CentOS vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) comparison

CentOS and Red Hat are both solutions in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category. CentOS is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.9, while Red Hat is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.8. CentOS holds a 4.7% mindshare in OSB, compared to Red Hat’s 9.2% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of CentOS users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of Red Hat users who would recommend it.

CentOS

Read 69 CentOS reviews

6,326 Views
6,326 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (R...

Read 337 Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) reviews

22,455 Views
22,230 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

CentOS

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (R...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 3, 2025

Red Hat Enterprise Linux and CentOS are key competitors in the Linux distribution market, each offering distinct features and benefits. RHEL appears to hold an advantage owing to its enterprise-level support, extensive documentation, and robust security features, making it more appealing to large-scale enterprises requiring reliable infrastructure and support. **Features:** RHEL is characterized by strong security, stability, and seamless integration with management and automation tools such as OpenShift and Ansible. This makes it well-suited for enterprises interested in cybersecurity and resource efficiency. CentOS, known for its low memory consumption and cost-effectiveness due to its open-source nature, is favored for web and database servers, particularly in smaller businesses seeking financial efficiency by avoiding licensing fees. **Room for Improvement:** RHEL could benefit from simplifying its documentation, reducing support costs, and enhancing third-party tool integration. Its users have also pointed out complexities in licensing and dependency on vendor support. For CentOS, the transition towards a community-driven derivative presents challenges concerning long-term stability and update predictability, along with a need for improved security features and stronger community support. **Ease of Deployment and Customer Service:** RHEL offers flexible deployment options across on-premises, hybrid, and cloud environments, supported by extensive technical assistance, though there is room for improvement in its escalation procedures. CentOS, while benefiting from straightforward deployments and robust community support, lacks formal customer service, making it more suitable for technically savvy users adept at managing without immediate formal support. **Pricing and ROI:** RHEL's pricing structure reflects its comprehensive support and feature set, often seen as a sound investment for businesses prioritizing uptime and compliance, though potentially prohibitive for smaller companies. CentOS, being open-source, removes the need for licensing fees, offering substantial ROI through cost savings, appealing to budget-conscious organizations while potentially posing challenges for larger enterprises due to the lack of structured support.

To learn more, read our detailed CentOS vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

CentOS vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

July 2025

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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:

Categories and Ranking

CentOS

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

6th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

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

337

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of CentOS is 4.7%, down from 8.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is 9.2%, down from 12.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Operating Systems (OS) for Business

Featured Reviews

Mahender Nirwan

Software developer at TAIGLE LLC

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.

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Bruce Lundberg

Linux HPC Systems Administrator at a manufacturing company with 5,001-10,000 employees

Reliable patch management, high uptime, and incredible knowledge base

In terms of security, it does a lot of things that most people still turn off. SELinux is turned on by default. They have pretty good firewall rules in their defaults. The audit rules always take tweaking, but, overall, it comes out of the box not too bad. I used to write scripts to harden them from there. There are multiple ways to provision and patch. You have everything from local repositories to doing it by hand. Their knowledge base is incredible. There is so much information out there. It has never taken me longer than 30 minutes to find an answer to anything, even very tough ones. One company I worked for was a security company, and we did a lot of patching on everything. It was designed around security and email hosting, and uptime was pretty much whatever we wanted it to be. I have had a couple of times when the uptime was bad, but it was caused by a third-party solution. In fact, the Norton antivirus was definitely the worst. Red Hat had nothing to do with it.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The pricing is good. We pay a minimal fee."

"CentOS adapts well to many software and applications, providing good compatibility."

"The solution is easy to troubleshoot."

"The most valuable feature is that it is compatible with RedHat."

"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 has minimal updates compared to other distributions."

"The product is very efficient when it comes to virtualization."

"The community and knowledge base are very robust."

More CentOS pros

"Security, packages, and updates are valuable. There is also the possibility to do unattended installations. This way you can define how you want the installation to behave and be configured whenever you do the deployment."

"The frequent updates are valuable."

"The feature that I am enjoying right now is the actual LEAP program that they created for the actual in-place upgrades. I am upgrading from Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8."

"The solution's technical support is really good and responsive. I rate the technical support a ten out of ten."

"Red Hat Enterprise Linux is the underlying licensing system that our third-party tool uses. It offers convenience. We can open a case when we want to escalate anything."

"The biggest thing that I have found valuable is stability."

"The most valuable feature of Red Hat Enterprise Linux is its security, which is more secure than Windows."

"The most valuable feature of Red Hat Enterprise Linux is its comprehensive ecosystem."

More Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) pros

Cons

"Previous versions were unstable."

"CentOS NetworkManager is an area of concern in the solution that needs improvement, and it is the same with other products from Red Hat."

"CentOS can be somewhat difficult for beginners, as it has a complex UI, especially for those not in the IT field."

"If a proper GUI-based tool was connected remotely or on the machine, it could be a great addition to CentOS."

"It would be ideal if Red Hat would continue the CentOS versions in an open-source format. They seem to be moving away from that. Now only paid versions are available."

"The support could be a bit better."

"Currently, CentOS is not providing support, so you will not get new packages that are compatible with that operating system."

"CentOS could be improved by being more secure. Of course, we use a firewall, but security is always a concern."

More CentOS cons

"The package compatibility between different releases is a little confusing sometimes."

"The solution is moving away from CentOS and there are growing pains from the customer's perspective."

"Continuous improvement is essential to enhance user experiences and address evolving needs."

"Red Hat has several areas ripe for improvement. In the Asia Pacific region, where cost-optimization is highly valued, Red Hat's support and subscription costs are perceived as high and could be reduced."

"The UI could use a little bit of work. The graphical interface could be improved."

