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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:
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.8
CentOS users depend on community and online resources for support, while Red Hat offers formal support options for a fee.
No sentiment score available
Microsoft's Windows Server support receives mixed reviews, with some praising its responsiveness and others highlighting slow service and improvement needs.
I had the need to contact Microsoft customer support on a matter, and their engineer was able to remotely assume control of the screen (with my permission and after following instructions) and in a few minutes had resolved the problem.
When we get the support from Microsoft's Shanghai division, the support is very good.
There have been cases where the problem is too complicated to easily correct over the phone, so they sent a local technical from their support team to assist us in troubleshooting.
 

Room For Improvement

Sentiment score
4.8
CentOS users seek improved stability, user-friendliness, better integration, enhanced security, frequent updates, and efficient management for modern needs.
Sentiment score
5.2
Windows Server needs improvements in security, integration, interface, optimization, support, and cost management for better user experience.
This tool simplifies the control and monitoring of all servers.
Microsoft should expand to integrate the Windows Server with Azure and Linux distribution to provide a simple container environment for running dockerized applications.
If the service could be better integrated with the Azure Cloud, I think it would be a plus for Windows.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.3
CentOS offers robust scalability for varied deployments, efficiently supporting small to large environments with flexible performance and seamless expansion.
Sentiment score
8.2
Windows Server offers scalable solutions for various organizations, though larger deployments and advanced cloud scaling may pose challenges.
In general, it is scalable and manageable.
It works for any size of organization from small to large.
I'm on a 16GB system with a 500GB SSD and I can run multiple VM's on VirtualBox, client sessions, multiple displays and so forth without any issues at all.
 

Setup Cost

Sentiment score
7.3
CentOS is a cost-effective, open-source solution with minimal expenses, ideal for enterprises, especially those with small budgets.
No sentiment score available
Windows Server pricing is complex and costly compared to Linux, with various licensing options and additional support fees.
Some of our customers have spent approximately $12,000 a year on the operating system license.
Some competitors are offering their operating systems for free.
It's a bit expensive if you were to compare it to Linux.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.3
CentOS is praised for stability and reliability, despite minor issues in newer versions, and remains a trusted choice.
Sentiment score
8.2
Windows Server is praised for its reliability and stability, with recent improvements, especially in handling updates and usage increases.
The solution is quite stable.
There aren't really bugs or glitches.
It's very reliable and the performance is good.
 

Valuable Features

Sentiment score
8.1
CentOS offers stability, security, and efficiency with Red Hat compatibility, valued for performance, scalability, and open-source flexibility.
Sentiment score
8.1
Windows Server offers ease of use, stability, scalability, robust management, virtualization, and Microsoft integration, enhancing enterprise application performance.
I love using it for the DHCP server, DNS services, and using a computer to map sites on our domain.
The most valuable feature of this solution is the ESRP that is used with the Windows Platform.
Integration with other Microsoft solutions like Exchange and System Center Configuration Manager has the great ability to manage all of the different features on system support, like upgrading, securing, and troubleshooting different Windows systems for clients.
 

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
7.5
Number of Reviews
182
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2024, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of CentOS is 7.5%, down from 9.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Windows Server is 9.4%, down from 9.5% 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.
Dan Campeanu - PeerSpot reviewer
Supports various hardware interfaces and offers excellent value for money
Windows Server was crucial for our business as it offered scalability, allowing us to seamlessly upgrade servers as our company expanded rapidly. It served as the backbone for all our tools and applications, providing a unified platform for our operations. Windows Server's security features have significantly improved our IT security posture. While occasional vulnerabilities arose, Microsoft promptly addressed them, providing clear instructions on mitigation. Consequently, we have had no security incidents in over 20 years, thanks to proactive measures and effective security management. Managing Windows Server in a multi-server environment used to be relatively easy, but in recent years, it has become increasingly challenging due to the removal of useful tools and Microsoft's focus on cloud services. Integrating Windows Server with Azure was initially challenging due to limited documentation and some synchronization issues, but it became smoother over time with the help of user experiences and shared knowledge. Integration with AWS for specific tasks was less problematic. I would recommend Windows Server to others. Overall, I would rate it as a nine out of ten.
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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
12%
Government
10%
Educational Organization
10%
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?
Active Directory should have groups and policies. It could probably provide a better overview of how Active Directory is built.
What is your primary use case for Windows Server?
We use the solution for deployments, troubleshooting, Active Directory policies, and Windows patching.
 

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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: October 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.