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CentOS vs Rocky Linux comparison

CentOS and Rocky Linux are both solutions in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category. CentOS is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.7, while Rocky Linux is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.9. CentOS holds a 4.5% mindshare in OSB, compared to Rocky Linux’s 13.6% mindshare. Additionally, 94% of CentOS users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Rocky Linux users who would recommend it.
CentOS
Read 74 CentOS reviews
  • 5,566 Views
  • 5,510 Comparison Views
94% willing to recommend
Rocky Linux
Read 17 Rocky Linux reviews
  • 11,624 Views
  • 11,624 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 3, 2025

CentOS and Rocky Linux are competing in the open-source operating systems space for enterprise-level needs. Rocky Linux seems to have the edge in compatibility and long-term stability, making it a compelling choice for reliable performance.

Features: CentOS offers excellent integration with Red Hat systems, prioritizes security, and has a robust community. Rocky Linux maintains 1:1 compatibility with Red Hat Enterprise Linux, ensures a seamless transition from CentOS, and emphasizes continuity and reliability.

Room for Improvement: CentOS could improve on providing clarity about its future support, expand its documentation to assist new users, and enhance user interface simplicity. Rocky Linux might focus on expanding its support network, streamlining its deployment process for new users, and enhancing integration with other enterprise tools.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: CentOS has established deployment procedures and extensive documentation, making it straightforward for seasoned administrators. In contrast, Rocky Linux offers a similar deployment model with community-driven customer service that aims to fill gaps left by CentOS's discontinued full support. Despite a learning curve, its support channels are responsive and welcoming to migrating users.

Pricing and ROI: CentOS is cost-effective with a zero-cost purchase model, though indirect costs may appear due to maintenance and training. It historically provided substantial ROI through stability and community support. Rocky Linux also offers a no-cost model promoting reduced indirect costs due to its straightforward migration path from CentOS, aiming to maximize ROI by minimizing transition costs and leveraging existing investments.

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To learn more, read our detailed CentOS vs. Rocky Linux Report (Updated: September 2025).
Buyer's Guide
CentOS vs. Rocky Linux
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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
4.0
CentOS supports business operations by reducing downtime and costs, providing critical infrastructure despite uncalculated precise financial metrics.
Sentiment score
3.9
Rocky Linux adoption reduces costs through open-source use and community support, though some await detailed financial impact analysis.
We have saved approximately 50% of our revenue by using CentOS.
It saved a lot of time through troubleshooting, which gives us substantial room for improvement in terms of fixing things.
For more quotes and insights, download the CentOS report
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.
For more quotes and insights, download the Rocky Linux report
BJ
reviewer2764785 - PeerSpot reviewerBasil Jiji - PeerSpot reviewerreviewer2758263 - PeerSpot reviewerreviewer2772054 - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
5.2
CentOS relies on strong community support for troubleshooting, while Red Hat users value official service and knowledge base.
Sentiment score
4.1
Rocky Linux is praised for reliability and ease of use with effective community and support resources available to users.
I would rate the customer support for CentOS a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10.
I've seen many people across the globe interacting, and when users encounter issues, the community provides solutions.
I would rate the documentation about eight in terms of usefulness.
For more quotes and insights, download the CentOS report
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.
For more quotes and insights, download the Rocky Linux report
reviewer2764785 - PeerSpot reviewerNaveenkumar Lakshman - PeerSpot reviewer
AK
DILIP BHARADWAJ - PeerSpot reviewerKRISTOF Laenen - PeerSpot reviewerBasil Jiji - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.9
CentOS efficiently scales for small and large deployments, compatible with various hardware, supporting vertical and horizontal resource scaling.
Sentiment score
5.3
Rocky Linux is praised for its scalability and ease of setup, though automation tools are recommended for optimal scaling.
CentOS is scalable and user-friendly without requiring complex configurations.
It allows users to scale resources vertically for upgrading hardware and horizontally by adding more servers, making it suitable for modern web hosting and containerized applications.
CentOS's scalability for my organization has handled growth and changing needs smoothly.
For more quotes and insights, download the CentOS report
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.
For more quotes and insights, download the Rocky Linux report
Naveenkumar Lakshman - PeerSpot reviewerMohammad Wasif - PeerSpot reviewerreviewer2764785 - PeerSpot reviewerreviewer2758479 - PeerSpot reviewerreviewer2772054 - PeerSpot reviewerJetsada Malaisirirat - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.3
CentOS is favored for its stability, reliability, simplicity, and user-friendliness, supporting complex tasks with minimal issues.
Sentiment score
7.1
Rocky Linux is stable, reliable, performs well on low-resource systems, and users recommend support for potential future issues.
CentOS is stable, reliable, flexible, and very useful.
CentOS's simplicity and stability make it easy to use.
I believe CentOS is stable, but we are gradually moving away from it.
For more quotes and insights, download the CentOS report
Rocky Linux is stable, scalable, and it is very much easier to use.
Rocky Linux is stable.
For more quotes and insights, download the Rocky Linux report
Mohammad Wasif - PeerSpot reviewerNaveenkumar Lakshman - PeerSpot reviewer
AK
Basil Jiji - PeerSpot reviewerreviewer2764758 - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Room For Improvement

