AlmaLinux vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) comparison

AlmaLinux and Red Hat are both solutions in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category. AlmaLinux is ranked #17 with an average rating of 8.8, while Red Hat is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.8. AlmaLinux holds a 2.9% mindshare in OSB, compared to Red Hat’s 7.4% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of AlmaLinux users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of Red Hat users who would recommend it.

AlmaLinux

Read 5 AlmaLinux reviews

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2,221 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (R...

Read 392 Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) reviews

19,529 Views
19,138 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

AlmaLinux

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (R...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 25, 2026

Red Hat Enterprise Linux and AlmaLinux are competing in the enterprise Linux distribution market. RHEL holds the upper hand due to its enterprise-level stability and extensive official support.

Features: RHEL provides robust security features, certified application stacks, and comprehensive enterprise-grade support. AlmaLinux offers binary compatibility with RHEL, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness being open-source, appealing to those seeking a RHEL alternative without subscription fees.

Room for Improvement: RHEL could improve by offering more customization options and reducing costs to match community-driven offerings. AlmaLinux could enhance enterprise support, streamline deployment tools, and provide more official certifications to increase enterprise adoption.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: RHEL offers streamlined deployment with formalized support structures, extensive documentation, and enterprise-grade SLA options. AlmaLinux leverages community forums and resources for deployment, suitable for organizations valuing collaboration and open-source expertise, but typically requires a more hands-on approach.

Pricing and ROI: RHEL requires a subscription, which contributes to a high ROI through its stability and comprehensive support. AlmaLinux is free, eliminating direct licensing costs and presenting a lower TCO, attractive to cost-conscious organizations focused on maximizing budget efficiency.

To learn more, read our detailed AlmaLinux vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

AlmaLinux vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

March 2026

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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

AlmaLinux

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

17th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

5.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (R...

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

1st

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

392

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of AlmaLinux is 2.9%. The mindshare of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is 7.4%, down from 10.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Operating Systems (OS) for Business Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)	7.4%
AlmaLinux	2.9%
Other	89.7%

Operating Systems (OS) for Business

Featured Reviews

reviewer2797887

Owner

Reliable long-term hosting has reduced server migrations and lets me focus on projects

One area for improvement with AlmaLinux is the use of SELinux to secure and harden my server, which I find to be a complicated beast. Better documentation on that part could be useful, although there is a lot of material out there. I choose a nine because nothing is ever perfect. For example, coming from Ubuntu, I found their firewall software easy to use, while with AlmaLinux's entire ecosystem, I always have to look up how to use firewall-cmd. These are just little preferences. I cannot think of anything else AlmaLinux could improve; it serves me well, and I have not been missing anything.

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Ray Ortega

Server administrator at Northrop Grumman

Empowers collaboration through streamlined integration and extensive documentation

Improving Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) can be tough, however, a significant area is collaboration tools. We have many Windows users that use Outlook and Skype or Teams to collaborate on our network. They want Linux desktops due to the fact that they want to use containers. Their biggest complaint is, 'I need two workstations to do my container work and one to collaborate.' If somehow RHEL can start introducing or collaborating with Teams and Outlook so their users can work with their Windows peers, that would be great. But I don't think that's available yet. Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing, there needs to be more of an education piece to it. For instance, when purchasing 10 or 100 node licenses, they could suggest, 'We also offer this 1,000 node license instead, and it'll save you specific amounts.' Just more education on their offerings would be helpful, because usually, we're coming out with the requirements, and then they just provide it to us. They could inform us about saving by bundling it differently or using alternative approaches.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"AlmaLinux has impacted our organization positively by providing a stable and reliable enterprise Linux platform without licensing cost."

"AlmaLinux provides free updates and security, unlike Red Hat, where support must be purchased separately."

"The long-term support provided by AlmaLinux helps my business by ensuring that we do not have to renew our servers every four to five years."

