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CentOS vs Windows Server comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 3, 2025

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
9th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
69
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Windows Server
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
5th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
194
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of CentOS is 4.6%, down from 8.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Windows Server is 9.8%, up from 8.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Operating Systems (OS) for Business Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Windows Server9.8%
CentOS4.6%
Other85.6%
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.
Jai Prakash Sharma - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient Management Achieved with Internal Resources and Reliable Technical Support
Maintenance of Windows Server varies by organization, but for us, it's not very difficult as we have in-house resources managing these tasks. However, it can become a bit tricky when we want to see a collated view of our security posture. Regarding AI integrations with Windows Server, Copilot adoption is progressing, though I have only experienced it on endpoints and not on the server side. We operate significant workloads on AI, but we consume those primarily on Linux rather than Windows Server. I don't have much experience regarding integration capabilities in Windows Server for AI workloads, so I may not be the right person to provide insights on that. Overall, I am quite happy with my experience using Windows Server. I don't have many constraints or concerns, so I would rate it eight out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"If I need to install a feature or fix a server issue, I can easily find answers online. The CentOS community is also vast and helpful."
"The product offers a free community-based version."
"The most valuable feature of CentOS is the speed and it is very easy to use."
"CentOS is very easy to use, and all the commands are user-friendly."
"The user interface of CentOS is intuitive, we can also use the command prompt."
"It's a good and stable system. It provides everything you need for web servers and database servers."
"The technical support is good."
"The initial setup is very easy."
"Provides workspaces for the entire organization with fewer resources."
"The installation was straightforward and easy."
"This solution is very user friendly, easy to use for any system administrator, simple to deploy applications, has a wide range of applications available, great UI, and takes less technical skills to operate than some other competitors."
"This is a stable product."
"Overall, I am quite happy with my experience using Windows Server."
"The installation is not difficult. I found it to be very straightforward."
"It's important to us that it is easy to use and has easy maintenance because we don't have specialists"
"Windows server is stable, having improved on previous versions."
 

Cons

"The solution could improve by making the management tools better for the DevOps teams. For example, WebEX and Webstacks."
"Lacks sufficient security and some coding tools."
"GUI could be merged and expansion simplified."
"CentOS can be somewhat difficult for beginners, as it has a complex UI, especially for those not in the IT field."
"If CentOS could add Office features then that would be beneficial. Additionally, the UI could improve."
"The GUI interface could always be better."
"The product lacks a graphical user interface that can help users automate certain systems using the native features offered by CentOS."
"I have had a tough time with the product's scalability, making it an area where improvements are required."
"If the service could be better integrated with the Azure Cloud, I think it would be a plus for Windows."
"The security could improve. If you are comparing the Linux operating systems and Windows Server, Windows Server is still way behind in terms of security. Microsoft can enhance security instead of having customers rely on third-party security tools."
"The solution could improve by being more secure."
"Windows Server could be improved with cheaper licensing costs."
"Windows Server could be more secure."
"I believe the solution needs to be more secure in the future."
"Windows Server could improve by having a faster browser, IE is too slow. There are better alternatives, such as Chrome."
"Sometimes the performance goes down, which might be due to the stability zone or network issues. It can also depend on our network."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There are no licensing costs for CentOS."
"It's freeware, so we can use it without worrying about licensing."
"We don’t have to pay for the system’s licenses."
"The product is free."
"CentOS is an expensive solution. There are other solutions that are rated at the top that are not expensive, such as Red Hat."
"CentOS is an open source that is free of cost."
"There is no license required for this solution."
"For the enterprise version of CentOS, there is a license required. However, for personal use, I do not need a license."
"We have an enterprise agreement."
"It could be cheaper. Its licensing is on a yearly basis."
"There is a license required for Windows Server and Microsoft the cost is based on the number of ports that you have on the production server."
"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis."
"The price of the solution should be less expensive. There is an annual subscription to use the solution."
"Licensing fees are paid on an annual basis, and the price could be improved."
"If you're buying an instance in the cloud, then you'll pay for it monthly. Otherwise, a normal purchase is always upfront; there is no subscription model with Microsoft, at least for the Windows Server licenses."
"It is an expensive product."
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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
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Educational Organization
7%
Computer Software Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Government
8%
University
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business29
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise23
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business77
Midsize Enterprise41
Large Enterprise88
 

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 Server?
I don't have experience with Windows Server containers and Kubernetes for deploying cloud-native applications. I cannot provide specific improvements for Windows Server because I don't have extensi...
What is your primary use case for Windows Server?
At the office, the main use case for Windows Server involves different functions, for example, file server or firewall and the IIS server, Microsoft Internet Server, Internet Information Services. ...
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

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

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Rakuten, Rackspace, Tyco
Find out what your peers are saying about CentOS vs. Windows Server and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
867,676 professionals have used our research since 2012.