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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
69
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Windows Server
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
188
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 Server is 9.0%, up from 8.6% 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.
NirajSingh - PeerSpot reviewer
User-friendly platform streamlining client connectivity
We are using Windows Server to connect our client software. We use it to access client systems and work on SQL databases Rather than purchasing and setting up infrastructure, we are using Windows Server, which obviously saves some costs. Windows Server is fulfilling our daily work-life purposes.…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It is a stable soultion."
"You can work with the UI or in command line, if you prefer."
"I like its stability, performance, and usability."
"CentOS' best feature is that it's the standard product for Linux, so it's well-supported."
"The most valuable feature is that it is compatible with RedHat."
"The product is very efficient when it comes to virtualization."
"The solution is extremely stable."
"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."
"It's easy to set up and deploy."
"Windows Server is fulfilling our daily work-life purposes."
"Since Windows Server has a graphical user interface (GUI), it is easy to use and implement the services that we are using."
"It is easy to use."
"The installation process is great."
"The deployment can be done with rapidity and much ease."
"The main feature of the solution is it has a graphical interface."
"The product is easy to use and adapt. It is known for GUI."
 

Cons

"I would like the integration to be more secure."
"It could be more secure."
"CentOS could be improved with more user-friendly monitoring."
"The solution could improve by making the management tools better for the DevOps teams. For example, WebEX and Webstacks."
"It would be ideal if Red Hat would continue the CentOS versions in an open-source format. They seem to be moving away from that. Now only paid versions are available."
"Integration with other platforms could be improved."
"Currently, CentOS is not providing support, so you will not get new packages that are compatible with that operating system."
"If CentOS could add Office features then that would be beneficial. Additionally, the UI could improve."
"The administration interface should be more user-friendly."
"I believe the solution needs to be more secure in the future."
"I would like Windows to come up lighter because the footprint itself can consume more than 300GB. It would probably take close to 100GB of space to install a Windows operating system because it has got so many features."
"Active Directory should have groups and policies. It could probably provide a better overview of how Active Directory is built."
"I'd like to be able to separate the services offered."
"The stability is okay, however, it could be better. It's an area that they could improve on if they wanted to."
"I would like to see better integration with other operating systems."
"The solution would be better by implementing more security and integration."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We use the free, open-source solution because we cannot afford the price for Linux."
"This is an open-source solution, so there are no licensing costs involved."
"The product is free."
"We are using a subscription-based license option for CentOS."
"I'm not required to pay a licensing fee."
"There are no licensing fees. CentOS is a free solution."
"It is open-source, which means it is a free product. It has a one-time deployment cost."
"CentOS is an open source that is free of cost."
"I paid for a license to use Windows Server. It is a subscription-based license and it is purchased annually."
"If you choose Windows Server on-premises, you will receive a perpetual license and there is also a subscription license option. For the cloud version, there are several options available, such as a monthly subscription."
"I rate the product's pricing an eight out of ten."
"There is not a license required for this solution."
"It is an expensive solution."
"It is not expensive. We have yearly basis licensing."
"There is a licensing fee."
"We have multiple types of licenses. Some of them are on a yearly basis, and some of them are prepaid."
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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
8%
Computer Software Company
13%
Government
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Educational Organization
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?
I think there is room for improvement in the stability of older versions. Additionally, Windows Server could be more power-efficient, especially for individuals doing labs or studies on personal co...
What is your primary use case for Windows Server?
Windows Server ( /products/windows-server-reviews ) is the operating system we run on our servers. We use it in the IT department, primarily as the OS for our servers.
 

Comparisons

 

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: April 2025.
848,716 professionals have used our research since 2012.