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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
7.2
Number of Reviews
68
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 April 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of CentOS is 5.5%, down from 8.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle Solaris is 2.4%, down from 3.6% 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.
Zandile Mushi - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers good security features and reliability
The tool is quite complex and difficult for anyone trying to use or study it. The complexity of learning the tool is an area of concern where improvements are required. Oracle Solaris' lighter and simpler version can be introduced. I feel that Oracle Solaris is a user-friendly tool because I am exposed to it.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The latest version of this solution has everything built in, making it comprehensive and very easy to use."
"The most valuable features of CentOS are it is built from Linux, has good performance, and can we can create scripts. The scripts are you to do minor work automatically."
"It's a good and stable system. It provides everything you need for web servers and database servers."
"The product is based on Red Hat and very stable."
"The vendor updates the tool regularly to solve vulnerabilities."
"The product offers a free community-based version."
"There are a lot of sources on the internet that you can use to solve any issues, and people share their experiences. It's not a closed system"
"It is a stable soultion."
"The stability of the solution is good."
"The product's most valuable feature is partitioning resources and optimizing hardware utilization effectively."
"The most valuable feature is the ease of setup."
"Solaris' best feature is its stability."
"Solaris Zones and Containers are my favorite features."
"Oracle Solaris provides an ease of use."
"The product's initial setup phase was easy."
"Solaris is scalable because they have their own file system, like CFS."
 

Cons

"The product lacks a graphical user interface that can help users automate certain systems using the native features offered by CentOS."
"CentOS is very close to the end of life."
"If CentOS could add Office features then that would be beneficial. Additionally, the UI could improve."
"This solution is no longer supported and will not receive any updates going forward."
"Updates are going to a streaming version."
"CentOS is pretty old now, so I wouldn't recommend anyone use it."
"There is no notification before updates are applied to the solution, which occasionally means that new functionality isn't compatible with how the product is currently being used, and causes issues."
"The server system is a little bit tough to manage."
"When we switch over to Solaris it was not easy because we had some troubles with the performance. Solaris is from Oracle and you would expect that it would run flawlessly, but we had some issues in sizing the previous Linux environment to the Solaris environment."
"Solaris is not easy to use. It needs better GUI, UI, and configuration tools."
"Oracle Solaris needs to improve its compatibility with office tools like Excel."
"This product is not as flexible as other similar solutions on the market today."
"The scalability of the solution can be improved."
"Patching without downtime would be nice."
"Solaris' package management could be improved, especially in comparison to Linux."
"It is not easy to use. It doesn't have a user-friendly interface. It should be easy to use. We are planning to move from Solaris to Linux because Linux is more flexible and user-friendly. Its installation should also be easier. Solaris also needs specific hardware to work well, which is another reason why we are moving to Linux. It should be more flexible in terms of hardware. It should have better integration with other hardware platforms."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's free."
"We have a CentOS license that we pay for on a yearly basis."
"We use the free, open-source solution because we cannot afford the price for Linux."
"We don’t have to pay for the system’s licenses."
"CentOS is an expensive solution. There are other solutions that are rated at the top that are not expensive, such as Red Hat."
"There is no license required for this solution."
"The solution is open source so is free."
"Once you buy the license, Linux will provide you with yearly or monthly patches, so your systems will be scalable for a long time."
"It is a very expensive product."
"It is an expensive product. I rate the pricing a ten out of ten."
"There are no licensing fees but you can opt to pay for support."
"The price is not good and needs to improve."
"Solaris is highly priced compared to other solutions, but since it's a niche product, this is to be expected."
"This solution needs a license to use it."
"The price of Oracle Solaris could be less expensive."
"The solution is expensive and is based on an annual fee."
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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%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Computer Software Company
13%
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?
I am not responsible for the setup cost in my company, so I am unsure about the cost of the license.
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.
 

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: March 2025.
845,564 professionals have used our research since 2012.