CentOS vs SUSE Linux Enterprise comparison

CentOS and SUSE are both solutions in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category. CentOS is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.9, while SUSE is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.2. CentOS holds a 4.6% mindshare in OSB, compared to SUSE’s 6.9% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of CentOS users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of SUSE users who would recommend it.

CentOS

Read 69 CentOS reviews

6,682 Views
6,570 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

SUSE Linux Enterprise

Read 32 SUSE Linux Enterprise reviews

8,546 Views
7,631 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

CentOS

SUSE Linux Enterprise

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 3, 2025

SUSE Linux Enterprise and CentOS compete in the enterprise Linux distribution category. SUSE seems to have the upper hand due to its robust enterprise tools and support, despite CentOS's affordability and flexibility.

Features: SUSE Linux Enterprise offers robust support for SAP HANA and Oracle, tools like YaST for simplified management, and a unique inbuilt HANA firewall, making it attractive for enterprise environments. CentOS is renowned for its security, flexibility, and extensive hardware support, which makes it suitable for web and database servers and ensures broad compatibility according to Linux standards.

Room for Improvement: SUSE Linux Enterprise faces challenges with package installation outside official repositories, has integration issues with specific applications, and could improve its security documentation and pricing structure. CentOS users are concerned about its evolving update model, call for better graphical user interfaces, and note compatibility challenges with Red Hat after the removal of features like btrfs.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SUSE Linux Enterprise is effectively deployed across on-premises and cloud environments with strong technical support and quick response times for enterprise issues. While this support is costly, it is robust. In contrast, CentOS relies on community forums and offers flexible deployment across various settings, though with less structured professional support compared to SUSE.

Pricing and ROI: SUSE Linux Enterprise requires subscription costs with managed tiers for support; its pricing is reasonable compared to Red Hat, though recent increases have been noted. CentOS is a cost-effective choice as a free, open-source solution, with significant savings in licensing fees. SUSE's ROI benefits from its enterprise features and SAP support, while CentOS maximizes ROI through cost savings, albeit with potential support and feature trade-offs.

To learn more, read our detailed CentOS vs. SUSE Linux Enterprise Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

CentOS vs. SUSE Linux Enterprise

June 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

SUSE Linux Enterprise

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

7th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of CentOS is 4.6%, down from 8.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SUSE Linux Enterprise is 6.9%, down from 8.8% 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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Naveen Venugopal

Research Engineer at a educational organization with 10,001+ employees

Efficient IT management with crucial automatic updates but needs developer-friendly configuration

Sometimes it is a bit of work for developers to change the configurations. Some kernels will not fit with some packages, and this aspect could be improved. Furthermore, the system's rigidity when updating packages and services needs improvement. Additionally, there should be more loosely bound functionalities to improve developer experience.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It is a stable soultion."

"The most valuable feature of CentOS is that it is easy to use."

"I like the command prompt of CentOS. It's very simple."

"If I need to install a feature or fix a server issue, I can easily find answers online. The CentOS community is also vast and helpful."

"The solution is easy to troubleshoot."

"I like how you can alternate certain things and minimize admin features on there and just let it run on specific scripts. It's nice. Even if I had to put it in a container, I'd still do it. I prefer Linux over Windows any day."

"It is a scalable and cost-effective product compared to public cloud solutions."

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

More CentOS pros

"The most valuable features of the solution are patching and the BTRFS file system."

"The tool’s idempotency ensures all configurations are in place at all times."

"It's easy to set up."

"Some of the functionalities I like the most are the security features. This includes security restrictions on specific folders and secure communication for SFTP. These features are more secure and reliable. The tool also makes compliance possible."

"It's a flexible solution."

"The solution is easy to use, secure and allows for simple manipulation."

"SUSE Linux was stable for me. I did not experience any problems with its stability."

"The solution offers a secure operation system."

More SUSE Linux Enterprise pros

Cons

"GUI could be merged and expansion simplified."

"This solution is no longer supported and will not receive any updates going forward."

"Lacks sufficient security and some coding tools."

"Previous versions were unstable."

"The GUI interface could always be better."

"As an open-source solution, there isn't much technical support."

"The support could be a bit better."

"The solution must improve its security."

More CentOS cons

"I have not been overly impressed with their technical support."

"I don't like the frequency of updates, especially if they're only from the vendor."

"Sometimes it is a bit of work for developers to change the configurations."

"When working in a Department of Defense environment, Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) have to be followed. SLES is not really addressed directly here. It did make following security policy difficult."

"The platform doesn't support certain APMs."

"The product must improve its UI."

"I would like to see better functionality for interacting with cloud-based systems."

"The only stability issues that I can recall encountering with SUSE would be with KDE. However, that is limited to just the desktop environment as I have not had stability issues with most server functions."

More SUSE Linux Enterprise cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We are using a subscription-based license option for CentOS."

"This is an open source solution."

"The solution is open source."

"The solution is not subscription-based, unlike Red Hat."

"We use the free, open-source solution because we cannot afford the price for Linux."

"It's freeware, so we can use it without worrying about licensing."

