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Oracle Solaris 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

Oracle Solaris
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
9th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
49
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
185
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of Oracle Solaris is 2.6%, down from 3.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Windows Server is 9.0%, up from 8.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Operating Systems (OS) for Business
 

Featured Reviews

Zandile Mushi - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers good security features and reliability
The tool is quite complex and difficult for anyone trying to use or study it. The complexity of learning the tool is an area of concern where improvements are required. Oracle Solaris' lighter and simpler version can be introduced. I feel that Oracle Solaris is a user-friendly tool because I am exposed to it.
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 scalable solution. I recommend it for bigger companies."
"Solaris's best features are high availability, robustness, and database hosting."
"Oracle Solaris was the preferred operating system for their customers to run their databases on and to get the best performance. It performs well with Oracle applications. Additionally, there are some features inside that are called zones which are Linux containers."
"The stability of the solution is good."
"This product is stable, has good documentation, lots of solutions, a big community, and good support."
"Solaris' best feature is its stability."
"Its networking has helped me combine the power of a neural network with the benefits of virtualization to improve the AI's performance."
"We like that the virtualization is built in, so you don't have to spend extra money on buying licenses for a hypervisor."
"We like the performance."
"The most valuable feature is Active Directory."
"This is quite a stable product."
"The most valuable feature of Windows Server is that it is intuitive and easy to use."
"The capabilities and beta securities are important features. The IP directory is the most valuable feature."
"Windows server is stable, having improved on previous versions."
"It is easy to use, and its performance is good."
"The stability and performance are great."
 

Cons

"The challenge arises from the differences in commands and configurations compared to more common systems like Linux."
"Oracle Solaris can improve by supporting all the recent features that are in the market from other competitors."
"The solution is pricey and can be improved by lowering the cost."
"I would love to see improvements in SVM, so file systems could be increased or migrated without downtime to the environment, similar to what ZFS is capable of."
"There is an issue where Solaris doesn't give the correct figures for memory use when checked."
"The Solaris code is open, and the documentation is accessible to all, not only to registered users. Also, the documentation does not support some solutions, and there are no other options."
"The primary drawback with this product is the lack of version updates."
"Setting up Oracle Solaris can be complex because it requires more commands than other systems."
"The product's user interface upgrades and firewall services need improvement."
"The performance from time to time can be a bit suspect."
"Stability-wise, there is room for improvement."
"Security and vulnerabilities could improve."
"The solution is easy to use mostly but some features can be hard to understand for customers."
"The solution should be less expensive."
"Sometimes we are getting very quick support, sometimes it takes time."
"The price is very expensive."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The current setup with hardware devices involves a higher cost, but the performance is top-notch."
"If you buy Oracle hardware it's supported free with the hardware. If you're putting it on non-Oracle hardware, that is when you buy the support license, which is also very reasonable. It is $1000 dollars per year, so it's not overly expensive."
"The solution is free to use."
"There are no licensing fees but you can opt to pay for support."
"The annual license cost is fair and reasonable."
"There should be an option to install the solution for free and just pay for the support. We purchased an annual license and the price could be better."
"The price is not good and needs to improve."
"The solution is expensive and is based on an annual fee."
"There is a license required for this solution."
"My company has an enterprise agreement with Microsoft. I feel that the price of the product is okay."
"It could be cheaper. Its licensing is on a yearly basis."
"There could be a one-time cost for Windows Server and not every month. It is a huge amount for the companies to pay yearly."
"Windows Server is highly priced."
"It is an expensive product."
"There is a license needed for this solution."
"Windows Server's whole licensing model is complex because if you have, for example, Microsoft Office and end-user applications installed on a server with a remote desktop, then the licensing can be complex. If the model could be simplified it would be better."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
14%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
9%
Computer Software Company
13%
Government
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Educational Organization
9%
 

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 suitable for enterprises that are already Oracle solution users. I found Linux to be ...
What do you like most about Oracle Solaris?
We use the solution as an internal operating system.
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.
 

Also Known As

Solaris 11, Solaris
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Siemens, IVV
Rakuten, Rackspace, Tyco
Find out what your peers are saying about Oracle Solaris vs. Windows Server and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
841,004 professionals have used our research since 2012.