"The most valuable feature I find in AlmaLinux is the binary compatibility with RHEL and the long-term stability, which makes it a predictable, rock-solid system behavior, while also having small and safe packaging for subsystems or systems that run twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week."

"Positively, I can say that AlmaLinux has brought a sense of stability, and besides the security patches, we also noticed better virtualization for our use cases."

"Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has positively impacted my organization through automation, as my recent task saved a lot of time by reducing the work from months to a day using scripts developed in RHEL, thus boosting our productivity and cutting costs while empowering a skilled workforce, enabling scalable and secure infrastructure, and fueling innovation and digital transformation."

"I would rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux a ten out of ten."

"I find the clustering feature of Red Hat Enterprise Linux the most useful. It helps us to cluster our application service to maintain high availability."

"The customer service and technical support of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has been wonderful so far."

"The most valuable feature of RHEL is the Ansible Automation Platform, closely followed by Satellite."

"I rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux as ten out of ten."

"The stability and reliability of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has been excellent for us; aside from a couple of upgrade challenges, we generally don't face any issues during a normal business day."

"The most valuable features of Red Hat Enterprise Linux are its stability and resilience in that we rarely have to take down the systems completely to patch them."

More Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) pros

Cons

"One area for improvement with AlmaLinux is the use of SELinux to secure and harden my server, which I find to be a complicated beast."

"After six months of migration, we ended up using more resources for the same websites, and that's not acceptable."

"If AlmaLinux could provide ten to twenty years of fixes, that would be an improvement because I do not want to update the system all the time, as it becomes more challenging for me as a system administrator to track all the patches and everything I should patch on the system."

"Personally, I don't see good benefits from their support and paid licensing compared to completely free and well-documented Linux distributions, as I find RHEL excessively expensive."

"To improve standardization, deprecate YUM and transition to DNF."

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

"The cost could be lower. Red Hat is considered a costly solution. It can be expensive if you want all the features in the license. A cheaper license would make Red Hat more accessible to a broader range of users."

"The area for improvement in Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is documentation. I really have to get hold of the support, saying, 'Hey, I'm trying to do this. It's not working,' and then they will give me a solution, but I would expect that a document would have solved that issue without raising a ticket."

"A targeted package tailored for small and medium-sized businesses can help increase business."

"RHEL could be improved in several ways, especially regarding transparency and communication of new features."

"From a hands-on experience perspective, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) could be improved in terms of user experience and ease of adoption, especially for teams that are still building their knowledge of the platform."

More Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"Operating in the cloud space, we typically point our customers to pay-as-you-go licensing, which comes through the various cloud providers repository services."

"The Red Hat Enterprise Linux automation platform subscriptions are quite expensive."

"Pricing depends on the model used, costing about $3,000 per virtual host in the virtual environment. It varies depending on whether you get high availability. There are modules that are upsold such as kernel patching, which we do not use due to cost considerations."

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

"It's expensive."

"We charge €2,000 per system for three years."

"It seems to be fair. It is not overpriced."

"The pricing is great for virtual systems."

More Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 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…

Read full review

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

14%

Manufacturing Company

10%

University

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	90
Midsize Enterprise	49
Large Enterprise	268

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for AlmaLinux?

AlmaLinux is free, so there are no costs there. The open source licensing helps a lot, and the setup cost is just my own time invested in learning the platform.

See all answers

What needs improvement with AlmaLinux?

I would like to see better tools in terms of memory consumption with AlmaLinux. I would like to know what processes exactly are consuming how much memory and have better core dumps or system core d...

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What is your primary use case for AlmaLinux?

I provide hosting and email services for customers using AlmaLinux. Most of our customers are using Plesk for managing their domains, and some servers end up having 300 or 400 domains, while others...

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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...

See all answers

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

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

See all answers

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

Regarding the pricing of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) subscription, I believe the pricing is fair. The support that Red Hat provides is very good. Whenever I encounter issues, Red Hat always pro...

