I use the solution as a web application server. I use it with Apache.
Head of IT Infrastructure at a non-tech company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Easy to set up and reliable, but the licensing structure has recently changed
Pros and Cons
- "There's lots of great documentation available."
- "We are aware that the licensing has shifted, and it's not a change we've liked."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
It's saved us a lot of money on licensing.
What is most valuable?
I like that the updating is very easy.
It's saved us a lot of money based on the licensing structure.
The solution is stable and reliable.
There's lots of great documentation available.
The initial setup was easy for me.
What needs improvement?
I do not need any extra features. Nothing is missing from the solution.
We are aware that the licensing has shifted, and it's not a change we've liked.
Buyer's Guide
CentOS
January 2026
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For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution since 2017.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a very stable product. There are no bugs or glitches, and it doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I've never scaled or clustered in any way, although I do have it in multiple systems.
I do not have plans to increase usage since that changed the way the licensing works.
How are customer service and support?
The documentation is excellent. I've never actually reached out to technical support. I've needed to leverage support services since the documentation is so strong.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Since they have changed their licensing strategy, we are using more Ubuntu.
How was the initial setup?
I have the solution in Red Hat Linux. It's easy if you understand what to do. You do have to have some level of knowledge, however. It's not for non-technical users.
I've had it deployed on-premise and on the cloud.
What was our ROI?
We have witnessed a strong ROI. It manages our web applications very well.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I'm not well-versed in licensing. It's almost free. The cost is very, very low.
What other advice do I have?
I started with version seven, and now I'm on version eight.
Now that the licensing has changed, I'd advise potential users to be aware of this.
I'd rate the solution seven out of ten. The stability and security are good.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
DevOps and Automation Lead | Technical Expert at a comms service provider with 5,001-10,000 employees
Easy to use with good performance and a robust community
Pros and Cons
- "The community and knowledge base are very robust."
- "The support could be a bit better."
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use the solution for personal and testing purposes. It's used as an operating system.
What is most valuable?
The solution is easy to use. The performance is good.
The community and knowledge base are very robust.
It has a lot of great features.
It is stable and reliable.
I have found the solution to be scalable.
What needs improvement?
The support could be a bit better. They should be more customer friendly. They could also be a bit faster.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for many years. I've used it for almost five years at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's stable. I'd rate it nine out of ten for reliability. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. The performance has been fine.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. I'd rate the scalability nine out of ten.
I'm not sure how many people are using the solution in my company.
How are customer service and support?
Support could be faster and more responsive. However, support is okay.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I'm also using Ubuntu.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very straightforward. It is not complex. I deployed both on-premises and cloud options. It only takes a few hours.
I followed the documentation for preparing the nodes and the administration. There's good documentation for configuring time zones, networks, et cetera. The steps are pretty standard.
We had development and infrastructure teams on the solution. However, only one person can handle the deployment. I only have details on just my team and area. I'm not sure what it was like across the company.
What about the implementation team?
I handled the implementation in-house by myself.
What was our ROI?
I've never looked into the ROI of the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I do not handle licensing. It's not in my scope of work.
What other advice do I have?
I've used the latest version of the solution.
I would recommend the solution to others. I'd advise people to have a clear view of how they will use the solution and take care to consider how they would like to scale.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
CentOS
January 2026
Learn what your peers think about CentOS. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2026.
881,114 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Technical Lead at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Allows you to securely store data, and command prompts make it simple to use
Pros and Cons
- "I like the command prompt of CentOS. It's very simple."
- "I would like the integration to be more secure."
What is our primary use case?
CentOS is one of the standard platforms we use to perform jobs.
There was a team of 15 people who were using this solution.
What is most valuable?
In Microsoft Windows, we store the data in a graphical way, but in CentOS we can store the data based on the command. That is the specialty of CentOS. In Windows, you can store the data in folders, and anyone can still see that data. In CentOS, it's more secure.
I like the command prompt of CentOS. It's very simple. You can share your files based on command prompt.
What needs improvement?
I would like the integration to be more secure.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's very scalable. It's open-source.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We're also using Solaris. We're mostly using these for database storage to fix details and manage the organization data.
How was the initial setup?
Installation is simple. It doesn't take much time. It's just a simple operating system.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price is very good.
Once you buy the license, Linux will provide you with yearly or monthly patches, so your systems will be scalable for a long time. You can decide whether or not you want to install a patch. They're giving patches instead of going for automatic updates because some of the services will not work.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution 10 out of 10.
I would recommend this solution 100% for someone who is working in IT.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Co-Owner at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Flexible and open-source solution that has many community resources for solving problems
Pros and Cons
- "There are a lot of sources on the internet that you can use to solve any issues, and people share their experiences. It's not a closed system"
- "The security could be improved because the server system isn't very secure."
What is our primary use case?
I chose CentOS because it's easy to understand and user friendly. If you read the code base and know the operation system that you're using and which folder contains which part, it's easy to use.