"Their biggest complaint is, 'I need two workstations to do my container work and one to collaborate.'"

"Although the price is reasonable, there is room for improvement in order to stand out from other open-source solutions."

"There are performance issues with the response time when accessing the console, but I'm unsure if that's RHEL's fault or if it's due to the lack of CPU or memory on our machines. The enterprise interface could be improved. I can only use the keyboard to transfer files from one system to another. I want to use my mouse on the interface, not just scroll up and down. I would also like my logs archived as an RAR and sent to me."

More Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is open source so is free."

"The solution is free of cost to use."

"The price could be better. The cost depends on how the organization or a specific person licenses it. If you want the free version, there's Ubuntu which is supported by forums. You can pay for the license yearly or pay for a specific version."

"The solution is open-source and does not have any costs or licensing fees."

"Once you buy the license, Linux will provide you with yearly or monthly patches, so your systems will be scalable for a long time."

"There are no licensing fees. CentOS is a free solution."

"There is no price or licensing required — it's open-source."

"For the enterprise version of CentOS, there is a license required. However, for personal use, I do not need a license."

More CentOS pricing and cost advice

"When you are running your infrastructure on this, you can always find some discounts with local support, etc. There are always some discounts to match your budget. It is definitely affordable."

"It is cost-efficient."

"With Red Hat Enterprise Linux, you need to pay a massive upfront licensing fee in order to get support."

"I do not know what the pricing is like now. Previously, the pricing model was advantageous as it allowed unlimited installations for a single price, focusing on support. The recent introduction of paywalls complicates the cost landscape."

"It seems to be fair. It is not overpriced."

"RHEL has a decent pricing model. It's a subscription, which makes sense. The OS itself is free, but you pay for the support. I have never heard any complaints about the pricing."

"Red Hat Enterprise Linux licensing is quite costly, but I personally do not deal with pricing."

"Red Hat Enterprise Linux is a more cost-effective solution than Windows Servers."

More Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) pricing and cost advice

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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…

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Government

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...

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What do you like most about CentOS?

CentOS is very easy to use, and all the commands are user-friendly.

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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.

See all answers

What do you like most about Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)?

It is open source. We can customize it as per our requirements.

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

The licensing cost for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is comparable to SUSE for premium support. For approximately $2,000 per year, you can get premium support for one subscription which allows yo...

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

All major Linux distributions should have common commands, which would make it easier for users to understand and remember. Each flavor has their own native tools and features, which can be confusi...

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Comparisons

Oracle Linux vs CentOS

Compared 32% of the time

Ubuntu Linux vs CentOS

Compared 11% of the time

Kali Linux vs CentOS

Compared 11% of the time

SUSE Linux Enterprise vs CentOS

Compared 8% of the time

openSUSE Leap vs CentOS

Compared 7% of the time

More CentOS Competitors

SUSE Linux Enterprise vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 20% of the time

Windows Server vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 14% of the time

Rocky Linux vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 13% of the time

Oracle Linux vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 9% of the time

Windows 11 vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Compared 2% of the time

More Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

CentOS

August 2025

Download CentOS product report

Buyer's Guide

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

August 2025

Download Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) product report

Also Known As

CentOS 7 (x86_64) - with Updates HVM

Red Hat Enterprise Linux, RHEL

Overview

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?

Stability: Maintains a consistent performance, essential for mission-critical environments.
Security: Offers robust safeguards, aligning with Red Hat's trusted security packages.
Compatibility: Seamlessly integrates with Red Hat ecosystems, enhancing versatility.
Cost Efficiency: Open-source approach reduces expenses compared to proprietary systems.
Community Support: Access to extensive resources and assistance from a dedicated user base.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Performance: Efficient resource management even under heavy workloads.
Integration Ease: Smooth integration with existing IT infrastructures.
Scalability: Ability to grow with changing requirements, supporting diverse applications.
Flexibility: Adaptable to a wide range of industries and use cases.
Reliability: Trusted for critical operations and consistent service delivery.

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.

CentOS

Red Hat Enterprise Linux is recognized for its stability, security, and performance, serving diverse industries with its robust support and seamless cloud deployment capabilities.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux provides comprehensive server applications across cloud environments, featuring tools like Ansible for enhanced user experience. It integrates OpenShift, Identity Management, and automation, supported by extensive documentation. Users seek easier upgrades, enhanced network virtualization support, and improved live patching.

What are the key features of Red Hat Enterprise Linux?

Stability and Security: RHEL is designed to provide a stable and secure environment, backed by consistent updates.
Cloud Deployment: Easily deployable across cloud platforms, enhancing flexibility.
Integration with Ansible: Enhances operational efficiency with powerful automation tools.
OpenShift and Containerization: Supports modern app development with integrated OpenShift features.
Extensive Documentation: Offers comprehensive resources for users to troubleshoot and optimize.

What are the benefits of using Red Hat Enterprise Linux?

Reliable Support: Benefit from extensive support options for seamless operation.
Enhanced Security: Built-in features ensure data integrity and protection.
Increased Flexibility: Suitable for diverse deployment environments, including on-premises and cloud.
Operational Efficiency: Tools like automation and cloud navigation improve productivity.
Training and Resources: Access to comprehensive training contributes to smoother implementations.

In sectors like finance, telecommunications, and education, Red Hat Enterprise Linux is crucial for running stable, secure systems. Its application spans web servers, data management, and containerization through tools like Kubernetes. Organizations adopt it for on-premises, virtualized, and cloud environments, ensuring robust infrastructure management.

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

Buyer's Guide

CentOS vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

July 2025

Free Report: CentOS vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Find out what your peers are saying about CentOS vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.

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