Amazon Linux vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) comparison

Amazon Linux vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

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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:

ROI

Sentiment score

5.0

Amazon Linux offers cost savings, efficiency, and scalability through zero licensing fees, seamless AWS integration, and ARM optimization.

Sentiment score

6.3

Red Hat Enterprise Linux enhances reliability, security, and efficiency, reducing downtime and costs, with robust support and automation.

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.

reviewer2797587

Cloud Solution Engineer at a outsourcing company with 10,001+ employees

By switching the compute fleet from a paid distribution to Amazon Linux, we have reduced our OS-related overhead cost by 100%.

BasilJiji

System engineer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

Some wins commonly seen after switching, particularly when moving from general-purpose distributions such as Ubuntu, include approximately twenty to forty percent better price-performance ratio.

Janindra Janekumaradi

configuration and management deployment at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Amazon Linux report

A long lifecycle is key to having a good return on investment.

Troels Hansen

Architect at KnowIT

Being able to transform common manual tasks that previously took all day into processes that take an hour, half an hour, or even less, demonstrates clear value.

Chris Perrault

Systems administrator at a retailer with 501-1,000 employees

I invest effort and money in RHEL 8, expecting the system to be secure and reliable when serving my clients.

Suresh Babu Thatikonda

Associate Director at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.2

Amazon Linux support is highly rated for fast responses, knowledgeable engineers, and excellent problem-solving, ensuring user satisfaction.

Sentiment score

7.3

Red Hat Enterprise Linux support is praised for expertise and responsiveness, though some users report inconsistent and slow initial responses.

Amazon has the best expertise and they are available 24/7.

Saurab Gnagurde

IT Analyst | Aws Cloud Ops | Dev Ops | Fin Ops at Tata Consultancy

Timely and helpful responses for performance, updates, or AWS integration issues.

Anastasiya Sousa

QA Engineer at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees

It offers specific advantages and constraints depending on the use case.

reviewer2738745

Cloud Architect at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

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Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) support is great, as they go beyond their duty to help resolve issues and provide solutions even for third-party software such as XRDP.

Antoine Ragland

Senior Infrastructure Systems Administrator at a healthcare company with 1,001-5,000 employees

When we do contact customer service, they are generally very knowledgeable and well-versed in our size.

Tucker Hewitt

Solutions Architect at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

Usually, I send the information, and they have something for me within hours, sometimes even minutes.

ChristianLopez

Team manager at Evertec

For more quotes and insights, download the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.1

Amazon Linux boasts high scalability, seamless AWS integration, and consistent reliability for efficient vertical and horizontal scaling across regions.

Sentiment score

7.3

Red Hat Enterprise Linux excels in scalable, versatile environments with strong automation and cloud integration, despite some cost concerns.

Since it is tightly integrated with AWS services, I can easily scale instances up or down based on demand using EC2 auto-scaling and load balancing.

Vibin Thomas

Technical Team Lead - Content Security at Valuepoint Systems

The compatibility of container scalability with Amazon ECS and Amazon EKS, along with performance optimizations and low latency for workloads.

Vishal Kayande

Technical Trainer at DIEMS Chh.Sambhajinagar

Its real scalability comes from its seamless integration with AWS tools like CloudFormation, Auto Scaling, and user data scripts, which allow me to deploy and configure hundreds of identical ready-to-use instances automatically.

Leo Ladeira

Student at Unemployed at the moment

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Many of our applications scale really well, with some having several hundreds of VMs, which we couldn't accomplish on Windows.

Sean Doyle

Solutions Architect at a transportation company with 10,001+ employees

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) scales very well with the growing needs of our company.

Sheldon Kroner

Director, DevOps at Lightedge Solutions

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) handles increases in users, applications, or data smoothly, which is why we use it for all our projects, as it provides us with confidence.

reviewer2753943

Cloud Administrator at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

8.5

Amazon Linux ensures reliability and security with stable performance, seamless updates, and AWS integration, ideal for high-availability architectures.

Sentiment score

7.9

Red Hat Enterprise Linux is praised for its stability, reliability, and performance, making it ideal for critical business environments.

Combined with AWS managed infrastructure, it provides enterprise-grade reliability suitable for production workloads.

Deva Rugved

Software Engineer at INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

Since it is purpose-built for the cloud, it lacks the bloat of traditional desktop-focused distributions, which leads to fewer crashes and higher uptime.

