Debian vs VyOS Platform comparison

The compared Debian and VyOS solutions aren't in the same category. Debian is ranked #14 in OSB , with an average rating of 9.0, and holds a 5.5% mindshare in the category. VyOS is ranked #16 in R , and holds a 0.9% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Debian users are willing to recommend the solution.

Debian

Read 12 Debian reviews

3,059 Views
2,937 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

VyOS Platform

Read 1 VyOS Platform review

1,436 Views
29 Comparison Views

0% willing to recommend

Debian

VyOS Platform

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 14, 2025

VyOS Platform and Debian serve in the operating systems and network services category. VyOS appears to have the upper hand in networking due to its specialized features, while Debian's advantage lies in its flexibility and extensive software support.

Features: VyOS offers advanced routing, VPN, and firewall capabilities, making it ideal for businesses centered on network infrastructure. It is adept at network traffic management. On the other hand, Debian provides a vast collection of software applications and tools, enhancing its flexibility. Its extensive package repositories are a significant highlight. Debian supports a wide variety of hardware platforms.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: VyOS is generally deployed in specialized network environments, having support tailored to network-related concerns. Deployment necessitates networking expertise. Debian's deployment method is straightforward due to its versatility, with broad-based support across numerous applications, though it lacks the networking focus specific to VyOS.

Pricing and ROI: VyOS may require a higher initial investment, emphasizing network optimization and security, potentially delivering good returns for businesses needing such features. Debian's open-source nature leads to minimal or no setup fees, making it a budget-friendly option with substantial long-term savings for general-purpose applications.

To learn more, read our detailed Operating Systems (OS) for Business Report (Updated: January 2026).

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Operating Systems (OS) for Business

January 2026

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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

Debian

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Operating Systems (OS) for Business (14th)

VyOS Platform

Average Rating

6.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Routers (16th)

Mindshare comparison

Debian and VyOS Platform aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. Debian is designed for Operating Systems (OS) for Business and holds a mindshare of 5.5%, up 0.6% compared to last year.
VyOS Platform, on the other hand, focuses on Routers, holds 0.9% mindshare, up 0.1% since last year.

Operating Systems (OS) for Business Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Debian	5.5%
Rocky Linux	12.2%
Ubuntu Linux	9.4%
Other	72.9%

Operating Systems (OS) for Business

Routers Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
VyOS Platform	0.9%
MikroTik Routers and Switches	21.2%
Cisco Enterprise Routers	16.1%
Other	61.8%

Routers

Featured Reviews

Badal Shrivastav

Embedded Linux / BSP Engineer at Veethree

Reliable platform has supported long-term on-prem deployments and predictable OTA updates

If I consider how Debian can be improved, it could be more accessible in making newer software versions available for users who need recent features while still maintaining default stable behavior. While backports help, the workflow could be streamlined. The release cycle can feel slow for rapidly evolving tools, and better guidance around mixing stable, backports, and testing would help. Regarding hardware support, Debian can be improved by supporting multiple BSPs, making it more versatile in the embedded domain. Hardware support for new devices can sometimes lag behind, which is understandable given Debian's focus on stability. Clearer guidance on handling newer hardware or firmware would be beneficial.

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Borislav Andric

IT Consultant at Navigator CORPORATION LLC

The product is free, and the initial setup is easy, but it is missing some features, and it is not stable

The product is missing some features. Some features are not implemented the way we expect them to be. The tool doesn’t have the same quality as other commercial vendors like Cisco. There were some problems with IPsec. For a long time, the tool did not support VTI tunnels. I also faced some problems with some specific networking solutions. I couldn’t set the source IP. I would like to have a hardware solution in the future.

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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

"Debian's best features are that it is very light and very comfortable for even older computers."

"Debian's stability helps me in my daily work because my work relies on stability; I'm trying to deploy production workloads, and Debian offers that stability for me."

"Debian offers features that are best for my needs, including being open source, which allows for the implementation of many things and the use of a wide variety of open-source tools."

"Debian is the most straightforward and compatible option, which greatly simplifies our engineers' tasks."

