Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
3.9
Switching to Rocky Linux saved costs and time, enhanced problem resolution, and supported increased employee onboarding and organizational growth.
Sentiment score
5.5
Windows Server enhances efficiency and cost-effectiveness with stability, reducing dependency, operating expenses, and time/resource usage by 10-20%.
When it comes to return on investment, a lot of money is saved since we moved from a purchased license to the open source provided by Rocky Linux.
ROI has been good as we have significant open source community involvement.
I have seen a return on investment since there was definitely money saved at the time due to the lack of need for licensing since Rocky is available openly.
We're very competitive commercially and technically because of it.
We've seen value in Windows Server because the systems work smoothly without any problems.
Windows Server offers excellent value for money, particularly when compared to alternatives.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
4.1
Rocky Linux customer service is reliable, with quick responses, good documentation, and high user satisfaction despite limited official reliance.
Sentiment score
6.2
Customers appreciate easy setup and positive support but note issues with response times and expertise for complex problems.
The support level is extraordinary, providing on-time assistance.
We have not yet needed to contact a vendor regarding Rocky Linux.
Even if we raise a support ticket, we receive a resolution or a reply from the team within two business days.
Our in-house team can also solve most issues.
If you go through a partner who sells or supports Windows, the support could be around seven out of ten, because Windows relies on these partners for assistance.
Microsoft's technical support for Windows Server has been lacking, with rare responses even with premium support.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
5.3
Rocky Linux is scalable and user-friendly, with organizations recommending automation tools for efficient setup and expansion.
Sentiment score
7.6
Windows Server offers scalable expansion, supporting diverse user bases and enterprises, with integration capability for effective business adaptability.
Even if the server is not responding and we want to attach the volume on another instance or a temporary instance, it is very easy and straightforward with no hiccups.
It has handled growth or changing needs well.
The scalability is quite good, though there are some issues with Rocky Linux.
I've worked in companies with 20,000 to 100,000 users, and it scales beautifully without issues.
It's definitely scalable.
The solution is used extensively in our organization, and we have plans to increase the usage.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.1
Rocky Linux is praised for its stability, ease of use, scalability, and reliable performance on low-resource systems and hardware.
Sentiment score
7.5
Windows Server is praised for stability and reliability, though some users report security concerns and occasional compatibility issues from updates.
Rocky Linux is stable, scalable, and it is very much easier to use.
Rocky Linux is stable.
We have experienced no blue screens or crashes and often achieved an uptime of 2,000 to 3,000 days without any issues whatsoever.
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
The tool is stable.
 

Room For Improvement

Rocky Linux needs identity clarity, better integrations, faster updates, improved security, API tools, documentation, and enhanced community support.
Windows Server needs better performance alignment, security enhancements, clearer documentation, integration, UI simplification, and improved technical support.
It is based on customer requirements, as they might want to use Rocky Linux or Ubuntu, depending on their needs.
Rocky Linux could be improved by having more integration with Kubernetes.
Currently, it takes more than one month to release a new package or kernel, so speeding that up would help reduce reported vulnerability remediations.
From a security perspective, sometimes, malware attacks and hackers take advantage of the tool's vulnerabilities.
Deploying antivirus and firewall software on the server is advisable, but having an external firewall adds an extra layer of security.
Windows Server needs to improve its speed and stability.
 

Setup Cost

Rocky Linux is praised for its affordability and streamlined licensing, appealing to cost-conscious enterprises and AWS users.
Windows Server pricing is seen as complex and expensive, but offers flexible licensing options based on business needs.
We switched to Rocky Linux because of the license price, and in our business, we don't need to have a higher cost as that is not a good idea.
There is no extra cost for a license if we are purchasing Rocky Linux from the AWS Marketplace.
Rocky Linux is free, and I can download it and deploy it in whatever environment I have, whether it be H3C, VMware, or Hyper-V.
It is quite expensive.
Previously, a Windows Server with two processors cost around two 154 euros annually, but now it is estimated to be around 3,000 to 4,000 euros for the same configuration.
On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the most expensive, I rate it ten out of ten.
 

Valuable Features

Rocky Linux offers stability, cost savings, easy integration, and strong community support, making it ideal for critical systems management.
Windows Server excels in feature integration, performance, and ease of use, enhancing enterprise application management and interoperability.
Rocky Linux has positively impacted my organization, specifically through cost savings, because we did not have to buy any licenses or extra licenses of other distros, such as Oracle or Red Hat.
For production deployment, Rocky Linux is a great choice because it offers full RHEL compatibility without licensing costs, along with strong community support.
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.
Windows Server is a stable and scalable solution.
The most valuable features of the solution stem from the fact that every Microsoft product is scalable, flexible, secure, and available on a certain budget.
The IP directory is the most valuable feature.
 

Categories and Ranking

Rocky Linux
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
4th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
5.3
Number of Reviews
17
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
6.8
Number of Reviews
195
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of Rocky Linux is 14.3%, up from 12.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Windows Server is 10.0%, 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 Linux14.3%
Windows Server10.0%
Other75.7%
Operating Systems (OS) for Business
 

Featured Reviews

Massimiliano Adamo - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
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.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Operating Systems (OS) for Business solutions are best for your needs.
872,706 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
12%
University
11%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
10%
University
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Large Enterprise13
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business79
Midsize Enterprise41
Large Enterprise87
 

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?
Currently, I have nothing to say about how Rocky Linux can be improved. The rolling update for Rocky Linux is very limited and focused on stability, so the software may not always be the latest ver...
What is your primary use case for Rocky Linux?
For the last two years, I have been using Rocky Linux for our project. I do all the things: installations of Rocky Linux, coding in Rocky Linux, and using Rocky Linux as a platform. We use Rocky Li...
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.
872,706 professionals have used our research since 2012.