Amazon Linux vs Ubuntu Linux comparison

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Canonical are both solutions in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is ranked #14 with an average rating of 8.5, while Canonical is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.9. Amazon Web Services (AWS) holds a 1.5% mindshare in OSB, compared to Canonical’s 8.0% mindshare. Additionally, 98% of Amazon Web Services (AWS) users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Canonical users who would recommend it.

Amazon Linux

Read 47 Amazon Linux reviews

4,580 Views
2,840 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

Ubuntu Linux

Read 152 Ubuntu Linux reviews

18,939 Views
17,992 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Amazon Linux

Ubuntu Linux

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 25, 2026

Ubuntu Linux and Amazon Linux are competing in the Linux distribution category, each suited for different environments. Ubuntu Linux appears to have the upper hand in general computing due to its ease of use and community support, while Amazon Linux is preferred for AWS-integrated cloud deployments for its stability and optimized performance.

Features: Ubuntu Linux is known for its stability, ease of use, and broad software compatibility, making it suitable for general computing tasks. Its user-friendly interface and open-source nature allow for high customization and scalability. Amazon Linux integrates seamlessly with AWS, offering enhanced security through frequent updates and optimized performance specific to AWS environments, making it ideal for cloud-specific workloads.

Room for Improvement: Ubuntu Linux could benefit from more stable updates, enhanced documentation, and better integration with Windows environments. Users also seek improved user-friendliness. Amazon Linux, while efficient within AWS, could expand community resources and improve support for hybrid environments. Its usability outside of AWS confines some deployments, prompting a need for more flexibility beyond AWS.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Ubuntu Linux is versatile in deployment across on-premises, hybrid, and cloud environments, relying on its large community for support due to limited direct technical assistance. Amazon Linux is tailored for cloud deployment within AWS, offering seamless integration and minimal setup complexity, excellent for users within the AWS ecosystem looking to leverage its cloud capabilities.

Pricing and ROI: Ubuntu Linux's primary appeal is its open-source, free nature, significantly reducing operational costs and delivering high ROI by eliminating licensing fees. Amazon Linux is also free but optimizes costs specifically within AWS environments, offering efficiencies and cost savings through instance scaling and unified billing, making it cost-effective for AWS-invested users.

To learn more, read our detailed Amazon Linux vs. Ubuntu Linux Report (Updated: June 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Amazon Linux vs. Ubuntu Linux

June 2026

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Helped 900,277 peers since 2012

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

6.6

Organizations achieve substantial savings and increased productivity with Ubuntu Linux, highlighting its cost-effectiveness, stability, and strong ROI.

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

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Ubuntu Linux 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

6.5

Ubuntu's extensive online community and resources reduce the need for paid support, though it's effective for urgent issues.

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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They responded well, understood that the issue was not on my end, and provided a patch within two days.

David Stevenson

Manging Director at Winworth UK

The community around Ubuntu Linux is beneficial, providing answers to questions and assisting with issues.

Thong Nguyen

Bachelor of Engineering at Vaasan ammattikorkeakoulu VAMK University of Applied Sciences

Ubuntu Linux has a comprehensive knowledge base for self-help.

Prashanth D

Techincal Support Engineer at Ibits Tech Solutions

For more quotes and insights, download the Ubuntu Linux 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

7.2

Ubuntu Linux is praised for scalable adaptability in cloud and on-premises setups, supporting diverse industries with flexible architecture.

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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The beauty of this hybrid approach is that because everything runs Ubuntu Linux, we have consistency across all environments.

Garima Vyas Purohit

Sr Manager - Corporate Training and Placements at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees

In a server environment, it can seamlessly adapt to increased customer demand.

Thong Nguyen

Bachelor of Engineering at Vaasan ammattikorkeakoulu VAMK University of Applied Sciences

Any Linux is scalable in terms of capacity, and on a day-to-day basis, we use scalability options with the help of Kubernetes clusters.

reviewer2728158

Associate Cloud Operations Engineer at a tech vendor with 501-1,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Ubuntu Linux 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

Ubuntu Linux is praised for its stability and reliability, though some issues occur with virtual machines or new hardware integration.

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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The system has been completely stable, which makes it deserve a perfect score.

PrashantSharma

BA at a computer software company with 11-50 employees

Ubuntu Linux is extremely stable and maintains uptime effectively.