"Debian offers the best features in that it is open source, simple, and battle-tested, with a good release cycle."

"Debian positively impacts my organization by allowing us to utilize a much more lightweight operating system with Amazon EC2 instances, which greatly reduces costs because we can use EC2 instances with lower RAM."

"Debian has been a very reliable and stable foundation for all the systems I have worked on, and its package management, transparency, and predictable updates have been extremely helpful, especially for embedded and production environments."

"The best features Debian offers are that it is fast, simple, and long-term supported."

More Debian pros

"It is an open-source product."

Cons

"What keeps it from being a perfect score is mainly the slow access to newer software and hardware support, as well as documentation that is somewhat fragmented for advanced use cases."

"About the features of Debian, of course, it is a slow distribution like many others."

"I believe Debian can be improved by adding more containerization features out of the box, and it should make some updates when it comes to the UI."

"There are certain areas where Debian can definitely improve, particularly in restricted access privileges for certain aspects."

"The stable kernel because it is going to be older and naturally stable does not always support brand new components such as CPUs or specialized GPUs out of the box, which can make it difficult to use there."

"I cannot say that I have seen a return on investment with Debian because I am a DevOps engineer, and it is my job to do this."

"Debian should have a reset feature; if something goes wrong, such as when I have installed or modified any root file, there should be a reset feature to restore my initial default settings."

"It seems there should be a more deterministic way to do that. It does seem that you are running a lot of random install scripts to install things or relying on another two or three package management services, so there could be better software installation methods."

More Debian cons

"The product is missing some features."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

17%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Computer Software Company

13%

Insurance Company

13%

Comms Service Provider

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	4

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Debian?

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing seems acceptable. We have also used Ubuntu. Comparing to Ubuntu, Debian is cheaper.

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What needs improvement with Debian?

In terms of improvements, I think Debian is fine as it is. I'm not an expert, so for me, it is acceptable.

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What is your primary use case for Debian?

I have been using Debian for a while now. My main use case for Debian is running PostgreSQL and related infrastructure. A specific example of an application I'm running on Debian is PostgreSQL.

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Comparisons

Rocky Linux vs Debian

Compared 41% of the time

openSUSE Leap vs Debian

Compared 11% of the time

Alpine Linux vs Debian

Compared 8% of the time

AlmaLinux vs Debian

Compared 6% of the time

Kali Linux vs Debian

Compared 5% of the time

More Debian Competitors

Sophos Central vs VyOS Platform

Compared 34% of the time

Arista CloudEOS Router vs VyOS Platform

Compared 33% of the time

More VyOS Platform Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Debian

January 2026

Download Debian product report

Buyer's Guide

Routers

January 2026

Download VyOS Platform product report

Also Known As

Debian 12

No data available

Overview

Debian is a reliable open-source operating system ideal for servers and desktops. With its wide array of packages and stable releases, it suits developers and organizations seeking dependable performance and security.

Debian stands out for its stability and extensive package repository, making it a go-to choice for developers. Its open-source nature ensures transparency and flexibility. Debian's package management system, APT, simplifies software installation and updates. Its security updates are regular and prompt, ensuring systems are protected. With support for multiple architectures, Debian caters to various environments from desktops to large-scale servers.

What are the key features of Debian?

Package Management: APT tool for efficient software installation and updates.
Security: Regular security updates maintain robust protection.
Open Source: Community-driven with transparency and flexibility.
Architecture Support: Compatibility with diverse hardware systems.
Stability: Reliable performance across server and desktop configurations.

What benefits and ROI should be considered in reviews?

Cost Efficiency: Free distribution reduces expenses.
Performance: Stable and reliable for demanding applications.
Customizability: Open-source nature allows tailored solutions.
Community Support: Extensive community for troubleshooting and advice.

Debian is widely used in industries such as web hosting, scientific research, and education, where reliability and long-term support are priorities. Its flexibility allows it to be adapted for specialized applications in scientific computing or educational environments, ensuring it meets industry-specific technical requirements.

Debian

More than a router. VyOS is not just a router: It’s an open, customizable platform for network devices.

VyOS

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January 2026

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