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CentOS vs Windows Server 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 Server
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
4th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
184
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of CentOS is 6.9%, down from 9.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Windows Server is 9.6%, up from 8.9% 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.
Sagar SampadMall - PeerSpot reviewer
User-friendly, resources available online to troubleshoot any issue
It's easy to manage core applications and deploy engineers. Windows engineers are more affordable than Linux or Unix engineers, so that's another advantage. So, the management costs are much lower for the Windows Server. Plus, troubleshooting is straightforward with readily available online resources, so we don't need to raise tickets or wait for help. We can easily search on Google and find the solution on the search engine. Windows Server is pretty mature already. They're doing a good job with it.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It is better than Ubuntu Linux."
"CentOS is very efficient and very powerful with many capabilities."
"The open architecture is useful for us. That's why we're using CentOS."
"I like the command prompt of CentOS. It's very simple."
"The product is very efficient when it comes to virtualization."
"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 is based on Red Hat and very stable."
"The initial setup is very easy."
"It is pretty simple and flexible. It works with all kinds of software. That's why we are using it. We avoid using Linux and other platforms."
"The feature that I have found most valuable is the Active Directory. I have had good experience with Windows Server."
"The solution is straightforward to install and took approximately 30 minutes."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is Hyper-V Live Migration for Critical applications."
"The most useful is the interface and the ergonomic. Windows is very simple."
"The product helps with enterprise security. It becomes more stable with frequent updates."
"Every time they perform a new release, the solution gets better and better."
"I find Windows Server valuable for its flexibility and user-friendly interface."
 

Cons

"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 interface could be improved."
"Integration with Open Stack could be improved."
"If a proper GUI-based tool was connected remotely or on the machine, it could be a great addition to CentOS."
"CentOS could be improved by being more secure. Of course, we use a firewall, but security is always a concern."
"In terms of commands, it's all CLI and there isn't any GUI which can make it challenging to use for some people."
"Updates are going to a streaming version."
"The price of CentOS could improve."
"I believe that Windows Server can be somewhat vulnerable compared to other options, but its security can be improved. I also think that the setup process can be somewhat complex, depending on the applications involved. Regarding the security features of Windows Server, while it offers some built-in security measures, it's not sufficient to solely rely on them. Additional external devices such as firewalls may be needed for comprehensive protection. Deploying antivirus and firewall software on the server is advisable, but having an external firewall adds an extra layer of security. When migrating to Windows Server from previous versions or other platforms, noticeable improvements were observed, particularly in the utilization of graphical interfaces. Windows offers robust graphical guidance, especially compared to Linux or other systems like Acronis, making it easier to navigate and manage various functionalities."
"The product has certain shortcomings related to security capability in the area of incident response, making it the tool's component where improvements are required."
"It should have more stability and fewer automatic updates. A CLI approach, similar to Linux, is missing right now."
"The compatibility and the ease of use are areas that I would like to see improved."
"I used to like the graphical interface and graphical philosophy in previous versions of Windows Server. I am not able to be as fast and efficient as I used to be using a graphical interface. However, Windows has moved to the PowerShell, it is powerful, but is still limited compared to what we do can do in Linux. Linux was built at the beginning of the command line interfaces which is why they have a very powerful command line."
"The solution is not easy to use."
"In terms of support, it's pretty complicated when you have to study the documentation."
"There should be the ability to add other databases to be installed and configured instead of going to other virtual machines. They should be better integrated so they are all in one place."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is open-source and does not have any costs or licensing fees."
"We don’t have to pay for the system’s licenses."
"CentOS is free."
"There are no costs for CentOS, it is open-source."
"CentOS is an open-source tool."
"We have a CentOS license that we pay for on a yearly basis."
"We are using a subscription-based license option for CentOS."
"The solution is open source."
"Our customers prefer lifetime licenses."
"We pay a license to use Windows Server."
"There is a license to use this solution and the price is reasonable."
"There are no fees involved in the solution."
"Windows Systems use more resources than Linux systems and can be very costly."
"The price is exorbitant for the value one gets with the solution."
"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis."
"We use a perpetual license for Windows Server, which is expensive."
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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%
Government
10%
Educational Organization
9%
Financial Services Firm
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 Server?
Sometimes the performance goes down, which might be due to the stability zone or network issues. It can also depend on our network.
What is your primary use case for Windows Server?
We are using Windows Server to connect our client software. We use it to access client systems and work on SQL databases.
 

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Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Rakuten, Rackspace, Tyco
Find out what your peers are saying about CentOS vs. Windows Server and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
831,158 professionals have used our research since 2012.