

CentOS and Amazon Linux compete in the server-level operating system category. CentOS appears to have the upper hand in pricing and community support, whereas Amazon Linux provides better integration with AWS services for cloud-centric environments.
Features: CentOS provides extensive repository support, robust enterprise-level features, and classic support for virtualization and containerization. Amazon Linux offers seamless AWS integration, optimized performance on AWS, and regular security updates.
Room for Improvement: CentOS could improve its integration with cloud-specific tools and services, enhance its update cycle for better cloud readiness, and expand its support for emerging technologies. Amazon Linux should focus on increasing support for on-premise environments, providing a broader community support ecosystem, and improving compatibility with non-AWS services.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: CentOS offers straightforward deployment with extensive community-driven documentation. It is often preferred for on-premise setups. Amazon Linux presents a streamlined process for those utilizing AWS services, with enhanced tools for cloud deployment and comprehensive service support from AWS.
Pricing and ROI: CentOS is open-source with minimal setup costs, making it appealing for budget-conscious operations. It offers good ROI for traditional setups. Amazon Linux aligns with AWS’s pay-as-you-go model, potentially offering better long-term ROI through optimized cloud resource usage.
With Amazon Linux, selecting and launching instances on a public cloud provider means the machine spins up in fewer than ten seconds, making it efficient.
One great feature is LTS, which is long-term support provided by Amazon itself.
We saved 30% in terms of the cloud infrastructure.
I have seen a return on investment, particularly in terms of money saved because I do not pay for the servers.
The money saved was significant, approximately fifteen percent of our IT budget.
It saved a lot of time through troubleshooting, which gives us substantial room for improvement in terms of fixing things.
Amazon has the best expertise and they are available 24/7.
Timely and helpful responses for performance, updates, or AWS integration issues.
It offers specific advantages and constraints depending on the use case.
I would rate the customer support for CentOS a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10.
I've seen many people across the globe interacting, and when users encounter issues, the community provides solutions.
I would rate the documentation about eight in terms of usefulness.
The beauty here is that we can scale it immediately, which also saves cost.
The scalability of Amazon Linux is very good; we run it on top of scalable EC2 instances, and we do not find any issues there.
Amazon Linux is highly scalable because it allows for EC2 instances to scale up and down based on what you want.
CentOS is scalable and user-friendly without requiring complex configurations.
It allows users to scale resources vertically for upgrading hardware and horizontally by adding more servers, making it suitable for modern web hosting and containerized applications.
CentOS's scalability for my organization has handled growth and changing needs smoothly.
My applications had a high availability (HA) environment, so even when one availability zone was down, traffic moved to a different availability zone without any issues.
We evaluated Amazon Linux, and it is very stable.
Amazon Linux is very stable and is continually maintained by Amazon.
CentOS is stable, reliable, flexible, and very useful.
CentOS's simplicity and stability make it easy to use.
I believe CentOS is stable, but we are gradually moving away from it.
Documentation explaining the differences between Ubuntu and Amazon Linux would be valuable.
Since we are working in a real-time manner and need to scale things immediately, the time it takes to boot an instance and then deploy things is preventing me from giving it a perfect rating.
My advice for others looking into using Amazon Linux is to make sure the command line is easy and that Amazon Linux has more performance than other Linux environments and is more secure than other Linux environments as well.
The documentation and support could be improved, along with compatibility with newer hardware as hardware continually evolves over time.
Kernel parameters, sysctl config details, tuned profiles, process prioritization, optimized disk, and input scheduler choice are all points for performance optimization.
CentOS RADIUS server handles sensitive authentication data, so improving security is the priority.
With Amazon Linux itself, there is no cost associated with using it, so I would say it is very good from a pricing perspective.
I am paying around $300 to $400 per month because I use many services.
The pricing is free compared to many other operating systems that charge.
There was no cost in terms of deploying it or getting the license for it.
CentOS is a free product with free updates.
The enterprise subscription cost is at a certain level, but CentOS saves customers from paying additional money, optimizing costs for enterprises and startups involved in application development.
Amazon Linux handles this automatically. It is optimized for EC2, AWS hardware and software, mostly secure and stable, and there is no additional cost.
In terms of service security, there are many constraint security protocols and policies that help me create our own networks, security groups, and inline policies.
Amazon Linux's security updates have been helpful in general because I have had to be more specific in using the Identity Access Management (IAM) service so that we can have role-based permissions in preference to just keeping it open.
CentOS has helped me most through its enterprise-level stability.
The update cycle changed when CentOS was prioritized for updates, causing stability issues.
In my experience, the best feature that CentOS offers is the network configuration of a device from the command-line interface, which is exceptionally clean.
| Product | Market Share (%) |
|---|---|
| CentOS | 4.4% |
| Amazon Linux | 0.5% |
| Other | 95.1% |


| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 6 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 4 |
| Large Enterprise | 14 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 30 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 22 |
| Large Enterprise | 28 |
Amazon Linux is a secure and stable distribution for cloud environments, optimized for AWS performance. It is widely adopted by developers seeking minimal disruption in deployment and management, offering a seamless operational experience.
Developed by Amazon Web Services, Amazon Linux provides an environment streamlined for performance on AWS infrastructure. By offering long-term support and regular security updates, it ensures crucial security and reliability. It is tailored to enhance cloud-centric application development, making it a preferred choice for developers needing efficient resource management. Its compatibility with a wide range of AWS tools and services makes it highly adaptable for cloud-native solutions.
What are the key features of Amazon Linux?In industries such as finance and healthcare, Amazon Linux is used to develop cloud applications that require secure data handling and robust performance. Media companies appreciate its flexibility and speed in managing high-demand scenarios, ensuring scalable content delivery and reliable performance.
CentOS offers a stable, secure, and compatible environment with Red Hat packages, providing robust performance and cost efficiency. Its lightweight, scalable design and strong community support make it ideal for handling heavy workloads with limited resources.
CentOS is a popular choice for organizations seeking reliable server and virtualization solutions. Known for its robust stability and security, it offers seamless integration and maintenance. However, after a shift from Red Hat, some challenges emerged, including weak NFS client performance and a more complex interface, which beginners find challenging alongside insufficient documentation. Despite these, CentOS remains a favored option for deploying web applications, server installations, and supporting cloud solutions, thanks to its efficient use in monitoring, databases, and telecommunications.
What are CentOS's key features?CentOS is widely used in industries requiring robust infrastructure, such as web hosting, scientific computing, and telecommunications. In data centers, companies deploy it to support virtual environments, testing, and development. The OS powers business applications, email servers, and cloud solutions, offering a cost-effective alternative to Red Hat.
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