CentOS vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) comparison

CentOS and Red Hat are both solutions in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category. CentOS is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.6, while Red Hat is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.8. CentOS holds a 5.8% mindshare in OSB, compared to Red Hat’s 10.2% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of CentOS users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Red Hat users who would recommend it.

CentOS

Read 68 CentOS reviews

8,807 Views
8,969 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (R...

Read 271 Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) reviews

34,963 Views
13,602 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

CentOS

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (R...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 7, 2024

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and CentOS both provide robust operating systems but cater to slightly different markets. Users often prefer CentOS for its no-cost offering and identical features, while RHEL is favored for its pricing and comprehensive support.

Features: RHEL offers advanced security features, enterprise-level support, and consistent updates. CentOS provides identical features to RHEL, extensive documentation, and high reliability but lacks official support.

Room for Improvement: RHEL could improve its update process, reduce licensing costs, and offer more flexibility in licensing. CentOS could benefit from better community support, more frequent updates, and improved support mechanisms provided by the community.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: RHEL is known for its straightforward deployment process and excellent customer service with round-the-clock support. CentOS deployment is seamless but lacks official customer service, relying on community forums and user contributions.

Pricing and ROI: RHEL has higher setup costs due to licensing fees but offers significant ROI through enhanced security and management features. CentOS, being free, presents zero setup costs and attracts users seeking lower total cost of ownership.

To learn more, read our detailed CentOS vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Report (Updated: February 2025).

Buyer's Guide

CentOS vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

February 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

CentOS

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

7th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (R...

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

1st

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

271

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of CentOS is 5.8%, down from 8.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is 10.2%, down from 12.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Operating Systems (OS) for Business

Featured Reviews

Mahender Nirwan

Software developer at TAIGLE LLC

In-depth documentation available and command-line utility works well

One issue I recently faced, but I think it was due to my IT support guys, was that when the server storage gets full, the service crashes. It's very difficult to regain access and stability in that situation. That could be improved. So, the stability might be improved. But I don't think it's a CentOS-level issue. The system administrators need to come up with a solution for that, but I don't think it's CentOS's fault. I haven't done any research [R&D] on this issue. There's one thing for sure. We recently migrated from CentOS 7 to CentOS 9, and it was a bit difficult. For example, updating Windows is simple; you just download it, and it takes about 15-20 minutes. But that's not the case with migrating from CentOS 7 to 9. We had to back up the entire server, launch a new server, and then restore the backup to the new server. We couldn't directly migrate. I think that was a bit of a problem. The setup and updates are not that new in CentOS.

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Bruce Lundberg

Linux HPC Systems Administrator at a manufacturing company with 5,001-10,000 employees

Reliable patch management, high uptime, and incredible knowledge base

In terms of security, it does a lot of things that most people still turn off. SELinux is turned on by default. They have pretty good firewall rules in their defaults. The audit rules always take tweaking, but, overall, it comes out of the box not too bad. I used to write scripts to harden them from there. There are multiple ways to provision and patch. You have everything from local repositories to doing it by hand. Their knowledge base is incredible. There is so much information out there. It has never taken me longer than 30 minutes to find an answer to anything, even very tough ones. One company I worked for was a security company, and we did a lot of patching on everything. It was designed around security and email hosting, and uptime was pretty much whatever we wanted it to be. I have had a couple of times when the uptime was bad, but it was caused by a third-party solution. In fact, the Norton antivirus was definitely the worst. Red Hat had nothing to do with it.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Very robust and easy to work with."

"I like the command prompt of CentOS. It's very simple."

"The product is very efficient when it comes to virtualization."

"Offers useful information and has good compatibility."

"It’s a simple, straightforward implementation."

"The pricing is good. We pay a minimal fee."

"CentOS's most valuable features are that it's cost-saving and helps to scale down your usage."

"We used the solution as an operating system."

More CentOS pros

"Technical support is pretty good. It's one of the main reasons we chose Red Hat over competitors."

"RHEL makes patching and scripting much easier, and it provides all the features I need for patching and VM updates."

"Red Hat Enterprise Linux's built-in security features are very good."

"Logical volumes allow us to dynamically expand volumes, which is valuable from an operational perspective."

"The most valuable feature is Satellite. Its consistency in patch upgradation is great. For the ten-year lifecycle, we have been able to rely on it and not worry if the patch will break. We do not need additional patching features since it covers everything."

"I find the most valuable aspect of Red Hat Enterprise Linux to be its ease of customization."

"Reliability is the most valuable feature."

"The main reasons for using Red Hat Enterprise Linux are security, reliability, and efficiency. The system is very reliable, and it is more efficient than others."

More Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) pros

Cons

"Like every operating system, it could be more secure."

"I was using CentOS because it was very stable, and now it's not."

"The solution might be discontinued but I hope that IBM will continue to develop it and improve on the functionally and features."

"In terms of commands, it's all CLI and there isn't any GUI which can make it challenging to use for some people."

"The stability could always be improved."

"Lacks sufficient security and some coding tools."

"The interface could be improved."

"CentOS could be improved by being more secure. Of course, we use a firewall, but security is always a concern."

More CentOS cons

"It also has a steep learning curve for employees unfamiliar with Linux, and it demands a skilled team or a dedicated service center to operate effectively."

"Red Hat Enterprise Linux could do better in live patching. In this day and age, vulnerabilities are constantly emerging, I feel that Red Hat Enterprise Linux has fallen backward in terms of live patching, particularly live kernel patching."

"Red Hat Enterprise Linux's SELinux can be challenging to manage and troubleshoot, often causing frustration."

