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Oracle Linux vs SUSE Linux Enterprise vs Ubuntu Linux comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

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

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of Oracle Linux is 11.1%, down from 14.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SUSE Linux Enterprise is 7.2%, down from 8.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ubuntu Linux is 14.0%, down from 22.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Operating Systems (OS) for Business
 

Featured Reviews

Marcelo Muniz - PeerSpot reviewer
The operational system is the best and is packed with free features like CapsLive
It is important to work with a vendor who will sell you the correct product for your environment rather than just try to make the most money off of you. Study the solution and learn how to install it correctly and use it in the best ways. Follow best practices from Oracle and get some training in the operational system. The solution comes with a lot of features and options that you can use for free. It is reliable and you can even use an old version with no issues. It is not the most user friendly, but you can learn it with a bit of study. Overall, the solution beats other operational systems by a large margin. The solution is rated a nine out of ten.
Dominique Locksley - PeerSpot reviewer
Has good kernel modules and upgrades
I like how the tool handles kernel modules and upgrades - we rarely have issues after upgrades, unlike with other Linux distributions like Oracle Linux or Ubuntu. The kernel module management is excellent. Changes made in one version typically work the same in other versions too, which isn't always the case with other distributions. There's also lots of information and community support available if you run into any problems, both on the official website and in forums and user groups. I know many people who use it specifically, so it's easy to get independent support if needed. I've been working with the tool for a long time, since 2003, before they became SUSE Linux Enterprise. It's always been one of the most admin-friendly Linux versions.
Kevin Haury - PeerSpot reviewer
Linux's advanced terminal empowers versatile usage and ongoing secure development
Initially, there was nothing complicated. It's easy since I have many years of experience with it. However, if I were a beginner with Linux, it could be completely disruptive compared to Windows. So, I would have to spend some time practicing with Linux to understand how it works and how I can accomplish the same tasks compared to Windows. Maybe one month, at least.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution's technical support team answers all our queries."
"The features that I have found to be the most valuable are the performance, stability, and support that Oracle offers for the solution."
"The most valuable feature is the ease of the commands which take little time to learn."
"Oracle is well-known for its strong security measures. I have a great deal of confidence in the security of the Oracle DB, including its ability to monitor changes made to the database."
"It is a stable solution. We rarely face any issues with the machine."
"The virtual environment is the best I've ever worked with."
"Overall Oracle Linux is very good."
"The stability is excellent and the initial setup is easy."
"Out-of-the-box SLES supported all of our HBAs and hardware specific components."
"SUSE Linux Enterprise is stable."
"It is very easy to maintain, migrate and upgrade."
"The initial setup is simple and takes five minutes for deployment and if you have automation in place, it will take four minutes."
"It is a stable platform."
"SUSE Linux was stable for me. I did not experience any problems with its stability."
"The product's initial setup phase was easy."
"SUSE Linux had a clean user interface, which was a valuable feature for me."
"Ubuntu is rather stable, simple to deploy, stable, and well supported by an open-source community."
"I like the flexibility."
"The solution is flexible and user-friendly."
"RTO with the use of templating support for VMware for fast deployment of recovery or new systems, with the least amount work needed on custom settings, within application installed from install repositories. Shorter overall time with the vetted packages. Normally install and go."
"The GUI is user-friendly."
"Ubuntu Linux is more secure and has additional security features than some other operating systems."
"As we have repositories in my country, the ease of use and the open source nature of the solution are valuable features."
"The most valuable feature is that it's developer-friendly and easily accessible. Like any other Linux operating system, you have access to open sources, all the necessary tooling, and anything that helps developers do their work. I'm no Linux guru, but Ubuntu offers packages that I find easy to use. There are other options for people who are very skilled with Linux, but this solution has the perfect balance of having enough technical requirements to meet your needs while still being usable. It doesn't require you to be so technically proficient that you need to recompile kernels or anything like that. It's a Linux operating system for normal people."
 