BasilJiji

System engineer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

Compared to other Linux distributions, Amazon Linux is significantly more stable for AWS workloads because it is pre-optimized for EC2 hypervisor and includes integrated AWS tools out of the box.

Hussain Gagan

FullStack Developer at EnactOn Technologies

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It works consistently with minimal downtime and very few bugs or glitches.

reviewer2592627

Senior DevOps Engineer at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

It just works, and that's really the key factor; I can't remember the last time we had a system go down and had to restore it due to a bad patch.

Jason Cummings

Senior software engineer at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

We've not had a service outage with Red Hat in six years.

ScottPalmer

Team Lead, Linux Systems & Tools at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) report

Room For Improvement

Migrating to Amazon Linux 2023 faces challenges with package availability, unclear documentation, lacking third-party support, and integration issues.

Users seek RHEL improvements in CLI, third-party integration, licensing costs, security, GUI appeal, documentation, and cloud-native support.

From Amazon Linux 2 to Amazon Linux 2023 requires a complete migration, as there is no direct in-place upgrade path.

reviewer2799726

DevOps Technology Specialist at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

I would like more comprehensive recipes in the documentation for hardening the operating system according to specific compliance standards such as CIS or FedRAMP.

Hussain Gagan

FullStack Developer at EnactOn Technologies

This lack of consistency complicates migration and breaks existing automation scripts.

Leo Ladeira

Student at Unemployed at the moment

For more quotes and insights, download the Amazon Linux report

Addressing these limitations would significantly enhance the operating system's flexibility and efficiency.

reviewer2592627

Senior DevOps Engineer at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

The built-in security features of Red Hat Enterprise Linux were insufficient for our needs, necessitating the implementation of supplementary security measures.

reviewer2591346

IT Infrastructure Engineer at a manufacturing company with 11-50 employees

By providing pre-installed, native automation tools within the operating system, Red Hat would streamline processes and improve user efficiency.

reviewer2620827

Systems Engineer at a tech vendor with 501-1,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) report

Setup Cost

Amazon Linux offers cost-effective deployment with no license fees, enhancing appeal for enterprises seeking budget-friendly alternatives.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux is valued for support and enterprise-grade features, but smaller entities find its pricing high.

With Amazon Linux itself, there is no cost associated with using it, so I would say it is very good from a pricing perspective.

reviewer2795433

Cloud Ops Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

If I am a new AWS customer, the AWS Free Tier typically includes, for the first six months, micro instances such as t2.micro or t3.micro for free.

Deva Rugved

Software Engineer at INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

I only pay for the EC2 instance and any other AWS resources I use, but the operating system itself has no licensing fees, which is a significant advantage over commercial operating systems like Red Hat Enterprise Linux or Windows servers, which incur extra hourly charges.

Leo Ladeira

Student at Unemployed at the moment

For more quotes and insights, download the Amazon Linux report

It may be considered expensive compared to other solutions like CentOS or Ubuntu, which offer some of the same features without additional costs.

Sitakanta Chaudhury

Cloud Infrastructure Architect at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

Its pricing has room for improvement because it's more expensive in the local market due to purchasing power parity in India.

Syed Azhar

Cloud engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

Windows Servers base their cost on the number of users and have high licensing fees, while Red Hat Enterprise Linux offers free versions alongside its paid, supported versions.

reviewer2592627

Senior DevOps Engineer at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) report

Valuable Features

Amazon Linux offers cost-effective, reliable performance with AWS integration, security features, and documentation for enhanced productivity and deployment efficiency.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux offers strong security, stability, extensive support, and compatibility with hybrid environments for streamlined enterprise operations.

We were able to achieve almost 30% more improvement in performance on the servers and almost 10% reduction in cost.

Sanooj Mananot

CEo at CloudPositive

It is Graviton optimized for Arm-based workloads and has security by default with enhanced security, lifecycle, and deterministic updates.

reviewer2799726

DevOps Technology Specialist at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

What stood out to me and made my experience better were the security updates. I continue to receive security updates so that bugs cannot come through the system.

Deva Rugved

Software Engineer at INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

For more quotes and insights, download the Amazon Linux report

It also has strong security features, is OIS and FIPS certified, and has built-in Linux security configurations.

Sitakanta Chaudhury

Cloud Infrastructure Architect at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

There is also no downtime.

