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Rocky Linux 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

Rocky Linux
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
7th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
5
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
184
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of Rocky Linux is 14.4%, up from 8.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Windows Server is 8.9%, up from 8.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Operating Systems (OS) for Business
 

Featured Reviews

Dominique Locksley - PeerSpot reviewer
Very simple to work with, easy to learn, and has a competitive pricing
The UX design, the user front end, and the user GUI are very well done on the GNOME and KDE platform side. It's very simple to work with, easy to learn, and know where things are. I have worked with a lot of different solutions like Debian, Ubuntu, Red Hat, and CentOS. Rocky Linux is very easy, and if you switch from one to the other, you can easily detect your tools in the front end. Since it is very similar to the file system breakdown of downloads and documents, it's very easy to show users where things will be.
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 helps us keep our workstations in sync and ensures consistent settings across most of our machines."
"It's very simple to work with, easy to learn, and know where things are."
"I haven't needed to use customer service or support, which speaks volumes about their product's reliability and ease of use."
"The custom install scripts streamline the setup process, making it straightforward."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is its stability."
"The most valuable features are the file transfer protocol (FTP) and the secure file transfer protocol (SFTP)."
"I would say Microsoft operating systems are more stable correctly than they were before, they have made some improvements over the years."
"The product, overall, is very simple. It's easy to use and navigate. It's got a good design."
"Windows Server is easy to use."
"Windows Server is stable."
"It's quite stable."
"Since Windows Server has a graphical user interface (GUI), it is easy to use and implement the services that we are using."
"The most valuable features are the ease of access and maintaining the solution."
 

Cons

"One of the potential issues is that if you don't pay for support, you may need to manage certain aspects on your own and rely on the community for assistance."
"Improved integration with Windows, particularly Active Directory, would be beneficial for the product. Currently, this aspect requires additional effort."
"I have certain problems with the tool's DNS part, making it an area where improvements are required."
"The solution's audio integration for virtual machines could be improved."
"In terms of improvement, Rocky Linux needs to clarify its identity and target audience."
"I would like to see better performance and more integration options in the next release of Windows Server."
"When it comes to the performance of this solution others are slightly better such as Linux."
"We have not had an issue with the stability of this solution. However, there could be some improvements."
"The security could improve. If you are comparing the Linux operating systems and Windows Server, Windows Server is still way behind in terms of security. Microsoft can enhance security instead of having customers rely on third-party security tools."
"The price should be reduced."
"The price is very expensive."
"Windows Server should lower pricing."
"Windows Server needs to introduce more dashboards."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Compared to the market prices of other tools, the solution has a very competitive pricing."
"The product is expensive. I rate the pricing a three."
"There is a license required to use Windows Server."
"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."
"It could be cheaper. Its licensing is on a yearly basis."
"Windows Systems use more resources than Linux systems and can be very costly."
"Our customers had a bundle package with Microsoft that included Windows Server."
"There is an annual license required for this solution."
"We have purchased Windows Server’s yearly license."
"The tool's licensing costs are yearly."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
University
12%
Educational Organization
11%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Computer Software Company
13%
Government
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Educational Organization
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Rocky Linux?
It's very simple to work with, easy to learn, and know where things are.
What needs improvement with Rocky Linux?
Improved integration with Windows, particularly Active Directory, would be beneficial for the product. Currently, this aspect requires additional effort.
What is your primary use case for Rocky Linux?
I use the solution in my company to do some automation stuff to run Ansible, and it has an administration server to provide all the Linux control like a client node can be connected to that master ...
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.
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Rakuten, Rackspace, Tyco
Find out what your peers are saying about Rocky Linux vs. Windows Server and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.