Cons

"The installation documentation needs to be improved"
"The user interface for Oracle Linux could use improvement."
"Kernel updates need improvement."
"Oracle Linux, needs to support more packages."
"The documentation has room for improvement."
"Managing upgrades, especially moving from one version of Oracle Linux to another, can be challenging."
"The product's support is expensive."
"The licensing price could be better."
"The software management side was a bit difficult, especially compared to Ubuntu."
"The free version sometimes has security holes."
"They should improve their educational portal."
"The only stability issues that I can recall encountering with SUSE would be with KDE. However, that is limited to just the desktop environment as I have not had stability issues with ​most server functions."
"The solution could be more stable."
"The interface could improve."
"Sometimes it is a bit of work for developers to change the configurations."
"I have not been overly impressed with their technical support."
"Ubuntu Linux could improve by having better documentation because sometimes their documentation is not very good."
"The only improvement I would suggest is to switching back to Aptitude. They switched a lot of the packages that used to be running in Aptitude to Snap. I don't find them as usable when they are in Snap. The most obvious instance of this is that it's caused me to have issues with Chrome. Starting Chrome took a couple of seconds before it was up and running, which wasn't pleasant. Back when it used to run packaging in Aptitude, I didn't have this problem. I know they're familiar with these issues because a lot of other people have experienced them too."
"We don't have any support, so we search for answers online. However, it can sometimes be a little messy to find the information if you have a highly specific question or a strange problem. It would be nice if finding information were a little simpler. Maybe they could have some portal that could point you to where you can find information."
"The user interface could be improved, as it looks a little bit older."
"The main challenge is restoring the system from a crashed state, which can be complicated for non-technical users."
"Ubuntu Linux does not easily detect the drivers of new devices, and you need to do some trial and error for some of the third parties porting into it."
"Ubuntu should create some specific features, like Red Hat. Red Hat has provided many features for open-source, like FreeIPA."
"The solution must provide more integrations."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product's pricing is cheap. The tool's pricing is yearly."
"We pay a monthly subscription fee."
"The solution is free to use with a support subscription rather than having to buy licenses."
"The price of Oracle Linux overall could be less expensive."
"We pay for a license for this solution annually."
"We are currently operating the solution using a license-based version. We get licenses per machine."
"The solution has no fees."
"The licensing cost is expensive. It should be reduced by at least half."
"SUSE Linux Enterprise is reasonably priced compared to other operating systems. I find it's a much better option for us than Oracle, for example, because of the pricing structure. The pricing is easier to explain to clients and makes it easier to get clients' commitment. The licensing is also simpler to manage and keep track of. Their responsiveness is great - they give feedback very quickly when we ask questions about licensing or other aspects. This helps ensure we're always at the gold standard regarding licensing and everything related to SUSE Linux Enterprise."
"The price is reasonable."
"I would advise others to download the free or strictly open source versions, then test them in their environment before committing to a purchase. This will allow for testing suitability for applications that they want to run."
"I rate the product price an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is a low price, and ten is a high price."
"There is a free tier and a paid support tier. If you do not need support, then the solution is free to use. If you need support then there is an option for that as well."
"There is no license for this solution, there is only a subscription of support available."
"The tool is expensive compared to Red Hat. I rate its pricing a nine out of ten."
"The platform is affordable."
"It comes as free software, where there is an option for you to buy support licenses."
"Ubuntu Linux is free for personal use, including business use."
"There is not a license needed for the solution. You only have to pay for technical support."
"It is also manageable and financially affordable."
"The solution is free."
"We are not using the licensed version of the solution, we are using the free version."
"It is not a very expensive solution."
"Ubuntu Linux is an open-source operating system."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
14%
University
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Educational Organization
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

How does Oracle Linux compare with Solaris?
When comparing Oracle Linux and Solaris, I believe that Linux is more secure and more flexible. It is also very suita...
Which would you choose - Ubuntu Linux or Oracle Linux?
Ubunto Linux is a complete Linux operating system that is freely available with both community and professional suppo...
What do you like most about SUSE Linux Enterprise?
The initial setup is simple and takes five minutes for deployment and if you have automation in place, it will take f...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SUSE Linux Enterprise?
I used the open-source version, so there were no setup costs.
What needs improvement with SUSE Linux Enterprise?
The software management side was a bit difficult, especially compared to Ubuntu. The software manager was different, ...
What do you like most about Ubuntu Linux?
It has a good support system for loading databases.
What needs improvement with Ubuntu Linux?
There's nothing more to improve. I would just continue developing the functionality that is already implemented, mayb...
 

Also Known As

Oracle Enterprise Linux
No data available
Ubuntu
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

See here
Air India, Akademicki Szpital Kliniczny (ASK), Allone, Altran, Apollo, ARCHIVA, Asia Innovatory Management School, ATLAS ELEKTRONIK GmbH, AutoData Norge AS, Baldor Electric, Business Connexion, CASIO, Ciclum Farma, Delta Lloyd, Edumate , HPE,  SAP SE,  Lenovo, BMW, T-Systems, UCX, Turners & Growers, Shenzhen Development Bank, Bosch Group, JK Tyres & Industries, IOCL, European Space Agency, Daimler AG, China Minsheng Banking Corp, Café Coffee Day, Unisys,  Petrochina Company Ltd, Fitch Ratings, ABeam Consulting Co Ltd, Tyro Payments, Rackspace, Pacific Textiles, ...
Samsung, eBay, AT&T, Walmart, Cisco, Time Warner Cable, Bloomberg, Best Buy, Dell, Intel, Microsoft, Ericsson, Orange, Wells Fargo
Find out what your peers are saying about Red Hat, Canonical, Oracle and others in Operating Systems (OS) for Business. Updated: April 2025.
848,989 professionals have used our research since 2012.