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

AlmaLinux

March 2026

Download AlmaLinux product report

Buyer's Guide

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

March 2026

Download Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) product report

Also Known As

AlmaLinux OS 8 (x86_64), AlmaLinux OS 10 (x86_64)

Red Hat Enterprise Linux, RHEL, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) for AWS

Overview

AlmaLinux is an open-source, enterprise-level Linux distribution designed to provide stability, high performance, and community-driven support. It offers compatibility with RHEL, making it a reliable option for businesses seeking robust OS alternatives.

Built by CloudLinux, AlmaLinux serves enterprises looking for a powerful Linux distribution. It boasts seamless transitions from CentOS, providing a familiar environment for IT teams. With its open-source nature, AlmaLinux empowers organizations by offering control over their workflows. It supports diverse workloads, making it suitable for handling anything from basic setups to complex architectures. AlmaLinux stands out due to its strong security features, which focus on protecting sensitive data and maintaining secure server environments.

What are AlmaLinux's most important features?

Compatibility with RHEL: Ensures a seamless transition for users familiar with Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
Long-Term Support: Offers extended support periods, ensuring stability for enterprise systems.
Rich Community Support: Backed by an active community and regular updates.
Security Enhancements: Integrated security improvements for protecting business data.
Open-Source Nature: Provides flexibility and customization through a transparent codebase.

What benefits or ROI should users look for?

Cost Efficiency: Free to use, reducing operational expenses.
Reliable Performance: Consistent updates and support for enterprise needs.
Reduced Vendor Lock-in: Allows migration from other enterprise Linux systems with ease.
Security Assurance: Continuous security patches protect corporate assets.

AlmaLinux has been implemented across industries like finance, healthcare, and technology due to its reliability and adaptability. In finance, it ensures secure transactions and data integrity. Healthcare organizations rely on it for managing sensitive patient data. Tech companies use it for its stability and community-driven enhancements, making it a versatile choice for diverse applications.

AlmaLinux

Red Hat Enterprise Linux offers stability, security, and support for mission-critical applications with robust tools and scalable architecture, ideal for diverse environments and hybrid cloud compatibility.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux provides organizations with a reliable platform ideal for high-performance computing and virtualization. Known for its robust security and seamless network administration, it integrates well with OpenShift and Ansible, ensuring adaptability and scalability. Despite challenges with documentation, upgrade complexity, and cost, RHEL remains a formidable choice thanks to its comprehensive documentation and extensive community support.

What are the key features of Red Hat Enterprise Linux?

Stability and Security: Maintains high stability and advanced security measures, critical for enterprise environments.
Extensive Support: Offers robust support through community and documentation, assisting with problem-solving and integration.
Automation with Ansible: Simplifies tasks and enhances efficiency, optimizing operations across the infrastructure.
Hybrid Cloud Compatibility: Supports cloud environments, enabling flexibility and strategic deployments.
Scalable Architecture: Adapts to different workloads, making it suitable for growing organizational demands.

What benefits should users look for when evaluating Red Hat Enterprise Linux?

Reliable Performance: Ensures consistent and secure operations across diverse environments, including cloud infrastructure.
Efficient Management: Centralized operations make it easy to manage enterprise workloads effectively.
Community and Documentation: Access to a strong community and comprehensive documentation aids in resolving issues.
Integration Capabilities: Easily integrates with technologies like OpenShift and SAP, enhancing operational versatility.
Adaptability: Supports a wide range of environments and technical requirements, improving strategic deployment.

Organizations across industries like financial services, telecommunications, and application hosting implement Red Hat Enterprise Linux for server and application management. Its compatibility with technologies such as SAP, Oracle, and Ansible supports functions including web, database, and enterprise solutions, ensuring stable and secure performance in high-pressure environments.

Red Hat

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

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

Buyer's Guide

AlmaLinux vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

March 2026

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

Find out what your peers are saying about AlmaLinux vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.

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