CentOS vs Windows 11 comparison

CentOS and Microsoft are both solutions in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category. CentOS is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.8, while Microsoft is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.5. CentOS holds a 5.5% mindshare in OSB, compared to Microsoft’s 5.6% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of CentOS users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

CentOS

Read 68 CentOS reviews

8,350 Views
8,466 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Windows 11

Read 45 Windows 11 reviews

3,111 Views
2,944 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

CentOS

Windows 11

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 7, 2024

CentOS and Windows 11 are competing in the operating system category. CentOS has the upper hand for its cost-effectiveness and performance, while Windows 11 is favored for its comprehensive features and user-friendly interface.

Features: CentOS is known for reliability, stability, and robustness in server environments. Windows 11 offers modern features, enhanced security, and widespread application compatibility.

Room for Improvement: CentOS requires better graphical support, improved system compatibility, and enhanced user interface experience. Windows 11 needs to address high resource usage, improve compatibility with older hardware, and optimize performance for diverse configurations.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: CentOS has a simple deployment process with strong community support but limited direct customer service. Windows 11 provides a guided installation process with comprehensive official support services.

Pricing and ROI: CentOS has lower setup costs and a cost-effective model, leading to a higher ROI in server deployments. Windows 11, despite higher setup costs, offers advanced features and professional support, providing good ROI for those needing a feature-rich environment.

To learn more, read our detailed CentOS vs. Windows 11 Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

CentOS vs. Windows 11

March 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

6th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Windows 11

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

10th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

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 11 is 5.6%, up from 0.5% 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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Anish Bheekoo

IT Lead at CMH

Stable performance, straightforward setup process, and it is easy to join a domain

In terms of improvement, I have noticed some latency issues when loading large Excel or Word files. I'm not sure if it's a network or software issue, but it would be great if they could address that. Additionally, in terms of security, implementing easier remote access to laptops and providing more mature patching options would be beneficial. Overall, there is room for improvement in these areas. It should also give complete support for already tested versions.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"There's lots of great documentation available."

"The user access level is most valuable. When you do administration with CentOS, the number of customizations that you can do for each user is higher than other solutions. It is very customizable."

"The product is based on Red Hat and very stable."

"The solution is productive."

"A valuable features of CentOS is that it's quite stable and doesn't crash often. It's also quite intuitive."

"The initial setup is very easy."

"The product's initial setup phase is very straightforward."

"Setup is straightforward. You can complete it in about 30 minutes."

More CentOS pros

"The product's most valuable feature is its support service."

"The tool's integrated antivirus program, Microsoft Defender, is enough for my purpose."

"Windows 11 has a very straightforward initial setup."

"I use the tool for work which includes emails, using the internet, etc."

"The security features in Windows 11 are always being updated."

"The tool is user-friendly. It is easy to use, and we have many applications like Excel and Word where we can do spreadsheet work."

"I like the product's taskbar and icon grouping. You can also get a Windows subscription for Android. The solution's performance is also better compared to the previous versions."

"Windows 11 is mainly used for support and provides improved performance compared to Windows 10."

More Windows 11 pros

Cons

"The tool has no official support."

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

"The solution could improve by being more user-friendly."

"When comparing the GUI of CentOS to Microsoft Windows or Mac, it could improve."

"We occasionally have issues with software installation."

"CentOS is pretty old now, so I wouldn't recommend anyone use it."

"This solution is no longer supported and will not receive any updates going forward."

"It would be useful if reporting were included as part of the basic license."

More CentOS cons

"I would like to add a frontend to manage the virtual machines that are installed in Windows 11. It should also improve security which includes patching the vulnerabilities."

"The solution must improve its aesthetics."

"Windows 11's pricing needs improvement. Additionally, its integration capabilities with other systems could be better."

"Windows 11 needs to improve its pricing."

"A significant drawback is its cost for the hardware requirements that is important for optimal performance which makes it less accessible and potentially impractical for many users globally."

"Sometimes, I experience slowness in Windows 11, and its speed could be improved."

"Accessing the network settings takes more time and can be cumbersome."

"The driver updates for the solution could be better."

More Windows 11 cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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 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."

"We have a CentOS license that we pay for on a yearly basis."

"This is an open source solution."

"This is an open-source solution, so there are no licensing costs involved."

"I use the free version."

"This is a free solution."

"The product is free."

More CentOS pricing and cost advice

"It is expensive."

"My company purchases licenses in bulk for 2000 users."

"The pricing is affordable."

"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a nine out of ten."

"We take a yearly license, but payment-wise, it's better to pay monthly."

"We pay for a yearly license for Windows 11."

"The tool's price is high and I would rate it a nine out of ten."

"The product is not cheap."

More Windows 11 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

10%

Government

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

15%

Comms Service Provider

12%

University

Financial Services Firm

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...

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?

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 Windows 11?

We use Windows 11 for our workstation’s daily operations.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Windows 11?

I have a university license, so I do not pay anything for Windows 11.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Windows 11?

Drives are a significant issue, and finding the correct drives for everything to function properly is challenging. I also faced issues with Teams, although it's unclear whether this is related to W...

See all answers

Comparisons

Oracle Linux vs CentOS

Compared 40% of the time

Ubuntu Linux vs CentOS

Compared 11% 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 8% of the time

More CentOS Competitors

Windows Server vs Windows 11

Compared 75% of the time

Ubuntu Linux vs Windows 11

Compared 6% of the time

Kali Linux vs Windows 11

Compared 6% of the time

openSUSE Leap vs Windows 11

Compared 3% of the time

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs Windows 11

Compared 3% of the time

More Windows 11 Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

CentOS

April 2025

Download CentOS product report

Buyer's Guide

Windows 11

March 2025

Download Windows 11 product report

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

Windows 11 provides a streamlined, user-friendly experience combining enhanced graphics and superior performance. It supports a wide array of tasks from professional work activities to gaming and supports Microsoft Office applications seamlessly.

Windows 11 stands out with its intuitive setup, comprehensive network analytics, and robust security features. It is adopted in production, educational, and development environments for tasks like front-end automation and business processes. Users benefit from improved multitasking capabilities with screen snapping and seamless application integration. The operating system also supports AI initiatives, offering automatic screen recording and advanced animation features.

What key features does Windows 11 offer?

User-friendly interface with updated design and stability
Seamless Microsoft Office integration
Enhanced multitasking support with screen snapping
Comprehensive security with Windows Defender
AI and animation support including automatic screen recording
Improved taskbar and icon grouping for better efficiency

What benefits can users expect from Windows 11?

Enhanced productivity through efficient booting
Robust security measures to protect sensitive data
Valuable performance insights and statistics
Intuitive setup process minimizing downtime
Strong compatibility with Microsoft Office boosting versatility

Organizations implement Windows 11 in production environments to optimize workflows while educational institutions leverage its features for collaborative learning. Developers use it to streamline coding and testing, benefiting from its automation and multitasking capabilities.

Microsoft

Buyer's Guide

CentOS vs. Windows 11

March 2025

Free Report: CentOS vs. Windows 11

Find out what your peers are saying about CentOS vs. Windows 11 and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.

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