I started using CentOS because our website customers started to increase, and I couldn't manage them. I realized I needed to make a structured system to start this, and I installed the website panel from Windows. I started using Windows, but I was mostly making websites like Joomla, Mambo, and WordPress, which aren't compatible with the IIS system from Windows. I started having some problems with the email service from Windows.
For the past two years, I have been providing this solution to my customers. Currently, there are four people using this solution. One person does SEO for the back-linked part of a project. Another person works on UI/UX, and I also have a VHMGC engineer that knows the Smarty framework.
I'm using the terminal based version of CentOS, but I also prefer to use software that I build. For example, I use Plesk GUI, but if there's a problem, it's not fixed with my software interfaces. I have to log into the terminal and create it. I can use one of my machines that resides in my system with the proxy under the security. I have a lot of servers, so I'm able to log in on any terminal or the Windows space.
I'm a software engineer. I'm also working on a robotic base with the Raspbian base. Raspbian is the same as Linux, so I'm using the Debian part.
I'm using direct CentOS distribution from the ISO, but I'm not using the cloud. There are many differences between the cloud and dedicated servers.
What is most valuable?
There are a lot of sources on the internet that you can use to solve any issues, and people share their experiences. It's not a closed system.
What needs improvement?
The security could be improved because the server system isn't very secure. I prefer to use Cloud Linux because of the CPU base, and they have CageFS technology. Cloud Linux isn't open-source.
I don't immediately update the solution because I want to wait for a stable version.
I would like them to provide features on GitHub or any docker core without any installation.
The problem with CentOS is that updates are made by the community's free sources, which can cause problems. You have to dig in deeply to realize what the problem is.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used CentOS for 22 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's scalable. I would rate the scalability as nine out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
I haven't used technical support. I always use the community resources and forums.
How was the initial setup?
Initial setup is easy. The amount of time it takes to deploy the solution depends on your computer's speed and parts. Eight gigabytes/four core can take 20-25 minutes.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is open source. Sometimes I donate a little bit of money to support the solution.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate the solution as nine out of ten. CentOS is a very flexible system.
My advice is to first activate the GUI in the desktop version, or else you won't be able to understand it.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Manager server admin and security at a hospitality company with 11-50 employees
Easy to set up with nice UI and good performance
Pros and Cons
- "You can work with the UI or in command line, if you prefer."
- "It would be ideal if Red Hat would continue the CentOS versions in an open-source format. They seem to be moving away from that. Now only paid versions are available."
What is our primary use case?
It's normally next to our operating system, which helps us to install our servers, et cetera.
What is most valuable?
I'm satisfied with the product. It fulfills our desired needs.
We haven't had any issues with performance. The stability is good.
The initial setup is easy.
You can work with the UI or in command line, if you prefer.
It is scalable.
What needs improvement?
It would be ideal if Red Hat would continue the CentOS versions in an open-source format. They seem to be moving away from that. Now only paid versions are available.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for six to seven years. I've used it since CentOS 5.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable, and the performance is good. For years, we have had no complaints. There are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze. It is reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution scales well.
We have about 50 or more systems set up in our organization. I'm not sure how many users are on it.
I'm not sure if we have plans to increase usage right now.
How are customer service and support?
I've never used technical support. If we need to troubleshoot, we look at blogs and forums.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have previously used Windows.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. It's very easy to set up. We did not find it complex in any way.
The UI makes it very easy. You just go through it step by step. Of course, if you like, you can also do command line as well.
How long it takes to deploy depends on the speed of the system. It's got very good capacity and a nice configuration setup. It can usually be installed in 20 minutes to half an hour. If a person has experience with Linux, they can likely install a server in 15 minutes.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We used it as an open-source solution. We did not have to worry about licensing.
What other advice do I have?
We are using the latest available version, which is on the cloud only.
My understanding is that CentOS is a Red Hat product now, so CentOS is now converted to CentOS Stream. It's not open-source anymore.
I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Application Server Manager at a government with 1,001-5,000 employees
Free to use and simple to set up but needs a better package manager
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is stable and reliable."
- "The GUI interface could always be better."
What is our primary use case?
CentOS is an operating system for business. Basically, it is used for application servers used for deploying.
How has it helped my organization?
We've improved ourselves via testing.
When we want to create a new environment or test a new product, for example, if we have to deploy maybe testing passwords with high ability, we first try to deploy it.
We prefer to use a CentOS platform for testing new implementations. Basically, we don't have to spend money and resources when we are not very secure in implementing a testing solution.
What is most valuable?
CentOS is compliant with Red Hat packages, so we don't have to spend on a subscription for little projects or small projects. That's the reason we use it.
The initial setup is easy.
It is scalable.
The solution is stable and reliable.
It's free as a community product.
What needs improvement?
The package manager could be improved. For example, for my background, I prefer Debian. For me, the Debian package managing it fits a better solution. Sometimes using RPE and packages is a little complicated trying to resolve some dependencies.
The GUI interface could always be better.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for around four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution was stable. There were no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable solution.
We do not have plans to increase usage. We may, in fact, reduce usage as we migrate. We are trying to migrate to Kubernetes however this is a very slow plan. For maybe three or five years, we will continue using Red Hat or CentOS.