David Stevenson

Manging Director at Winworth UK

Our servers continuously run, and we rarely ever have to restart them due to a crash or system failure.

Garima Vyas Purohit

Sr Manager - Corporate Training and Placements at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Ubuntu Linux 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 improved Windows compatibility, user-friendliness, business app support, and better documentation, GUI, security, and integration for Ubuntu Linux.

Documentation explaining the differences between Ubuntu and Amazon Linux would be valuable.

Tim Robles

full stack developer at 71Lbs

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.

reviewer2785038

Senior Data Engineer at a transportation company with 501-1,000 employees

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.

Arjun Parmar

DevOps Engineer at Wissen infotech

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There is a push towards integrating AI into software for various purposes like video and sound processing.

David Stevenson

Manging Director at Winworth UK

Another thing is enterprise solution integration. Some enterprise tools that businesses commonly use, such as certain ERP systems or CRM platforms, either do not have a Linux version, or their Linux versions are not as feature-rich or well-maintained as the Windows counterparts.

Garima Vyas Purohit

Sr Manager - Corporate Training and Placements at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees

Stability issues occur when integrating new components due to physical or technical challenges.

Thong Nguyen

Bachelor of Engineering at Vaasan ammattikorkeakoulu VAMK University of Applied Sciences

For more quotes and insights, download the Ubuntu Linux report

Setup Cost

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

Ubuntu Linux offers a cost-effective, open-source OS with free basic use, optional paid enterprise support, and scalable solutions.

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

For an enterprise-wide scalable operating system with professional services, you can select Ubuntu Linux at a reasonable price.

Kadir Kokcu

Owner at a computer software company with 1-10 employees

The setup cost is free.

Kevin Haury

Head of mission at CapHornier

Ubuntu Linux is open-source, leading to cost savings through its free availability.

Thong Nguyen

Bachelor of Engineering at Vaasan ammattikorkeakoulu VAMK University of Applied Sciences

For more quotes and insights, download the Ubuntu Linux report

Valuable Features

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

Ubuntu Linux is stable, secure, easy to install, cost-effective, highly customizable, and ideal for developers and enterprises.

Amazon Linux handles this automatically. It is optimized for EC2, AWS hardware and software, mostly secure and stable, and there is no additional cost.

Saurab Gnagurde

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

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.

Jagadeesh J

Software Engineer at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees

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.

Steven Alila

Fullstack Developer at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Amazon Linux report

Ubuntu Linux's open-source nature supports community contributions, bolstering its development and support ecosystem.

Thong Nguyen

Bachelor of Engineering at Vaasan ammattikorkeakoulu VAMK University of Applied Sciences

Ubuntu Linux supports remote troubleshooting via SSH, allowing connection from anywhere, which is beneficial for troubleshooting server issues.

Prashanth D

Techincal Support Engineer at Ibits Tech Solutions

In terms of security, I am satisfied with Ubuntu Linux and I can rely on its security features more than I can with Windows.

Azaz Qurershi

Solution Architect at TB

For more quotes and insights, download the Ubuntu Linux 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

Ubuntu Linux

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

2nd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

152

Ranking in other categories

OpenStack (1st)

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 Ubuntu Linux is 8.0%, down from 12.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Operating Systems (OS) for Business Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Ubuntu Linux	8.0%
Amazon Linux	1.5%
Other	90.5%

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.

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Garima Vyas Purohit

Sr Manager - Corporate Training and Placements at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees

Unified environments have streamlined our development workflows and reduced deployment issues

There are a few areas where I think Ubuntu Linux could be improved. The first one is hardware compatibility. Sometimes when we get a new machine, certain hardware like Wi-Fi cards, graphics cards, or printers do not work straight away out of the box. You have to manually find and install drivers, which can be frustrating, especially for people who are not very technical. Another area is the graphical user interface, or GUI, and desktop experience. While Ubuntu Linux has improved a lot in this area, it still does not feel as polished or as smooth as Windows or macOS for non-technical users. If Ubuntu Linux wants to attract more everyday users, that is an area they need to keep improving.On the software compatibility side, one of our biggest frustrations is that some industry-standard tools simply do not have native Linux versions. For example, tools such as Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, and some specialized enterprise software just do not run natively on Ubuntu Linux. We have to use workarounds such as running Windows in a virtual machine or using a web-based alternative, which is not always ideal. Additionally, when it comes to vendor support, sometimes when we reach out to third-party software vendors for technical support, they do not officially support Linux. We are kind of on our own figuring things out. That can be really frustrating when you are dealing with a critical issue and the vendor just says they do not support Linux. Another thing is enterprise solution integration. Some enterprise tools that businesses commonly use, such as certain ERP systems or CRM platforms, either do not have a Linux version, or their Linux versions are not as feature-rich or well-maintained as the Windows counterparts.

