Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs SUSE Linux Enterprise comparison

Red Hat and SUSE are both solutions in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category. Red Hat is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.8, while SUSE is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.2. Red Hat holds a 11.8% mindshare in OSB, compared to SUSE’s 8.4% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Red Hat users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of SUSE users who would recommend it.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (R...

Read 263 Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) reviews

39,082 Views
14,503 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

SUSE Linux Enterprise

Read 31 SUSE Linux Enterprise reviews

12,241 Views
10,934 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (R...

SUSE Linux Enterprise

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 7, 2024

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and SUSE Linux Enterprise compete in the enterprise Linux distribution category. Users prefer SUSE Linux Enterprise for its advanced features, ease of use, and better value for money.

Features: Red Hat Enterprise Linux offers strong security, stability, and application support. SUSE Linux Enterprise is noted for its superior integration with cloud platforms and innovative management tools. Users find SUSE's feature set more comprehensive and forward-thinking than RHEL's.

Room for Improvement: Users of Red Hat Enterprise Linux often mention the need for a more intuitive update process and better cost management. For SUSE Linux Enterprise, users suggest enhancements in technical support and a more streamlined installation experience. SUSE receives more feedback regarding support improvements compared to RHEL.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Red Hat Enterprise Linux is praised for its clear documentation and extensive community support which simplifies deployment. SUSE Linux Enterprise, while also easy to deploy, receives mixed reviews on customer service responsiveness. Users find RHEL's deployment more straightforward but note SUSE's deployment tools are more modern.

Pricing and ROI: Red Hat Enterprise Linux is considered more costly, but users feel the investment is justified by the level of support and reliability. SUSE Linux Enterprise is seen as offering better value for money with a faster ROI due to its efficiency and feature set. Users generally perceive SUSE as a more cost-effective option.

To learn more, read our detailed Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs. SUSE Linux Enterprise Report (Updated: December 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs. SUSE Linux Enterprise

December 2024

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Categories and Ranking

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (R...

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

1st

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

263

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SUSE Linux Enterprise

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

5th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

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 Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is 11.8%, down from 12.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SUSE Linux Enterprise is 8.4%, down from 9.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Operating Systems (OS) for Business

Featured Reviews

Saravvana Kumar.

Developer at Capgemini

Highly stable, good knowledge base, and reasonable price

Its installation on a RAID or cluster system is something difficult. There are specific teams working on that. The GRUB configuration is also a little different from the other Linux distributions. In terms of additional features, as technology keeps evolving, the product will also have to evolve. For example, Microsoft Windows has come a long way. In Windows 11, there are so many features that are fundamentally the same as the oldest version, but there are other aspects or processes that have improved. macOS has also evolved over time. Similarly, in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux that I used in 2003 and the one that I am using now, some things are the same and some things have changed. Red Hat can continue to engage clients, understand the use cases, and update them.

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Naveen Venugopal

Research Engineer at a educational organization with 10,001+ employees

Efficient IT management with crucial automatic updates but needs developer-friendly configuration

Sometimes it is a bit of work for developers to change the configurations. Some kernels will not fit with some packages, and this aspect could be improved. Furthermore, the system's rigidity when updating packages and services needs improvement. Additionally, there should be more loosely bound functionalities to improve developer experience.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Automation makes compliance a lot easier."

"Red Hat Enterprise Linux's most valuable feature is its seamless integration with Kubernetes, a powerful platform for automating the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications."

"Red Hat Enterprise Linux has enabled us to achieve security standards certification, which has allowed us to maintain business operations without interruption."

"The most valuable aspects of Red Hat Enterprise Linux are the security and stability it provides."

"Technical support is excellent."

"The integrated solution approach reduces our TCO tremendously because we are able to focus on innovation instead of operations."

"The Red Hat Linux comes with Anaconda, a fascinating tool that is useful if I need to connect multiple systems. I also like role-based access."

"I like the speed of the OS data and the ease of Ansible automation. I don't need to spend much time managing everything."

More Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) pros

"The main feature is that Linux is flexible to work with for most web-based applications."

"Out-of-the-box SLES supported all of our HBAs and hardware specific components."

"It's a flexible solution."

"The stability of the solution is good. We have not had any issue with performance."

"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."

"SUSE Linux Enterprise is easy to configure for those who are not hardcore command-line driven."

"The most valuable feature is that there is an inbuilt HANA firewall."

"The tool’s idempotency ensures all configurations are in place at all times."

More SUSE Linux Enterprise pros

Cons

"While their documentation is helpful, it can be frustrating to be referred to it instead of receiving direct assistance from a support representative."

"I use Linux on Satellite with Ansible infrastructure. It would be great if there were a universal interface to control RHEL's policy from Satellite. It could be a dashboard showing which policies were enabled on what system and allow you to apply them from the dashboard."

"Scaling can be complicated and has room for improvement."

"It's getting easier for the community to use it free of charge. If you have an account, you get to use it. It would be better if the community could use it on their own for lab projects."

"The high cost of Red Hat Enterprise Linux has room for improvement."

"The biggest thing that the solution could introduce is an even slimmer version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux."

"Though the product has many features, the tool's virtualization area has certain shortcomings that require improvement."

"Currently, there is a gap in the file system management. I want to be able to expand the file system in a simpler way and have the application or the database use that expansion without any downtime."

More Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) cons

"The quality of support offered by SUSE Linux Enterprise is not that great, making it an area where improvements are required."

"We previously had trouble integrating Autodesk with the SUSE Manager, but the issue was resolved."

"I would like to see better functionality for interacting with cloud-based systems."

"They should improve their educational portal."

"When working in a Department of Defense environment, Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) have to be followed. SLES is not really addressed directly here. It did make following security policy difficult."

"The platform doesn't support certain APMs."

"Compared with the competition, of late actually, the solution has increased its pricing tremendously."

"The price of SUSE Linux Enterprise could improve, it is too expensive."

More SUSE Linux Enterprise cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We have moved to the Simple Content Access (SCA) model. It is much easier to do renewals and see how I am using my licenses. I used to have to do it all by hand. It would take me a good couple of hours every few months to make sure that we were up to snuff on everything. However, with the new model that they have, this is very easy. I just go to cloud.redhat.com to look and see how I am utilizing my licenses. If I am running out of bounds, I can find out why. If it is simply that we have images that need to be removed, we remove those images. If we need to buy more licenses, then we can start the process of purchasing more licenses."

"It is not fairly priced. If they can reduce the price, it would be nice."

"I don't have any issues with the licensing or pricing. In general, OpenShift is a little more expensive."

"The cost has been pretty stable over the years for what you get."

"The prices are comparable, and good for what is being provided."

"We still have a few with one-to-one standard server licensing, but we are utilizing the virtualization host licensing. We license it based on the host, not based on VMs, which is cool. I was very happy that there was certain licensing with SAP to have access to SAP repos. Its cost was the same as the regular one, so I was happy about that."

"The pricing is fair. The workstation licensing cost is fair. If you're running enterprise-level deployments, depending on what you're using, the volume licensing is good. I personally am worried that if they get so successful, they can increase the price, and then it won't matter because we'll be stuck on them. Hopefully, their open source mentality keeps that from happening. Where it's right now is good."

"Red Hat Enterprise Linux is a more cost-effective solution than Windows Servers."

More Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) pricing and cost advice

"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."

"The price of SUSE Linux Enterprise could be cheaper. Other solutions, such as"

"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."

"Anyone can use Linux because it is open-source."

"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."

"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."

"The tool is expensive compared to Red Hat. I rate its pricing a nine out of ten."

"The product's licensing options align well with the evolving landscape of Linux variants."

More SUSE Linux Enterprise pricing and cost advice

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Comparison Review

it_user281973

Storage and VMware Expert at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees

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…

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Government

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

13%

Government

Financial Services Firm

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...

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What do you like most about Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)?

It is open source. We can customize it as per our requirements.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)?

Red Hat Enterprise Linux has a yearly subscription cost for the licensing that includes maintenance and support.

See all answers

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 four minutes.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SUSE Linux Enterprise?

The pricing is slightly higher than expected, but it is manageable for our current project. For the upcoming projects, we are looking for cost-effective solutions.

See all answers

What needs improvement with SUSE Linux Enterprise?

See all answers

Comparisons

Windows Server vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 17% of the time

Rocky Linux vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 15% of the time

Windows 10 vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 10% of the time

Oracle Linux vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 10% of the time

Ubuntu Linux vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 8% of the time

More Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Competitors

openSUSE Leap vs SUSE Linux Enterprise

Compared 22% of the time

Ubuntu Linux vs SUSE Linux Enterprise

Compared 19% of the time

Rocky Linux vs SUSE Linux Enterprise

Compared 8% of the time

Oracle Linux vs SUSE Linux Enterprise

Compared 7% of the time

CentOS vs SUSE Linux Enterprise

Compared 6% of the time

More SUSE Linux Enterprise Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

November 2024

Download Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) product report

Buyer's Guide

SUSE Linux Enterprise

December 2024

Download SUSE Linux Enterprise product report

Also Known As

Red Hat Enterprise Linux, RHEL

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Red Hat

SUSE

Overview

Red Hat Enterprise Linux is a stable and reliable open-source operating system for running application servers, databases, web servers, and production systems. It is also used for cloud infrastructure services, BI, and disaster assistance. Its valuable features include support and subscription, ease of management and troubleshooting, integration with existing infrastructure, security updates and hardening tools, scalability, and flexibility.

Red Hat has helped organizations accelerate deployment, provide stability, control, and reliable updates, and enable the deployment of current applications and emerging workloads across different environments.

SUSE Linux Enterprise is a versatile operating system ideal for deploying solutions, managing applications, and running certain applications. It is also used for migrating SAP workloads to the cloud, integrating with SAP HANA solutions and products, and as an operating system for application servers.

The solution is praised for its YaST tool for easier server administration, compatibility with Oracle and SAP, stability, scalability, ease of use, extensive documentation, pacemaker cluster, and SUSE Manager for patching. SUSE Linux offers extended support for each version and a special edition for SAP applications.

Sample Customers

Travel Channel, Mohawk Industries, Hilti, Molecular Health, Exolgan, Hotelplan Group, Emory University, BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina, HCA Healthcare, Paychex, UPS, Intermountain Healthcare, Brinker International, TransUnion, Union Bank, CA Technologies

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, ...

Buyer's Guide

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs. SUSE Linux Enterprise

December 2024

Free Report: Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs. SUSE Linux Enterprise

Find out what your peers are saying about Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs. SUSE Linux Enterprise and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.

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