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CentOS vs Oracle Solaris comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 7, 2024

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

CentOS
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
6th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
69
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Oracle Solaris
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
9th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
50
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of CentOS is 5.1%, down from 8.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle Solaris is 2.3%, down from 3.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Operating Systems (OS) for Business
 

Featured Reviews

Mahender Nirwan - PeerSpot reviewer
In-depth documentation available and command-line utility works well
One issue I recently faced, but I think it was due to my IT support guys, was that when the server storage gets full, the service crashes. It's very difficult to regain access and stability in that situation. That could be improved. So, the stability might be improved. But I don't think it's a CentOS-level issue. The system administrators need to come up with a solution for that, but I don't think it's CentOS's fault. I haven't done any research [R&D] on this issue. There's one thing for sure. We recently migrated from CentOS 7 to CentOS 9, and it was a bit difficult. For example, updating Windows is simple; you just download it, and it takes about 15-20 minutes. But that's not the case with migrating from CentOS 7 to 9. We had to back up the entire server, launch a new server, and then restore the backup to the new server. We couldn't directly migrate. I think that was a bit of a problem. The setup and updates are not that new in CentOS.
Erick Kathurima - PeerSpot reviewer
Has enabled a user-friendly and lightweight installation with improved performance
I installed Oracle Solaris on a normal PC to test its functionality. It is comfortable to use and provides a good test environment, especially because it is not commonly known or recognized in the market Oracle Solaris has a graphical interface that is user-friendly, especially with its use of…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I like its stability, performance, and usability."
"The stability of this solution is its most useful feature. It is a high quality product and you know what you're getting. You also receive wide support from the community."
"There's lots of great documentation available."
"The scalability of CentOS is good. We can deploy the operating system in many hardware, laptops, and servers."
"The pricing is good. We pay a minimal fee."
"The solution is extremely stable."
"The most valuable feature is the limited resources the solution uses in operation."
"CentOS adapts well to many software and applications, providing good compatibility."
"Oracle Solaris's operating system is good."
"Solaris is scalable because they have their own file system, like CFS."
"One of the main features of this solution is the ease of use."
"Solaris's best features are high availability, robustness, and database hosting."
"Solaris Zones and Containers are my favorite features."
"Oracle Solaris provides an ease of use."
"Solaris' best feature is its stability."
"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten since we haven't faced any issues."
 

Cons

"The price of CentOS could improve."
"In the future, CentOS will no longer be compatible with Red Hat."
"The solution might be discontinued but I hope that IBM will continue to develop it and improve on the functionally and features."
"I would like the integration to be more secure."
"CentOS should extend the support of the solution. The solution is set to have no update support in 2023."
"If a proper GUI-based tool was connected remotely or on the machine, it could be a great addition to CentOS."
"Previous versions were unstable."
"I was using CentOS because it was very stable, and now it's not."
"I don't want to receive any updates on Oracle"
"The solution is pricey and can be improved by lowering the cost."
"It would be helpful if the solution offered backend management. In the 11.4 version, Oracle added a management console. It would be great if we maybe had a user management tool to go with it."
"They could also enable Oracle OEM for x86 architecture as well."
"The Solaris code is open, and the documentation is accessible to all, not only to registered users. Also, the documentation does not support some solutions, and there are no other options."
"Solaris' package management could be improved, especially in comparison to Linux."
"This product is not as flexible as other similar solutions on the market today."
"If it could support other file systems, it would be better."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"This is an open-source solution, so there are no licensing costs involved."
"It is open-source, which means it is a free product. It has a one-time deployment cost."
"It's free."
"For the enterprise version of CentOS, there is a license required. However, for personal use, I do not need a license."
"There are no costs for CentOS, it is open-source."
"This is an open source solution."
"CentOS is a free solution."
"We don’t have to pay for the system’s licenses."
"It is more expensive, but very complete and worth enacting."
"This solution needs a license to use it."
"There is no OS licensing cost if you use their hardware and purchase hardware maintenance."
"The annual license cost is fair and reasonable."
"It is an expensive product. I rate the pricing a ten out of ten."
"We don't use an authorized license."
"There are no licensing fees but you can opt to pay for support."
"The solution is free to use."
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Comparison Review

it_user281973 - PeerSpot reviewer
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…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
7%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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 do you like most about CentOS?
CentOS is very easy to use, and all the commands are user-friendly.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for CentOS?
CentOS is a free product with free updates. There are third-party companies available for support, but they charge varying amounts for their services.
How does Oracle Linux compare with Solaris?
When comparing Oracle Linux and Solaris, I believe that Linux is more secure and more flexible. It is also very suitable for enterprises that are already Oracle solution users. I found Linux to be ...
What do you like most about Oracle Solaris?
We use the solution as an internal operating system.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle Solaris?
I find the pricing of Oracle Solaris to be affordable compared to competitors like Windows.
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

No data available
Solaris 11, Solaris
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Siemens, IVV
Find out what your peers are saying about CentOS vs. Oracle Solaris and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
852,098 professionals have used our research since 2012.