Ubuntu Linux is known for its long-term support and easy system upgrades. It provides excellent hardware support and an extensive range of community repositories. Meanwhile, openSUSE Leap is recognized for its BTRFS file system, which is ideal for creating reliable system snapshots. It also offers more traditional system management tools, which can be appealing for precise system management.

Room for Improvement: Ubuntu Linux could enhance its compatibility with Windows software and refine its system management tools for greater intuitiveness. On the other hand, openSUSE Leap would benefit from improvements in its graphical user interface and documentation, both of which are necessary for a more seamless user experience and better third-party integrations.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Ubuntu Linux offers versatile deployment options across various environments such as private, public, hybrid clouds, and on-premises. This is facilitated by its strong community support, which provides a wealth of expertise. openSUSE Leap is more focused on on-premises deployment, making it appealing to those prioritizing operational consistency. Both systems mainly rely on community support with limited direct customer service options.

Pricing and ROI: Both Ubuntu Linux and openSUSE Leap are open-source and free to use, leading to significant cost savings compared to proprietary alternatives. Ubuntu Linux offers robust community support and optional paid enterprise services, making it attractive for businesses seeking cost-effective solutions with professional support options. Conversely, openSUSE Leap provides free access and is particularly suitable for extending the life of older hardware, thereby reducing hardware costs and offering a high return on investment.

To learn more, read our detailed Ubuntu Linux vs. openSUSE Leap Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Ubuntu Linux vs. openSUSE Leap

September 2025

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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

openSUSE Leap

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

12th

Average Rating

9.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Ubuntu Linux

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

2nd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

150

Ranking in other categories

OpenStack (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of openSUSE Leap is 6.1%, up from 5.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ubuntu Linux is 11.5%, down from 18.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Operating Systems (OS) for Business Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Ubuntu Linux	11.5%
openSUSE Leap	6.1%
Other	82.4%

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.

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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.

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

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

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

"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."

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

"I like that everything is in the command line. It is really helpful."

"Ubuntu Linux is lightweight, fast, and works seamlessly with command-line terminals."

"The initial setup is simple."

"It's an open-source and free platform, which makes it accessible and useful."

"It's offered as open-source, and therefore does not cost anything to use."

"It is scalable. I can customize it based on what I want to do."

"The solution is very stable, it does not need to restart to maintain stability."

"It is stable and modern."

More Ubuntu Linux pros

Cons

"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."

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

"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."

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

"They aren't as user-friendly as Microsoft. The solution can use a better UI."

"I find the solution could be easier to use, more flexible, user-friendly, and have a better UI."

"While Ubuntu Linux offers flexibility, it can lack support, especially when utilizing new versions."

"The solution could be more stable and secure."

"The installation of Ubuntu is somewhat complicated, requires better documentation."

"At times, it can be complex when we are trying to integrate or when we are trying to set up some features."

"I think Ubuntu's performance is fine and so is its user interface. However, the latter is not as fancy as Microsoft Windows. It could be a bit fancier and easier to use."

"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."

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

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

"The solution is open-source."

"Ubuntu Linux is an open-source operating system."

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

"Ubuntu Linux is free."

"If the customer wants to start, there is no license required. It is all free, but they must purchase the production license."

"We do not have any support agreements with Ubuntu, so we are using the free and open source version."

"It comes as free software, where there is an option for you to buy support licenses."

"I am using the free version of the solution."

"Ubuntu is a free product."

More Ubuntu Linux pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

18%

Computer Software Company

14%

Educational Organization

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

13%

Comms Service Provider

10%

University

10%

Educational Organization

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	84
Midsize Enterprise	21
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 can run openSUSE to test all my products. It would be helpful if I could easily sw...

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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 solution. My office usually uses production servers on the SUSE Linux enterprise ver...

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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 - Ubuntu Linux or Oracle Linux?

Ubunto Linux is a complete Linux operating system that is freely available with both community and professional support. This solution is suitable for both desktop and server use. It has a very app...

See all answers

What do you like most about Ubuntu Linux?

It has a good support system for loading databases.

See all answers

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 installations or support.

See all answers

Comparisons

SUSE Linux Enterprise vs openSUSE Leap

Compared 25% of the time

Rocky Linux vs openSUSE Leap

Compared 16% of the time

Fedora Linux vs openSUSE Leap

Compared 10% of the time

Debian vs openSUSE Leap

Compared 8% of the time

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs openSUSE Leap

Compared 6% of the time

More openSUSE Leap Competitors

Rocky Linux vs Ubuntu Linux

Compared 21% of the time

Oracle Linux vs Ubuntu Linux

Compared 13% of the time

SUSE Linux Enterprise vs Ubuntu Linux

Compared 10% of the time

Windows Server vs Ubuntu Linux

Compared 9% of the time

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs Ubuntu Linux

Compared 7% of the time

More Ubuntu Linux Competitors

Product Reports

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Operating Systems (OS) for Business

September 2025

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Ubuntu Linux

October 2025

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Also Known As

No data available

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

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

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

Buyer's Guide

Ubuntu Linux vs. openSUSE Leap

September 2025

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