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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
6th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
69
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
4.8
Number of Reviews
280
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of CentOS is 4.6%, down from 8.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Windows 10 is 2.7%, down from 4.3% 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.
Deboprio Dutta - PeerSpot reviewer
Improved security features with gaming enhancements while supporting various features
I understand that Windows 11 supports quite a bit of additional features for people who are, for example, into high-end gaming and the features that support that kind of utility. It's not personally much of a thing for me, however, I've heard about differences between the two operating system versions. To the best of my knowledge, I think Windows 11 brings some AI features for Microsoft Copilot, which probably weren't as integrated into the previous version. There are the occasional bugs and issues that pop up, yet none are significant enough for me to consider a major update. Overall, it's a smooth experience.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"CentOS's most valuable features are that it's cost-saving and helps to scale down your usage."
"It is a stable soultion."
"The initial setup is very easy."
"The latest version of this solution has everything built in, making it comprehensive and very easy to use."
"The most valuable feature is that it is compatible with RedHat."
"It is a scalable and cost-effective product compared to public cloud solutions."
"The solution is easy to troubleshoot."
"We used the solution as an operating system."
"It's user-friendly, and you can toggle between all your UI and features, which is good."
"I've used different Windows releases for many years, so it's the preferred operating system that I'm used to. I don't use the tiled interface that Microsoft introduced to unify laptop and mobile interfaces, but I find it inconvenient on laptops. I prefer the more classical, conservative interface like Windows 7 and XP."
"It is easy to install and has good information."
"Windows 10 is stable."
"We are satisfied with this operating system."
"The product is user-friendly and runs on multiple PCs."
"I think that they have been doing a great job for a long time now when it comes to installation and user experience."
"Even if users aren't very technical, they can use Windows."
 

Cons

"We occasionally have issues with software installation."
"We are aware that the licensing has shifted, and it's not a change we've liked."
"When comparing the GUI of CentOS to Microsoft Windows or Mac, it could improve."
"I would like the integration to be more secure."
"If CentOS could add Office features then that would be beneficial. Additionally, the UI could improve."
"The product lacks a graphical user interface that can help users automate certain systems using the native features offered by CentOS."
"There is no notification before updates are applied to the solution, which occasionally means that new functionality isn't compatible with how the product is currently being used, and causes issues."
"The YUM install manager can be improved. It is below average as compared to the other install managers. This is the only major problem that I see with CentOS. They should reduce dependency on the YUM manager."
"They should lower the price point."
"System resource consumption is more than Linux. I would like better RAM and better memory optimization."
"The security could be improved. I have had colleagues who have gotten their files corrupted somehow."
"It's difficult to determine the source of an issue when it comes to performance."
"I think the price should be lower for all computer products. Microsoft is a major company that makes a lot of money, so maybe they have enough."
"The system's pricing needs improving."
"Sometimes, I need to reboot it when it slows down."
"We had some issues deploying Windows 10 for our clients."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price could be better. The cost depends on how the organization or a specific person licenses it. If you want the free version, there's Ubuntu which is supported by forums. You can pay for the license yearly or pay for a specific version."
"I'm not required to pay a licensing fee."
"We don’t have to pay for the system’s licenses."
"CentOS is an open source that is free of cost."
"There are no costs for CentOS, it is open-source."
"CentOS is a free solution."
"There is no license required for this solution."
"We are using a subscription-based license option for CentOS."
"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis."
"We pay our licensing fees yearly."
"The solution’s pricing is reasonable."
"The licensing price could definitely be cheaper. I pay a yearly license for Windows 10."
"On a scale of one to ten, where one is the lowest price possible and ten is the highest, I rate its pricing five since it's quite overpriced."
"The price strategy is fine and there are no additional costs involved."
"My company is on a corporate license for Windows 10 and my personal computer I bought the operating system already installed, I did not pay for it."
"The licensing fees could be cheaper."
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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
16%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
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?
CentOS is a free product with free updates. There are third-party companies available for support, but they charge varying amounts for their services.
What needs improvement with Windows 10?
There is an issue with using Outlook, as you have to acquire a license. The basic version offered by Windows 10 does not allow direct preview of emails, requiring downloads instead. If they could a...
What is your primary use case for Windows 10?
I am working with Aras PLM. We are using Aras PLM, Windows 10 and Jira. Teams has very good features. We are using soft phones.
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about CentOS vs. Windows 10 and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
861,524 professionals have used our research since 2012.