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

13%

Educational Organization

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Outsourcing Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

University

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	85
Midsize Enterprise	22
Large Enterprise	55

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...

See all answers

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...

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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...

See all answers

Which would you choose - Ubuntu Linux or Oracle Linux?

Ubunto Linux is a complete Linux operating system that is freely available with both community and professional support. This solution is suitable for both desktop and server use. It has a very app...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Ubuntu Linux?

My experience with the pricing for Ubuntu Linux is that I always use the free version, so I never paid for any installations or support.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Ubuntu Linux?

See all answers

Comparisons

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs Amazon Linux

Compared 16% of the time

Debian vs Amazon Linux

Compared 15% of the time

AlmaLinux vs Amazon Linux

Compared 13% of the time

Alpine Linux vs Amazon Linux

Compared 8% of the time

Oracle Solaris vs Amazon Linux

Compared 5% of the time

More Amazon Linux Competitors

Oracle Linux vs Ubuntu Linux

Compared 16% of the time

SUSE Linux Enterprise vs Ubuntu Linux

Compared 7% of the time

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs Ubuntu Linux

Compared 7% of the time

openSUSE Leap vs Ubuntu Linux

Compared 6% of the time

Windows Server vs Ubuntu Linux

Compared 6% of the time

More Ubuntu Linux Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Amazon Linux

June 2026

Download Amazon Linux product report

Buyer's Guide

Ubuntu Linux

May 2026

Download Ubuntu Linux product report

Also Known As

No data available

Ubuntu

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)

Ubuntu Linux is an open-source platform known for its robust security, ease of use, and rapid performance. Its lightweight design and comprehensive support system make it ideal for diverse IT environments, providing seamless management and scalability options.

Ubuntu Linux stands out with its open-source nature that allows extensive customization and access to a broad range of free software. It is widely praised for its stability and a vast package repository offering regular updates, enhancing its usefulness across different sectors. The platform is equipped with a lightweight design and excellent community support, making it scalable and easy to manage. While it could improve in areas like Windows software compatibility and user interface refinement, its benefits in enterprise management and development projects are undeniable. Improved documentation, better hardware integration, and enhanced third-party application compatibility are additional focal points to consider.

What are the key features of Ubuntu Linux?

Robust Security: Offers strong security protocols to protect user data.
Rapid Performance: Delivers fast and efficient processing speeds.
Open-source Customization: Provides extensive customization options.
Vast Package Repository: Features frequent updates and diverse software choices.
Lightweight Design: Ensures optimal performance even on limited resources.
Community Support: Backed by excellent community resources for assistance.

What benefits should be considered from reviews?

Resource Efficiency: Efficient utilization of system resources for enhanced performance.
Development Flexibility: Supports a wide range of programming and development tasks.
Enterprise Compatibility: Suited for large-scale enterprise solutions and cloud computing.
Scalability: Capable of managing and scaling across different environments.
Troubleshooting Support: Comprehensive community support for troubleshooting issues.

Ubuntu Linux is prominently implemented in industries for tasks such as server management, application deployment, and software development. Its resource efficiency and open-source tool compatibility make it a favorite for programming, research, and cybersecurity. Companies frequently use it for web hosting, cloud services, and managing multi-user enterprise solutions.

Canonical

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Samsung, eBay, AT&T, Walmart, Cisco, Time Warner Cable, Bloomberg, Best Buy, Dell, Intel, Microsoft, Ericsson, Orange, Wells Fargo

Buyer's Guide

Amazon Linux vs. Ubuntu Linux

June 2026

Free Report: Amazon Linux vs. Ubuntu Linux

Find out what your peers are saying about Amazon Linux vs. Ubuntu Linux and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.

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