"I would like training to be added to the subscription. It would be useful for when you have to train yourself or get a certification. There are many things that we are not using because we don't know how to use them. Having training included in the subscription would help us in learning more things and utilizing the full power of the solution."

"Overall, I am happy with it, but I believe, security-wise, it could be better."

"The labor required to maintain the on-premises storage systems has room for improvement."

"It is constantly improving. It is important to continue to improve."

"The DNF package manager could be improved."

More Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's freeware, so we can use it without worrying about licensing."

"It's free."

"CentOS is a free solution."

"CentOS is cheaper compared to Windows."

"There is no license required for this solution."

"I use the free version."

"There are no licensing fees. CentOS is a free solution."

"CentOS is free."

More CentOS pricing and cost advice

"Red Hat Enterprise Linux offers a straightforward pricing and licensing model."

"We charge €2,000 per system for three years."

"For me, it is not too bad, but my company pays the bill, so I do not worry too much about it."

"I do not know the overall cost, but I know that Red Hat is cheaper than Windows."

"That has been mostly handled by Red Hat. As we are a Red Hat shop, we have a lot of people around that already."

"Most Indians will find RHEL a little costly. It's slightly above average. RHEL's pricing has room for improvement because it's more expensive in the local market due to purchasing power parity in India."

"When you are running your infrastructure on this, you can always find some discounts with local support, etc. There are always some discounts to match your budget. It is definitely affordable."

"This is not a cheap solution but it gets you the support if you ever need it."

More Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) pricing and cost advice

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Comparison Review

it_user281973

Storage and VMware Expert at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees

Aug 24, 2017

It's improved our company's system environments that run Oracle databases.

Red Hat is mission critical to our environment Red Hat has improved the mission critical environments running Oracle databases, while CentOS has improved our web environment and MySQL. Oracle and SAP Environment and all HPC environments. 10 years No issues Very stable i don´t find any problem…

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

Which would you choose - RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux) or CentOS?

Red Hat Enterprise Linux is fantastic. It is an inexpensive solution that has excellent security, performance, and stability, and also lots of features. I specifically like that the solution has fe...

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What do you like most about CentOS?

CentOS is very easy to use, and all the commands are user-friendly.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for CentOS?

I am not responsible for the setup cost in my company, so I am unsure about the cost of the license.

See all answers

What do you like most about Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)?

It is open source. We can customize it as per our requirements.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)?

Red Hat Enterprise Linux is more expensive compared to other operating systems. The license for cloud deployments is more affordable than the on-premises version.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)?

The price for Red Hat Enterprise Linux is more expensive than other operating systems, especially when compared to other cloud versions. The cost of a license for cloud deployment is cheaper than t...

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Comparisons

Oracle Linux vs CentOS

Compared 41% of the time

Ubuntu Linux vs CentOS

Compared 10% of the time

Windows Server vs CentOS

Compared 9% of the time

SUSE Linux Enterprise vs CentOS

Compared 8% of the time

openSUSE Leap vs CentOS

Compared 7% of the time

More CentOS Competitors

SUSE Linux Enterprise vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 22% of the time

Windows Server vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 15% of the time

Rocky Linux vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 15% of the time

Oracle Linux vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 9% of the time

Oracle Solaris vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 4% of the time

More Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

CentOS

March 2025

Download CentOS product report

Buyer's Guide

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

March 2025

Download Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) product report

Also Known As

No data available

Red Hat Enterprise Linux, RHEL

Overview

CentOS is a versatile operating system with many use cases, including virtual spaces, scientific computing, data center servers, web-based applications, and more. Its valuable features include customization options, low memory consumption, performance, scalability, open-source nature, cost-saving, and compatibility with Red Hat packages.

The solution has helped organizations save money on licensing and improve testing capabilities for new implementations without spending additional resources. CentOS is a stable, reliable, and efficient operating system that is easy to use and integrate with other applications and services.

CentOS

Red Hat Enterprise Linux is recognized for its stability, security, and performance, serving diverse industries with its robust support and seamless cloud deployment capabilities.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux provides comprehensive server applications across cloud environments, featuring tools like Ansible for enhanced user experience. It integrates OpenShift, Identity Management, and automation, supported by extensive documentation. Users seek easier upgrades, enhanced network virtualization support, and improved live patching.

What are the key features of Red Hat Enterprise Linux?

Stability and Security: RHEL is designed to provide a stable and secure environment, backed by consistent updates.
Cloud Deployment: Easily deployable across cloud platforms, enhancing flexibility.
Integration with Ansible: Enhances operational efficiency with powerful automation tools.
OpenShift and Containerization: Supports modern app development with integrated OpenShift features.
Extensive Documentation: Offers comprehensive resources for users to troubleshoot and optimize.

What are the benefits of using Red Hat Enterprise Linux?

Reliable Support: Benefit from extensive support options for seamless operation.
Enhanced Security: Built-in features ensure data integrity and protection.
Increased Flexibility: Suitable for diverse deployment environments, including on-premises and cloud.
Operational Efficiency: Tools like automation and cloud navigation improve productivity.
Training and Resources: Access to comprehensive training contributes to smoother implementations.

In sectors like finance, telecommunications, and education, Red Hat Enterprise Linux is crucial for running stable, secure systems. Its application spans web servers, data management, and containerization through tools like Kubernetes. Organizations adopt it for on-premises, virtualized, and cloud environments, ensuring robust infrastructure management.

Red Hat

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Travel Channel, Mohawk Industries, Hilti, Molecular Health, Exolgan, Hotelplan Group, Emory University, BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina, HCA Healthcare, Paychex, UPS, Intermountain Healthcare, Brinker International, TransUnion, Union Bank, CA Technologies

Buyer's Guide

CentOS vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

February 2025

Free Report: CentOS vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

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