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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
7.2
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 April 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of CentOS is 5.5%, down from 8.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Windows 10 is 3.0%, down from 4.5% 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 solution is stable and reliable."
"It helps us install and deploy our applications."
"It is better than Ubuntu Linux."
"There's lots of great documentation available."
"It’s scalable."
"The product's initial setup phase was straightforward and not complex, especially if you are familiar with CLI."
"The product is free to use."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is that it is free."
"The main features of Windows 10 are ease of use and performance."
"It's easy to use."
"I like the Windows interface, Microsoft Office, and Edge."
"It is easy to use."
"I have found all the features to be valuable. I like the compatibility of Windows with other products, I can add applications. The general compatibility of Microsoft is good, I know that I can use all the Microsoft products."
"The upgrade process has been smooth, and performance has significantly increased, especially in laptops."
"The solution has been very stable."
"Windows 10 is a user-friendly product."
 

Cons

"The security could be improved because the server system isn't very secure."
"CentOS should extend the support of the solution. The solution is set to have no update support in 2023."
"We occasionally have issues with software installation."
"There could be more integration features included in the product."
"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 tool has no official support."
"Updates are going to a streaming version."
"The solution might be discontinued but I hope that IBM will continue to develop it and improve on the functionally and features."
"The product must reduce the number of updates."
"This is an expensive solution."
"The product has some bugs."
"The solution should improve the updates because the computers have a boot error whenever they release an upgrade."
"The solution could improve by reducing the number of updates that are required to stay secure. There are times when I am doing work on my computer and I get interrupted."
"The installation consumes a lot of space and the response time is not as fast as it should be."
"If the desktop version could be a little bit more like the mobile application, that would be great. It's just easier to navigate."
"PowerShell could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We have a CentOS license that we pay for on a yearly basis."
"The solution is open-source and does not have any costs or licensing fees."
"The product is free."
"CentOS is an open-source tool."
"The solution is not subscription-based, unlike Red Hat."
"Once you buy the license, Linux will provide you with yearly or monthly patches, so your systems will be scalable for a long time."
"The solution is free of cost to use."
"It's free."
"We are classified as an enterprise and have an enterprise license."
"The licensing price could definitely be cheaper. I pay a yearly license for Windows 10."
"All Microsoft products are expensive."
"My company has opted for a volume-based license."
"The licensing fees could be more flexible."
"The solution came pre-installed on my computer, so I did not incur a licensing fee."
"The product's commercial pricing is high."
"Windows 10 is licensed. It was included with the purchase of my laptop."
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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
10%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
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.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.