Siphosethu Ndebele

Linux/DevOps Engineer at Ekwantu Consulting

The operating system allows for the simple addition of kernels, modules, and other applications, making it highly adaptable to various needs.

reviewer2641572

Technical Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) report

Categories and Ranking

Amazon Linux

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

14th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

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

7.1

Number of Reviews

433

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of Amazon Linux is 1.5%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is 7.0%, down from 9.4% 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)	7.0%
Amazon Linux	1.5%
Other	91.5%

Operating Systems (OS) for Business

Featured Reviews

Saurab Gnagurde

IT Analyst | Aws Cloud Ops | Dev Ops | Fin Ops at Tata Consultancy

“Amazon Linux delivers automated security updates— including live kernel patching in AL2023—ensuring protected workloads with minimal manual effort and zero-downtime patching.”

One improvement for Amazon Linux would be stronger support for running it outside AWS. Although Amazon provides local VM images for VirtualBox and VMware, they are intended mainly for development and testing. Unlike Ubuntu, Debian, or Red Hat, Amazon Linux is not designed or fully supported as a production OS in on-prem or hybrid environments. Expanding official support outside AWS would offer more flexibility for teams that maintain mixed infrastructure. Another area for improvement is the community ecosystem. Compared to Ubuntu or Red Hat, Amazon Linux has a smaller community and fewer third-party resources or tutorials. A larger ecosystem would make troubleshooting and adoption easier. Finally, improving backward compatibility between Amazon Linux 2 and Amazon Linux 2023—especially around package management (DNF vs yum) and updated toolchains—would simplify upgrades for teams managing large fleets.

Read full review

Gowtham Chettikam

Vice President at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Automation has transformed daily operations and supports secure, continuous infrastructure

When considering improvements to Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), I see one primary area. Within your portal, if you provided more study material along with demonstrations similar to the sessions we are attending, which feature a user-friendly guide, you could incorporate this into your Red Hat console. When I want to install an agent or something else, typing in the console should provide me with clear step-by-step instructions. Throughout the years, installation steps have been available, but regarding AI agents or Ansible automation, I need to verify whether clear information exists. Including this information would be beneficial. Additionally, if you add the sessions that have occurred to your portal or another location, this would help us review them multiple times to gain better understanding. Time is limited, and many sessions occur simultaneously, making it impossible to attend everything. Making these sessions available on your website would be very helpful.

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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

Construction Company

13%

Educational Organization

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Outsourcing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	20
Midsize Enterprise	14
Large Enterprise	20

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	92
Midsize Enterprise	50
Large Enterprise	309

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Amazon Linux?

Amazon Linux made a great change with the last version and made some features incompatible with the old version, so I did not like the new version and still prefer not to use Amazon Linux. Some opt...

What is your primary use case for Amazon Linux?

I use Amazon Linux on EC2 machines for different kinds of servers. I typically run automation scripts, deploy fast web servers, and use Docker machines for testing purposes and any other proprietar...

What advice do you have for others considering Amazon Linux?

All Linux distributions have stability and security. The only advantage of Amazon Linux is the package system. I did not see any other great advantage. I prefer to use Ubuntu as my main option when...

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...

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

My experience with the pricing, the setup cost, and the licensing of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has been pretty good. I have no complaints.

What needs improvement with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)?

I've never really thought about how Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) could be improved, but the only thing I wish they had that I've asked Red Hat for so far is something resembling managed service ...

AlmaLinux vs Amazon Linux

Comparisons

Debian vs Amazon Linux

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Alpine Linux vs Amazon Linux

Compared 8% of the time

Rocky Linux vs Amazon Linux

Compared 7% of the time

CentOS vs Amazon Linux

Compared 6% of the time

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SUSE Linux Enterprise vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 9% of the time

Ubuntu Linux vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 9% of the time

Windows Server vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 8% of the time

AlmaLinux vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 7% of the time

Google Chrome Enterprise vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 3% of the time

More Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Competitors

Product Reports

Amazon Linux

Download Amazon Linux product report

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Download Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) product report

Also Known As

No data available

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

Overview

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?

Security: Offers frequent updates and security patches for a reliable operating environment.
Performance: Optimized for AWS, improving speed and efficiency.
Flexibility: Easily customizable to meet specific application needs.
Long-term Support: Provides extended software support to reduce maintenance overhead.

What benefits or ROI should users look for in Amazon Linux reviews?

Integrated AWS Tools: Improves workflow efficiency by seamless integration with AWS ecosystem.
Regular Updates: Ensures up-to-date security and performance features.
Cost Efficiency: Reduces operational costs with optimized cloud resources.
Developer Satisfaction: Enhances developer productivity with streamlined resource management.

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.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

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

Amazon Linux vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)