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SUSE Linux Enterprise vs Windows Server comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 3, 2025

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

SUSE Linux Enterprise
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
7th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
32
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 August 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of SUSE Linux Enterprise is 6.9%, down from 8.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Windows Server is 9.6%, up from 8.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Operating Systems (OS) for Business
 

Featured Reviews

Naveen Venugopal - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient IT management with crucial automatic updates but needs developer-friendly configuration
Sometimes it is a bit of work for developers to change the configurations. Some kernels will not fit with some packages, and this aspect could be improved. Furthermore, the system's rigidity when updating packages and services needs improvement. Additionally, there should be more loosely bound functionalities to improve developer experience.
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

"SUSE Linux Enterprise is easy to configure for those who are not hardcore command-line driven."
"SUSE Linux Enterprise is stable."
"SUSE Linux had a clean user interface, which was a valuable feature for me."
"The main feature is that Linux is flexible to work with for most web-based applications."
"The initial setup is simple and takes five minutes for deployment and if you have automation in place, it will take four minutes."
"The product's initial setup phase was easy."
"The technical support services are good."
"YaST simplifies the server management of SUSE allowing for a centralized utility to control most of the server functions."
"The solution is easy to use and it has good performance."
"The deployment can be done with rapidity and much ease."
"The installation of the solution is becoming easier every year after new releases. The first installation can take an hour but you can use templates to make the installation very quick."
"Overall the solution has been functioning very well for us."
"I would say Microsoft operating systems are more stable correctly than they were before, they have made some improvements over the years."
"The support that Microsoft provides for this is very good."
"The main features that we are using are active directory, domain, and DNS."
"Within 10 or 15 minutes, you can build a single Windows Server and put it on production."
 

Cons

"Sometimes it is a bit of work for developers to change the configurations."
"I would like to see GUI improved, it could be more user-friendly."
"When working in a Department of Defense environment, Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) have to be followed. SLES is not really addressed directly here. It did make following security policy difficult."
"The only stability issues that I can recall encountering with SUSE would be with KDE. However, that is limited to just the desktop environment as I have not had stability issues with ​most server functions."
"I have not seen an ROI with this solution."
"I would appreciate the product's future releases being lighter and operating more efficiently on smaller systems."
"All distributions of Linux could use some improvement."
"They should provide chatbot support for customers to open the troubleshooting cases directly."
"The on premises to cloud migration should be easier."
"The solution is not easy to use."
"As I have already paid for a license, I should have the option of requesting the containerized functionality from the OS to reduce the Windows Server OS footprint."
"Windows Server could be more user-friendly."
"Windows Server can improve in patch management and security."
"Its updates need to be faster, so that's an area for improvement."
"The user interface needs improvement."
"I believe the solution needs to be more secure in the future."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product's licensing options align well with the evolving landscape of Linux variants."
"As far as licensing goes, there is nothing unusual here. The price and model have worked fine for my organization."
"Anyone can use Linux because it is open-source."
"SUSE Linux Enterprise is reasonably priced compared to other operating systems. I find it's a much better option for us than Oracle, for example, because of the pricing structure. The pricing is easier to explain to clients and makes it easier to get clients' commitment. The licensing is also simpler to manage and keep track of. Their responsiveness is great - they give feedback very quickly when we ask questions about licensing or other aspects. This helps ensure we're always at the gold standard regarding licensing and everything related to SUSE Linux Enterprise."
"There is no license for this solution, there is only a subscription of support available."
"The platform is affordable."
"There is a free tier and a paid support tier. If you do not need support, then the solution is free to use. If you need support then there is an option for that as well."
"I have to pay for a license in order to get support."
"We have multiple types of licenses. Some of them are on a yearly basis, and some of them are prepaid."
"I'm not involved much in the payment part, but I believe that we pay a yearly subscription for licensing."
"There is a license required to use Windows Server."
"One of the problems with Microsoft is the price of licensing, and volume licensing for educational systems is a great option to bequeath licensing for small businesses."
"Our customers had a bundle package with Microsoft that included Windows Server."
"We use only the license versions of Windows Server."
"We pay a license to use Windows Server."
"Our licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Government
8%
University
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SUSE Linux Enterprise?
I used the open-source version, so there were no setup costs.
What needs improvement with SUSE Linux Enterprise?
The software management side was a bit difficult, especially compared to Ubuntu. The software manager was different, making it challenging to install certain applications. Additionally, I encounter...
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. ...
 

Also Known As

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

Overview

 

Sample Customers

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, ...
Rakuten, Rackspace, Tyco
Find out what your peers are saying about SUSE Linux Enterprise vs. Windows Server and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
865,164 professionals have used our research since 2012.