"This is an open-source solution, so there are no licensing costs involved."

"There is no license required for this solution."

More CentOS pricing and cost advice

"I have to pay for a license in order to get support."

"The platform is affordable."

"Regarding pricing, everybody would want it to be cheaper."

"There is a free tier and a paid support tier. If you do not need support, then the solution is free to use. If you need support then there is an option for that as well."

"I would advise others to download the free or strictly open source versions, then test them in their environment before committing to a purchase. This will allow for testing suitability for applications that they want to run."

"The product is expensive. We purchase its yearly license."

"The price is reasonable."

"The product's licensing options align well with the evolving landscape of Linux variants."

More SUSE Linux Enterprise 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

Financial Services Firm

Government

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

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...

See all answers

What do you like most about CentOS?

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

See all answers

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 SUSE Linux Enterprise?

The initial setup is simple and takes five minutes for deployment and if you have automation in place, it will take four minutes.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SUSE Linux Enterprise?

I used the open-source version, so there were no setup costs.

See all answers

What needs improvement with SUSE Linux Enterprise?

The software management side was a bit difficult, especially compared to Ubuntu. The software manager was different, making it challenging to install certain applications. Additionally, I encounter...

See all answers

Comparisons

Oracle Linux vs CentOS

Compared 36% of the time

Ubuntu Linux vs CentOS

Compared 11% of the time

Windows Server vs CentOS

Compared 8% of the time

openSUSE Leap vs CentOS

Compared 8% of the time

Kali Linux vs CentOS

Compared 8% of the time

More CentOS Competitors

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs SUSE Linux Enterprise

Compared 30% of the time

openSUSE Leap vs SUSE Linux Enterprise

Compared 25% of the time

Ubuntu Linux vs SUSE Linux Enterprise

Compared 19% of the time

Rocky Linux vs SUSE Linux Enterprise

Compared 7% of the time

Oracle Solaris vs SUSE Linux Enterprise

Compared 3% of the time

More SUSE Linux Enterprise Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

CentOS

June 2025

Download CentOS product report

Buyer's Guide

SUSE Linux Enterprise

June 2025

Download SUSE Linux Enterprise product report

Also Known As

No data available

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP3

Overview

CentOS is a versatile operating system with many use cases, including virtual spaces, scientific computing, data center servers, web-based applications, and more. Its valuable features include customization options, low memory consumption, performance, scalability, open-source nature, cost-saving, and compatibility with Red Hat packages.

The solution has helped organizations save money on licensing and improve testing capabilities for new implementations without spending additional resources. CentOS is a stable, reliable, and efficient operating system that is easy to use and integrate with other applications and services.

CentOS

SUSE Linux Enterprise offers features like YaST for server management, seamless integration with Oracle and SAP, and a robust security setup. Renowned for stability, it efficiently supports workstations, SAP workloads, and cloud migrations across diverse industries.

SUSE Linux Enterprise is known for its lightweight design, high performance, and ease of installation. Its flexible architecture supports extensive documentation and efficient patching. The system uses the BTRFS file system for effective virtualization, and community support is significant. However, challenges include package updates causing conflicts, difficult initial setup and software management, high pricing, and support response times. Improvements in security compliance, cloud integration, hardware compatibility, and documentation are also needed.

What are SUSE Linux Enterprise's important features?

YaST Server Management: Simplifies server setup and configurations.
Oracle & SAP Integration: Enhances performance with major enterprise applications.
HANA Firewall: Provides robust security measures.
BTRFS File System: Supports advanced storage management and snapshots.
Virtualization: Efficiently runs multiple operating systems on a single machine.

What benefits should users expect from using SUSE Linux Enterprise?

Stability & Performance: Reliability for critical applications and workloads.
Lightweight Design: Reduces resource consumption while maintaining efficiency.
Community Support: Access to extensive user and developer collaboration.
Automated Upgrades: Simplifies system maintenance and updates.

Industries like healthcare and banking use SUSE Linux Enterprise for secure transactions and structured application deployment. It is also a choice for organizations involved in testing, automation, and web development, offering support for SAP HANA integration and facilitating cloud migrations.

SUSE

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Air India, Akademicki Szpital Kliniczny (ASK), Allone, Altran, Apollo, ARCHIVA, Asia Innovatory Management School, ATLAS ELEKTRONIK GmbH, AutoData Norge AS, Baldor Electric, Business Connexion, CASIO, Ciclum Farma, Delta Lloyd, Edumate , HPE, SAP SE, Lenovo, BMW, T-Systems, UCX, Turners & Growers, Shenzhen Development Bank, Bosch Group, JK Tyres & Industries, IOCL, European Space Agency, Daimler AG, China Minsheng Banking Corp, Café Coffee Day, Unisys, Petrochina Company Ltd, Fitch Ratings, ABeam Consulting Co Ltd, Tyro Payments, Rackspace, Pacific Textiles, ...

Buyer's Guide

CentOS vs. SUSE Linux Enterprise

June 2025

Free Report: CentOS vs. SUSE Linux Enterprise

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