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CentOS vs Windows 10 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

CentOS
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
7th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
68
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Windows 10
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
8th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
5.2
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 Windows 10 is 3.1%, down from 4.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Operating Systems (OS) for Business
 

Featured Reviews

Mahender Nirwan - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Akos Szirmai - PeerSpot reviewer
Easy installation and the initial setup time is reasonable
Stability can be an issue. I have to restart it every two days. And the boot time is quite long. My laptop's old, has no SSD, and is just a traditional Winchester. Had desktops with Windows 11 and SSDs, much better performance. But hardware limitations on my current laptop lead to stability and response issues. It's more like the whole reinstall every two years thing. It makes cleaning a pain. Performance improves significantly after a fresh install, then slowly deteriorates as I add more programs. But my biggest concern with Windows 10 is actually bigger than my situation. I'm replacing my laptop anyway, but I read that Windows 10 support ends in a year or so. And with hardware limitations, many other computers won't run Windows 11. So it's not just me. A lot of people with decent, still-working Windows 10 machines will lose support and be unable to switch to 11. This will be a significant problem for individuals and institutions. Large companies with thousands of computers don't replace them every three years, and they might face issues with many computers unable to run Windows 11 and lacking support for 10.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The pricing is good. We pay a minimal fee."
"CentOS adapts well to many software and applications, providing good compatibility."
"There are a lot of sources on the internet that you can use to solve any issues, and people share their experiences. It's not a closed system"
"The solution is easy to troubleshoot."
"The technical support is good."
"The open architecture is useful for us. That's why we're using CentOS."
"The product's initial setup phase is very straightforward."
"You can work with the UI or in command line, if you prefer."
"Windows 10 is easier for people to learn than other alternative solutions. Microsoft has been doing a very good job recently with updates and integrations, such as the collaboration with Ubuntu."
"The solution's most valuable features are virtual desktops and continuous updates."
"The UI is very familiar, which makes it very user-friendly and easy to navigate."
"Windows 10 has a convenient user interface."
"I've pretty much used the solution without incident."
"Microsoft Windows 10 is the most supportive operating system that you can find. Everything can run on it."
"The performance of the solution is good and it is easy to use."
"The product's initial setup phase is pretty straightforward."
 

Cons

"We are aware that the licensing has shifted, and it's not a change we've liked."
"I would like to see more frequent updates."
"The price could be better. They could add more drivers in terms of peripherals and other things. Add more drivers for the Linux specifications in the next release. Right now, they are just pushing to have more drivers for Windows instead of Linux."
"CentOS could be improved by being more secure. Of course, we use a firewall, but security is always a concern."
"I would like the integration to be more secure."
"Currently, CentOS is not providing support, so you will not get new packages that are compatible with that operating system."
"As an open-source solution, there isn't much technical support."
"In the future, CentOS will no longer be compatible with Red Hat."
"It would be ideal if the solution itself was less technical so a person like myself could more easily access it and understand it."
"It would be better if it were more stable. It will also help if Microsoft improves the user interface in the next release."
"There is room for improvement when it comes to the licensing."
"Sometimes, the tool gives a blue screen without any reason, and then I have to restart the system."
"The solution can improve by making it more private and allowing users to know what operations are going on in the background code."
"The interface must be made faster."
"If you need servers to be deployed in a production environment then you definitely want to look at a different operating system."
"At the beginning of the year, there was a Windows patch update that created a lot of problems for our customers. They kept on getting the blue screen."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"This is a free solution."
"CentOS is an open-source tool."
"There is no price or licensing required — it's open-source."
"The solution is open source so is free."
"There are no licensing fees for CentOS."
"We have a CentOS license that we pay for on a yearly basis."
"There are no licensing costs for CentOS."
"There are no licensing fees. CentOS is a free solution."
"Windows 10 is cheap."
"The basic operating system of any hardware should be free. Therefore, it should be free. They should charge only for the enterprise level or enabling the hypervisor. They should charge for Professional Windows 10, but the basic OS should be free."
"We pay Microsoft a yearly license fee."
"There is a license to use the solution."
"Windows 10 could be less expensive. We have a perpetual license for this solution."
"This solution could definitely be a little cheaper."
"The solution requires a license and you can purchase one for personal use that lasts for the length of time you are using the solution."
"I paid for a license, but there's no monthly fee."
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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…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
University
8%
 

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...
What do you like most about CentOS?
CentOS is very easy to use, and all the commands are user-friendly.
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.
What needs improvement with Windows 10?
I do not have notes for improvement.
What is your primary use case for Windows 10?
In my case, I would mostly say it's because of security reasons. At least for the typical use cases that I generally rely on Windows for, there didn't seem to be a noticeable performance difference...
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about CentOS vs. Windows 10 and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
842,296 professionals have used our research since 2012.