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 8.8, while SUSE is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.2. CentOS holds a 5.5% mindshare in OSB, compared to SUSE’s 7.2% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of CentOS users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of SUSE users who would recommend it.

CentOS

Read 68 CentOS reviews

8,350 Views
8,466 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

SUSE Linux Enterprise

Read 32 SUSE Linux Enterprise reviews

10,390 Views
9,260 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

CentOS

SUSE Linux Enterprise

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 7, 2024

SUSE Linux Enterprise and CentOS are both robust enterprise-grade Linux distributions. Users report better support and pricing satisfaction with SUSE Linux Enterprise, while CentOS is often favored for its extensive features and higher perceived value.

Features: SUSE Linux Enterprise has strong security features, scalability, and comprehensive software support. CentOS is known for its stability, a vast library of software packages, and suitability for enterprise applications.

Room for Improvement: SUSE Linux Enterprise could enhance customization options and performance optimization. CentOS needs better documentation and more frequent updates.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SUSE Linux Enterprise provides professional customer support and a smooth deployment process. CentOS deployment is straightforward but lacks in customer service.

Pricing and ROI: SUSE Linux Enterprise has higher setup costs, justified by professional support. CentOS offers a lower-cost setup with a good return on investment due to its feature-rich platform.

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

Buyer's Guide

CentOS vs. SUSE Linux Enterprise

March 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

7.2

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 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 SUSE Linux Enterprise is 7.2%, down from 8.9% 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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Dominique Locksley

Linux System Administrator at Adapt IT

Has good kernel modules and upgrades

I like how the tool handles kernel modules and upgrades - we rarely have issues after upgrades, unlike with other Linux distributions like Oracle Linux or Ubuntu. The kernel module management is excellent. Changes made in one version typically work the same in other versions too, which isn't always the case with other distributions. There's also lots of information and community support available if you run into any problems, both on the official website and in forums and user groups. I know many people who use it specifically, so it's easy to get independent support if needed. I've been working with the tool for a long time, since 2003, before they became SUSE Linux Enterprise. It's always been one of the most admin-friendly Linux versions.

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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

"It's a good and stable system. It provides everything you need for web servers and database servers."

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

"Very robust and easy to work with."

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

"We used the solution as an operating system."

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

"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."

"The most valuable feature is performance."

More CentOS pros

"The product's initial setup phase was easy."

"The return on investment has been significant, especially considering its cost-effectiveness compared to other solutions."

"It is very easy to maintain, migrate and upgrade."

"The solution offers a secure operation system."

"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 is a stable platform."

"SUSE Linux's most valuable feature is the documentation - there is a lot of documentation about how to create custom servers."

"I have not experienced any issues with this operating system."

More SUSE Linux Enterprise pros

Cons

"They could build more options into the wizard."

"The server system is a little bit tough to manage."

"Like every operating system, it could be more secure."

"The support could be a bit better."

"I have had a tough time with the product's scalability, making it an area where improvements are required."

"It could be more secure."

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

"I would like the integration to be more secure."

More CentOS cons

"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 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."

"They should improve their educational portal."

"I have not seen an ROI with this solution."

"The solution is expensive."

"SUSE could make more APIs available."

"I would appreciate the product's future releases being lighter and operating more efficiently on smaller systems."

"Additionally, error handling needs improvement. The system should be more transparent when there's an error, rather than just declaring a generic error. It would be helpful if it could provide more specific information about the problem on that particular system. As it stands, you can waste a lot of time trying to troubleshoot these vague errors."

More SUSE Linux Enterprise cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"This is a free solution."

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

"CentOS is a free solution."

"There are no costs for CentOS, it is open-source."

"It's free."

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

"The product is free."

"We have a CentOS license that we pay for on a yearly basis."

More CentOS pricing and cost advice

"The price is reasonable."

"As far as licensing goes, there is nothing unusual here. The price and model have worked fine for my organization."

"The platform is affordable."

"When we first implemented this product, we had licenses for support."

"The license we pay is for Oracle. We make use of the community edition."

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

"I rate the product price an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is a low price, and ten is a high price."

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

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

17%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Government

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Government

Financial Services Firm

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.

See all answers

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.

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 40% of the time

Ubuntu Linux vs CentOS

Compared 11% of the time

Windows Server vs CentOS

Compared 9% of the time

openSUSE Leap vs CentOS

Compared 8% of the time

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs CentOS

Compared 8% of the time

More CentOS Competitors

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs SUSE Linux Enterprise

Compared 31% of the time

openSUSE Leap vs SUSE Linux Enterprise

Compared 24% of the time

Ubuntu Linux vs SUSE Linux Enterprise

Compared 18% of the time

Rocky Linux vs SUSE Linux Enterprise

Compared 7% of the time

Oracle Solaris vs SUSE Linux Enterprise

Compared 4% of the time

More SUSE Linux Enterprise Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

CentOS

March 2025

Download CentOS product report

Buyer's Guide

SUSE Linux Enterprise

March 2025

Download SUSE Linux Enterprise product report

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 is a versatile operating system ideal for deploying solutions, managing applications, and running certain applications. It is also used for migrating SAP workloads to the cloud, integrating with SAP HANA solutions and products, and as an operating system for application servers.

The solution is praised for its YaST tool for easier server administration, compatibility with Oracle and SAP, stability, scalability, ease of use, extensive documentation, pacemaker cluster, and SUSE Manager for patching. SUSE Linux offers extended support for each version and a special edition for SAP applications.

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

March 2025

Free Report: CentOS vs. SUSE Linux Enterprise

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