We have about ten people using the solution. They are IT administrators.
How are customer service and support?
We never had CentOS support. Right now, we use Red Hat support. In terms of Red Hat support, it's a very good. If we have issues, we often turn to the community first.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
For the production environment, we use Red Hat Linux and for the testing or relevant environment, we use CentOS.
Right now, with a Kubernetes solution and maybe we need a new solution as we are trying to move onto SecureNet. If we use, for example, EKS and right now, maybe in the future, we don't need to deal with an operating system. In the future, if we cause CentOS, we might use it in a smaller, more basic implementation.
We did not use anything previously.
How was the initial setup?
The implementation process is very easy. When I started to learn about Red Hat, for example, it was a little difficult. Right now, it's very, very easy.
The deployment took 15 minutes to half an hour. It didn't take long.
We have three people that can handle deployment and maintenance. They are computer science engineers or people with a Linux background.
What about the implementation team?
The initial setup was handled in-house by our team. We didn't use any consultants or integrators.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We are using the community version. It is free.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I did not personally compare other different solutions.
What other advice do I have?
We're a customer and an end-user.
We are using the latest version of the solution and are working on a migration.
I'd recommend the solution to others.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Software Developer at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Highly availability, performs well, but user interface could improve
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of CentOS are it is built from Linux, has good performance, and can we can create scripts. The scripts are you to do minor work automatically."
- "If CentOS could add Office features then that would be beneficial. Additionally, the UI could improve."
What is our primary use case?
I am using CentOS for hosting applications.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of CentOS are it is built from Linux, has good performance, and can we can create scripts. The scripts are you to do minor work automatically.
What needs improvement?
If CentOS could add Office features then that would be beneficial. Additionally, the UI could improve.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using CentOS for approximately three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
CentOS has been stable in our usage. We have had one server up for five years without any problems.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
CentOS is scalable. However, it is depending on the deployment. We use Docker for our applications so we have not scaled the solution, but if the bandwidth is good then CentOS can be scaled.
Our entire company infrastructure is using CentOS. When I host an application, it's usable by about 1,000 people.
How are customer service and support?
The support is handled by our other team. Even though I'm facing an issue, I talk to our team. If they cannot handle it, then they scale it to the CentOS support team.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I use MacOS, Windows, and Ubuntu on a daily basis.
For a server environment, I would recommend CentOS, but for normal usage, I would recommend MacOS.
When you buy a Mac it just comes with MacOS which is beautiful to work on. If I'm using a Windows laptop, I would go for CentOS. However, the problem with CentOS is there is no Microsoft Office.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
For the enterprise version of CentOS, there is a license required. However, for personal use, I do not need a license.
What other advice do I have?
My advice to others is if they have a server environment then I would recommend CentOS. It's stable. One of the only letdowns is the repository for some applications, it takes time for CentOS to adapt.
It has to do with the ecosystem of CentOS, I'm not sure. When comparing CentOS to Ubuntu, if Ubuntu comes out with a release today and a few days later you see you can install it.
I rate CentOS a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Group Manager at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Easy to set up, great for access controls and captures inappropriate usage
Pros and Cons
- "It’s scalable."
- "In terms of commands, it's all CLI and there isn't any GUI which can make it challenging to use for some people."
What is most valuable?
It is good for ensuring that only approved applications are allowed to run. Other applications, which have not been approved by IT, are picked up as violations. You really can define at the start of it, what is approved, what is not approved, and you can clearly identify if there's an exhibition of unapproved applications and that get filtered or blocked by the tool.
The security and IT team can go back and question the user to see why that particular application was run or maybe do further investigation in terms of seeing if that machine has attracted any malware.
The solution is stable.
It’s scalable.
The initial setup is pretty simple.
What needs improvement?
The solution could be a bit more user-friendly. In terms of commands, it's all CLI and there isn't any GUI which can make it challenging to use for some people.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using it for the last two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn’t crash or freeze. It’s reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have found that the solution can scale.
Our company has 15 to 20 users leveraging it right now.
How are customer service and support?
I’ve never directly dealt with technical support. I can’t speak to how helpful they are.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We were using Redhat Linux. We just had the application need, which is why we adopted this product.
How was the initial setup?
It was just an application requirement. The application we are managing requires CentOS, which we had to install. There wasn't any choice.
For CentOS, the setup itself is straightforward. It didn't take much time. We installed it in one day. It was just the image that was installed. It also doesn’t take much staff to deploy or maintain the product.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The licensing is per device.
What other advice do I have?
I’m not sure which version of the solution we’re using. It might be version 8.
I’d recommend the solution to others. However, it all depends upon if the application needs it. If there is an application dependency, yes, you will need that. However, it'll come from a specific need.
We have not been using the OS as such. We have been just managing the application on the OS. We have been only supporting the application. We don't do anything, particularly on CentOS. We are doing all the settings on the application that's running on top of it.
That said, the product is okay. It's good, stable. It hasn't given us any issues, and we have no performance problems. I’d rate it overall an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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