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Rocky Linux vs Windows Server comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 7, 2024

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

Rocky Linux
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
5.5
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Windows Server
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
5th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
194
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of Rocky Linux is 14.9%, up from 11.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Windows Server is 9.8%, up from 8.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Operating Systems (OS) for Business Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Rocky Linux14.9%
Windows Server9.8%
Other75.3%
Operating Systems (OS) for Business
 

Featured Reviews

Jetsada Malaisirirat - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhancements in package management elevate user experience
I have been using Rocky Linux for three or four years. It is used for HPC, online assessments, and Ceph storage The solution is free and open source. The OS choice in my project is quite specific. It is based on customer requirements, as they might want to use Rocky Linux or Ubuntu, depending on…
Jai Prakash Sharma - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient Management Achieved with Internal Resources and Reliable Technical Support
Maintenance of Windows Server varies by organization, but for us, it's not very difficult as we have in-house resources managing these tasks. However, it can become a bit tricky when we want to see a collated view of our security posture. Regarding AI integrations with Windows Server, Copilot adoption is progressing, though I have only experienced it on endpoints and not on the server side. We operate significant workloads on AI, but we consume those primarily on Linux rather than Windows Server. I don't have much experience regarding integration capabilities in Windows Server for AI workloads, so I may not be the right person to provide insights on that. Overall, I am quite happy with my experience using Windows Server. I don't have many constraints or concerns, so I would rate it eight out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It helps us keep our workstations in sync and ensures consistent settings across most of our machines."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is its stability."
"The custom install scripts streamline the setup process, making it straightforward."
"I haven't needed to use customer service or support, which speaks volumes about their product's reliability and ease of use."
"The solution is free and open source."
"It's very simple to work with, easy to learn, and know where things are."
"The solution is easy to use. We are satisfied with its performance."
"With SSO authentication and Active Directory services, users' contact domains and everything are available. It can help users benefit from the tool while sharing authentication, user access, rollback, and other areas."
"The product’s performance is good."
"The product is scalable."
"It is stable, scalable, flexible, and easy to use."
"The GUI is familiar. Anyone who doesn't know how to use a file server can be taught to use the product in a few minutes."
"We can scale the solution if we need to."
"Windows Server is easy to use. It's user friendly for the admin guys."
 

Cons

"The package versions can be quite older compared to other distributions such as Ubuntu."
"Improved integration with Windows, particularly Active Directory, would be beneficial for the product. Currently, this aspect requires additional effort."
"In terms of improvement, Rocky Linux needs to clarify its identity and target audience."
"The solution's audio integration for virtual machines could be improved."
"I have certain problems with the tool's DNS part, making it an area where improvements are required."
"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."
"While the solution is stable, it could be more so."
"It would help if Microsoft made it lighter to run on the servers and made troubleshooting much easier."
"It is not easy to use. It can be more user-friendly to make our routine work a bit easy. It could also be cheaper."
"The licensing for the solution is expensive."
"It would be better if the license had a longer lifetime."
"It would help if there was a possibility to postpone some updates. If some are not required, it could speed up the process of starting up the operating system. Sometimes big workloads related to services are running directly on the system itself and not the application. This is what I have noticed"
"I believe the solution needs to be more secure in the future."
"I think there is room for improvement in the stability of older versions."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Compared to the market prices of other tools, the solution has a very competitive pricing."
"The product is expensive. I rate the pricing a three."
"It is an expensive solution."
"There is an annual license required for this solution."
"We pay for the license every month."
"For the on-prem version, you need to go for a perpetual license. If I am planning to run ten operating systems, I will buy a pack of ten licenses, which will be cost-effective for me."
"Our current license is an enterprise license agreement which gives you a whole lot of possibility, especially when you go through an R&D process. For example, you can provision everything, spread the service use over six months, and then wrap it up. It gives you a lot of flexibility."
"We are with Microsoft's Cloud Solution Provider Program and we pay for a monthly license for this use of this solution and we support our customer subscriptions. The overall price of the solution is good."
"There are no fees involved in the solution."
"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
11%
University
11%
Educational Organization
9%
Computer Software Company
13%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Government
8%
University
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Large Enterprise4
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business77
Midsize Enterprise41
Large Enterprise88
 

Questions from the Community

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?
If I find something which is strong with virtualization with Rocky Linux, it's an alternative that I can study and spend time learning about, trying it, making tests, validating, and perhaps ultima...
What is your primary use case for Rocky Linux?
I am responsible for virtualization and networking, and other services related to the systems including Linux and Windows, but the security part is actually the responsibility of the French team in...
What needs improvement with Windows Server?
I don't have experience with Windows Server containers and Kubernetes for deploying cloud-native applications. I cannot provide specific improvements for Windows Server because I don't have extensi...
What is your primary use case for Windows Server?
At the office, the main use case for Windows Server involves different functions, for example, file server or firewall and the IIS server, Microsoft Internet Server, Internet Information Services. ...
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Rakuten, Rackspace, Tyco
Find out what your peers are saying about Rocky Linux vs. Windows Server and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
867,349 professionals have used our research since 2012.