CentOS struggles with kernel tuning, lacking user-friendly features, support, and updates, leading to user dissatisfaction and compatibility issues.
Rocky Linux needs improvements in software availability, documentation, marketing clarity, compatibility, security updates, and integration with modern tools.
The documentation and support could be improved, along with compatibility with newer hardware as hardware continually evolves over time.
Kernel parameters, sysctl config details, tuned profiles, process prioritization, optimized disk, and input scheduler choice are all points for performance optimization.
CentOS removed long-term support, and version releases every two to three years are not ideal for production environments because they necessitate frequent updates.
For more quotes and insights, download the CentOS report
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.
For more quotes and insights, download the Rocky Linux report
Naveenkumar Lakshman - PeerSpot reviewerMohammad Wasif - PeerSpot reviewer
AK
Jetsada Malaisirirat - PeerSpot reviewerMassimiliano Adamo - PeerSpot reviewerBasil Jiji - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Setup Cost

CentOS provides an open-source, cost-effective solution with no licensing fees, offering optional support for enterprise needs.
Rocky Linux is praised for its cost-effectiveness, with minimal setup costs and competitive pricing, especially for businesses reducing expenses.
There was no cost in terms of deploying it or getting the license for it.
CentOS is a free product with free updates.
The enterprise subscription cost is at a certain level, but CentOS saves customers from paying additional money, optimizing costs for enterprises and startups involved in application development.
For more quotes and insights, download the CentOS report
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.
For more quotes and insights, download the Rocky Linux report
reviewer2764785 - PeerSpot reviewer
AK
Naveenkumar Lakshman - PeerSpot reviewer
WA
reviewer2758479 - PeerSpot reviewerBakang Khunou - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Valuable Features

CentOS is a stable, secure, cost-effective, and scalable open-source platform ideal for server environments with robust community support.
Rocky Linux provides stability, ease of migration from CentOS, strong community support, and cost-effective enterprise performance with long-term support.
The update cycle changed when CentOS was prioritized for updates, causing stability issues.
In my experience, the best feature that CentOS offers is the network configuration of a device from the command-line interface, which is exceptionally clean.
The best feature CentOS offers is that it's free.
For more quotes and insights, download the CentOS report
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.
For more quotes and insights, download the Rocky Linux report
AK
reviewer2764785 - PeerSpot reviewer
BW
RD
reviewer2758479 - PeerSpot reviewerMassimiliano Adamo - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Categories and Ranking

CentOS
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
7th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
74
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Rocky Linux
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
3rd
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
5.3
Number of Reviews
17
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of CentOS is 4.5%, down from 7.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Rocky Linux is 13.6%, up from 12.7% 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 Linux13.6%
CentOS4.5%
Other81.9%
Operating Systems (OS) for Business
 

Featured Reviews

Mohammad Wasif - PeerSpot reviewer
Has supported reliable deployments and simplified issue resolution in complex environments
The most suitable feature of CentOS is its exceptional stability, security, and long-term support, which make it a popular choice for enterprise and server environments. CentOS is widely recognized for providing a stable and secure platform, especially suited for server and mission-critical workloads. Whenever we face critical work, it is easy for our team to handle. For long-term support, each CentOS release generally guarantees long-term updates, ensuring reliability for extended periods. For package management, we use YUM and DNF in the new version for flexible and efficient software management. It depends on our users' requirements for installing CentOS. Licensing for CentOS is above my management details, so I am not aware of this information. CentOS always provides good feedback, is easy to handle, and easy to troubleshoot. The experience with CentOS OS has been very good over the last two months. I rate CentOS nine out of ten.
Read full review
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.
Read full review
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Comparison Review

it_user281973 - PeerSpot reviewer
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…
Read full review
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Educational Organization
7%
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
12%
University
11%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business30
Midsize Enterprise20
Large Enterprise26
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Large Enterprise13
 

