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Sajjad Raza - PeerSpot reviewer
Vice President | Services Group Leader at Afiniti
Real User
Jan 26, 2023
Reliable, easy to set up and quick to deploy
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup is very easy."
  • "If a proper GUI-based tool was connected remotely or on the machine, it could be a great addition to CentOS."

What is our primary use case?

On CentOS, we use Docker to run our different services, which are interconnected among themselves.

What is most valuable?

As far as my experience with CentOS is concerned, it's a stable product. It is stable and reliable.

The initial setup is very easy.

What needs improvement?

They could add a tool or a dashboard where we could properly monitor the machine's performance rather than using different commands. If a proper GUI-based tool was connected remotely or on the machine, it could be a great addition to CentOS.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for the last five years. 

Buyer's Guide
CentOS
July 2026
Learn what your peers think about CentOS. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: July 2026.
904,748 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's a stable product. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

There are 1,000 people using the solution. 

How are customer service and support?

I've never dealt with technical support. Our DevOps team takes care of issues and troubleshooting.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Before joining the current company, I was using Ubuntu Linux. When I used CentOS the first time, I didn't find any hurdle or issue in using that OS.

How was the initial setup?

It's easy to set up the solution. It's not overly complex.

As far as the installation is concerned, it hardly takes an hour, based on the configuration or the software we want to install. After that, it's another hour or so to configure it as per our needs.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I can't speak to the pricing. The DevOps team handles that aspect of the product. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

My organization asked us to identify the possibilities of using Oracle Linux. That's why I am studying options.

What other advice do I have?

We're end-users.

The solution can be deployed on the cloud and on-premises. 

I personally also tried to work on CentOS 8. It's easy to use.

I'd recommend the solution to others. 

I would rate the solution nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Yilmaz Cagri Isbuga - PeerSpot reviewer
Co-Owner at Tekbilge Internet Technologies Ltd & IDA LTD
Real User
Jan 16, 2023
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.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
CentOS
July 2026
Learn what your peers think about CentOS. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: July 2026.
904,748 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Erick-Guevara - PeerSpot reviewer
Application Server Manager at Centro Nacional de Registros
Real User
Aug 20, 2022
Free to use and simple to set up but needs a better package manager
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is stable and reliable."
  • "CentOS is compliant with Red Hat packages, so we don't have to spend on a subscription for little projects or small projects."
  • "The GUI interface could always be better."
  • "Sometimes using RPE and packages is a little complicated trying to resolve some dependencies."

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.
PeerSpot user
Muhammad-Mwinchande - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Developer at NMB Bank
Real User
Jul 23, 2022
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."
  • "However, the problem with CentOS is there is no Microsoft Office."

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.
PeerSpot user
Rahul Sawhney - PeerSpot reviewer
Group Manager at HCLSoftware
Real User
Jul 17, 2022
Easy to set up, great for access controls and captures inappropriate usage
Pros and Cons
  • "It’s scalable."
  • "The solution is very stable, there are no bugs or glitches, it doesn’t crash or freeze, and it’s reliable."
  • "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."

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.
PeerSpot user
Phat Chau - PeerSpot reviewer
Solution architect at EASY CREDIT Vietnam
Real User
Nov 26, 2023
Cost-effective product with an easy setup process
Pros and Cons
  • "It is a scalable and cost-effective product compared to public cloud solutions."
  • "There could be more integration features included in the product."

What is our primary use case?

We use CentOS for repository features.

What needs improvement?

There could be more integration features included in the product.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using CentOS for five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have five CentOS customers. It is a scalable and cost-effective product compared to public cloud solutions.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup process is easy. It requires five executives for deployment, including managers, admins, engineers, and developers. It takes around a month to complete.

What about the implementation team?

We take the help of a reseller to implement the product.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We don’t have to pay for the system’s licenses.

What other advice do I have?

I rate CentOS a nine out of ten.

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Landry  Mbala - PeerSpot reviewer
Développeur applications at Trust Merchant Bank
Real User
Apr 26, 2023
A stable solution that helps to create applications
Pros and Cons
  • "The product is based on Red Hat and very stable."
  • "The tool has no official support."

What is most valuable?

The product is based on Red Hat and very stable. 

What needs improvement?

The tool has no official support. 

For how long have I used the solution?

The product helps us to create applications. 

How are customer service and support?

We had used support in the past and it was good. 

How was the initial setup?

The product's setup is simple. You can deploy the solution in one hour. 

What other advice do I have?

I would rate the product a nine out of ten. One admin is enough to maintain the product. 

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.
PeerSpot user
Ibidapo Ibrahim - PeerSpot reviewer
Head of IT Infrastructure at a non-tech company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Apr 4, 2023
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?

I use the solution as a web application server. I use it with Apache. 

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. 

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.
PeerSpot user
Evans Choge - PeerSpot reviewer
Network and Security Administrator at Jambopay
Real User
Nov 3, 2022
An easy-to-integrate solution, scalable and stable
Pros and Cons
  • "It helps us install and deploy our applications."
  • "The solution is easy to integrate with other applications and with other services."
  • "More security features could be included in the next release."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case for the solution is utilizing it as an OS in a virtualized environment. It helps us install and deploy our applications and other services accessed by other users, internally and externally. The solution is deployed on-premises.

What is most valuable?

We have found the ease of integration valuable. The solution is easy to integrate with other applications and with other services. For example, if you want to deploy something, it simplifies the integration with other applications and services.

What needs improvement?

The solution could include more integration of third-party solutions to check on the quality and vulnerabilities of the code.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using the solution for approximately two 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?

The solution is scalable. Approximately 1000 users are utilizing the solution.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward, and deployment took two to four hours.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented the solution in-house. Five developers are required for deployment.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The license is affordable. I rate the price a ten out of ten.

What other advice do I have?

I rate the solution a nine out of ten. The solution is good, but the integration can be improved, and more security features could be included in the next release.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
System Administrator at Confidential
MSP
Oct 13, 2022
The solution is extremely stable, can be installed in under ten minutes, and is free
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is extremely stable."
  • "The most valuable feature of the solution is the stability and performance of the server."
  • "This solution is no longer supported and will not receive any updates going forward."

What is our primary use case?

The primary use case for the solution is to host web servers, application servers, or databases.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of the solution is the stability and performance of the server.

What needs improvement?

The solution is an open-source version of Red Hat without some of the features. The solution can be improved by including some of the Red Hat features for free.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for over ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is extremely stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution can be scalable depending on what you are using the server for. If you use the solution as a visualization system, it is scalable, but difficult to scale without having to use additional tools. Linux-based solutions require a lot of manual work unless other tools are used to automate.

How are customer service and support?

The solution is open source and does not have any official support only other users on forums. 

How was the initial setup?

The setup is straightforward for advanced users and administrators. If you are a beginner the setup can be quite difficult, especially with the partitioning phase. The basic installation on the premises only takes ten minutes. If you are installing on the cloud there are a few extra steps that can take up to 20 minutes such as the provider's security, networking, public IP addresses, and some rules that have to be configured before the system is ready.

What about the implementation team?

The implementation was completed in-house.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is open-source and does not have any costs or licensing fees.

What other advice do I have?

I give the solution a nine out of ten.

This solution is no longer supported and will not receive any updates going forward. Oracle Linux is similar to the solution and is also Red Hat compatible. I recommend that anyone thinking about using this solution switch to Oracle Linux.

For anyone interested in trying the solution there is a lot of information and support that is freely available online.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free CentOS Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: July 2026
Buyer's Guide
Download our free CentOS Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.