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CentOS vs Windows 10 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
Windows 10
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
8th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
4.8
Number of Reviews
280
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 Windows 10 is 2.7%, down from 4.3% 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.
Deboprio Dutta - PeerSpot reviewer
Improved security features with gaming enhancements while supporting various features
I understand that Windows 11 supports quite a bit of additional features for people who are, for example, into high-end gaming and the features that support that kind of utility. It's not personally much of a thing for me, however, I've heard about differences between the two operating system versions. To the best of my knowledge, I think Windows 11 brings some AI features for Microsoft Copilot, which probably weren't as integrated into the previous version. There are the occasional bugs and issues that pop up, yet none are significant enough for me to consider a major update. Overall, it's a smooth experience.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution is open source."
"We particularly like that we can remove the graphic user interface to minimize attack settings for the operating system."
"It’s scalable."
"The product is based on Red Hat and very stable."
"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."
"CentOS's most valuable features are that it's cost-saving and helps to scale down your usage."
"The solution is extremely stable."
"It is a scalable and cost-effective product compared to public cloud solutions."
"I've found Windows 10 to be easy to use."
"It is easy to use."
"I have found all the features to be valuable. I like the compatibility of Windows with other products, I can add applications. The general compatibility of Microsoft is good, I know that I can use all the Microsoft products."
"The installation process is pretty easy."
"Windows 10 is easy to use. I like the built-in antivirus features."
"The solution is stable."
"The performance is good."
"The solution has very useful features."
 

Cons

"CentOS could be improved by being more secure. Of course, we use a firewall, but security is always a concern."
"The performance could stand improvement."
"The tool has no official support."
"CentOS is not easy."
"CentOS should extend the support of the solution. The solution is set to have no update support in 2023."
"The solution must improve its security."
"The solution could be more scalable."
"The price of CentOS could improve."
"The solution's resource usage for the user could be improved."
"Sometimes, I receive a blue screen when I open the product, so it is an area that can be improved in the tool."
"Personally, I think the product could be cheaper."
"I do not like the interface of Windows 10 very much and the performance could be enhanced. Sometimes everything is a little bit cumbersome. When I used the interface of Windows 7 it was much quicker than Windows 10, as far as finding the information. I preferred Windows 7 for this interoperability. It was easier to interact with the Windows 7, to use the control panel. With Windows 10 there are fewer settings in the control panel as well, but there's the different possibility to reach the same information, and sometimes it creates confusion."
"The solution could improve by being more secure and having a better user interface."
"The cost of Windows 10 is a bit high. They should work to make it lower."
"The solution could improve by reducing the number of updates that are required to stay secure. There are times when I am doing work on my computer and I get interrupted."
"It would be better if it were more stable. It will also help if Microsoft improves the user interface in the next release."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is open source so is free."
"There are no licensing costs for CentOS."
"There are no licensing fees. CentOS is a free solution."
"CentOS is a free solution."
"Once you buy the license, Linux will provide you with yearly or monthly patches, so your systems will be scalable for a long time."
"The solution is open-source and does not have any costs or licensing fees."
"CentOS is cheaper compared to Windows."
"It's freeware, so we can use it without worrying about licensing."
"My company is on a corporate license for Windows 10 and my personal computer I bought the operating system already installed, I did not pay for it."
"It is only a one-time purchase."
"My company has opted for a volume-based license."
"There is a one-time license purchase for Windows 10."
"The license is built into whatever you have purchased. For example, we purchased our Lenovo laptop and the license for Windows 10 was built in."
"The product's commercial pricing is high."
"We pay annually for the licenses of Windows 10."
"Licensing fees are paid yearly."
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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
16%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
University
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.
What needs improvement with Windows 10?
There is an issue with using Outlook, as you have to acquire a license. The basic version offered by Windows 10 does not allow direct preview of emails, requiring downloads instead. If they could a...
What is your primary use case for Windows 10?
I am working with Aras PLM. We are using Aras PLM, Windows 10 and Jira. Teams has very good features. We are using soft phones.
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about CentOS vs. Windows 10 and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
861,524 professionals have used our research since 2012.