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...
See all answers
What do you like most about CentOS?
CentOS is very easy to use, and all the commands are user-friendly.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for CentOS?
My experience with CentOS in terms of pricing, setup cost, and licensing is that it is an open-source operating system, so there was no cost in terms of deploying it or getting the license for it.
See all answers
What do you like most about Rocky Linux?
It's very simple to work with, easy to learn, and know where things are.
See all answers
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...
See all answers
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...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

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Compared 11% of the time
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs CentOS Logo
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs CentOS
Compared 7% of the time
Alpine Linux vs CentOS Logo
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Compared 3% of the time
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Fedora Linux vs Rocky Linux Logo
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Compared 26% of the time
Debian vs Rocky Linux Logo
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Compared 20% of the time
Ubuntu Linux vs Rocky Linux Logo
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Compared 14% of the time
Oracle Linux vs Rocky Linux Logo
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Compared 11% of the time
Windows 10 vs Rocky Linux Logo
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Compared 1% of the time
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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
CentOS
November 2025
CentOS reportDownload CentOS product report
Buyer's Guide
Rocky Linux
October 2025
Rocky Linux reportDownload Rocky Linux product report
 

Also Known As

CentOS 7 (x86_64) - with Updates HVM
No data available
 

Overview

CentOS offers a stable, secure, and compatible environment with Red Hat packages, providing robust performance and cost efficiency. Its lightweight, scalable design and strong community support make it ideal for handling heavy workloads with limited resources.

CentOS is a popular choice for organizations seeking reliable server and virtualization solutions. Known for its robust stability and security, it offers seamless integration and maintenance. However, after a shift from Red Hat, some challenges emerged, including weak NFS client performance and a more complex interface, which beginners find challenging alongside insufficient documentation. Despite these, CentOS remains a favored option for deploying web applications, server installations, and supporting cloud solutions, thanks to its efficient use in monitoring, databases, and telecommunications.

What are CentOS's key features?
  • Stability: Maintains a consistent performance, essential for mission-critical environments.
  • Security: Offers robust safeguards, aligning with Red Hat's trusted security packages.
  • Compatibility: Seamlessly integrates with Red Hat ecosystems, enhancing versatility.
  • Cost Efficiency: Open-source approach reduces expenses compared to proprietary systems.
  • Community Support: Access to extensive resources and assistance from a dedicated user base.
What benefits should users look for in reviews?
  • Performance: Efficient resource management even under heavy workloads.
  • Integration Ease: Smooth integration with existing IT infrastructures.
  • Scalability: Ability to grow with changing requirements, supporting diverse applications.
  • Flexibility: Adaptable to a wide range of industries and use cases.
  • Reliability: Trusted for critical operations and consistent service delivery.

CentOS is widely used in industries requiring robust infrastructure, such as web hosting, scientific computing, and telecommunications. In data centers, companies deploy it to support virtual environments, testing, and development. The OS powers business applications, email servers, and cloud solutions, offering a cost-effective alternative to Red Hat.

CentOS

Rocky Linux is a robust and secure enterprise-grade operating system designed as a drop-in replacement for CentOS. Its primary use case is to provide a stable and reliable platform for organizations to run their critical workloads and applications.


The most valuable functionality of Rocky Linux lies in its compatibility with CentOS, ensuring a seamless transition for organizations already using CentOS. It offers long-term support, regular security updates, and a predictable release cycle, providing stability and reliability for mission-critical systems.

Rocky Linux helps organizations by offering a free and open-source alternative to CentOS, which was discontinued by Red Hat. It allows businesses to continue using their existing CentOS-based infrastructure without the need for costly migrations or vendor lock-in. With its strong community support and active development, Rocky Linux ensures a sustainable and community-driven future for CentOS users.

Moreover, Rocky Linux is built with security in mind, providing robust features like SELinux and secure defaults. This helps organizations protect their data and systems from potential threats and vulnerabilities.

Rocky Linux
Buyer's Guide
CentOS vs. Rocky Linux
September 2025
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