SUSE Linux Enterprise vs openSUSE Leap comparison

openSUSE and SUSE are both solutions in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category. openSUSE is ranked #12 with an average rating of 9.0, while SUSE is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.5. openSUSE holds a 6.1% mindshare in OSB, compared to SUSE’s 6.4% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of openSUSE users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of SUSE users who would recommend it.

openSUSE Leap

Read 6 openSUSE Leap reviews

5,486 Views
5,486 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

SUSE Linux Enterprise

Read 34 SUSE Linux Enterprise reviews

7,057 Views
6,916 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

openSUSE Leap

SUSE Linux Enterprise

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 3, 2025

SUSE Linux Enterprise and openSUSE Leap both compete in the Linux distribution category, with SUSE Linux Enterprise having the upper hand due to its enterprise-grade features like SAP and Oracle support, which cater to businesses requiring comprehensive solutions.

Features: SUSE Linux Enterprise includes an offline repository in DVD media and boasts strong support for the Oracle product stack and integration with SAP HANA and Windows Active Directory. Its YaST tool simplifies server management and pacemaker cluster management adds to its robustness. openSUSE Leap provides ease of use and server management capabilities, supported by the BTRFS file system for stability and ease of snapshots.

Room for Improvement: SUSE Linux Enterprise could enhance integration with Autodesk and improve the initial setup process. The complexity of updates and package conflicts and need for better cloud interaction are areas for improvement, alongside cost-effectiveness and clearer documentation. openSUSE Leap users highlight the need for improved GUI stability and better Active Directory integration along with more comprehensive documentation.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SUSE Linux Enterprise offers deployment flexibility in public, private, and hybrid cloud environments and strong technical support praised for responsiveness. openSUSE Leap focuses on on-premises deployment with support mainly from community forums, providing a collaborative support experience.

Pricing and ROI: SUSE Linux Enterprise, as a paid solution, includes a support subscription and offers significant value, especially for SAP deployments compared to competitors like Red Hat. Despite recent pricing increases, it continues to be favored for its comprehensive enterprise capabilities. openSUSE Leap, being open-source and free, is an economical choice for users or organizations not needing extensive enterprise support, benefiting from community-driven support.

To learn more, read our detailed SUSE Linux Enterprise vs. openSUSE Leap Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

SUSE Linux Enterprise vs. openSUSE Leap

September 2025

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Helped 868,759 peers since 2012

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

openSUSE Leap

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

12th

Average Rating

9.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SUSE Linux Enterprise

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

6th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of openSUSE Leap is 6.1%, up from 5.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SUSE Linux Enterprise is 6.4%, down from 8.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Operating Systems (OS) for Business Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
SUSE Linux Enterprise	6.4%
openSUSE Leap	6.1%
Other	87.5%

Operating Systems (OS) for Business

Featured Reviews

Nagendra Kavadi

Senior Manager at Cognizant

Provides BTRFS file system, which allows you to take snapshots

I only use the tool for testing purposes on my team, but multiple people use it. We don't make a team effort to install the solution. When it comes to maintenance, we ask our company to buy SUSE Linux Enterprise. My team consists of 13 people. We are currently integrating the solution with Ansible to do some coding. Although not a full-fledged automation, we are integrating the solution with Ansible and executing a couple of playbooks connected to openSUSE Leap. I would recommend the solution to other users looking for an open-source solution. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

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MoezCHEBBI

Senior Lead DevOps Engineer at Kyndryl

Has delivered expert training and enabled smooth migrations using automated deployment tools

SUSE Linux Enterprise is a mature and reliable platform, but there are areas where it can be improved. Modernizing the system management tools is important as many users appreciate YaST for its centralized management, but there is a growing demand for more modern, web-based, and modular tools. The introduction of tools such as Agama, a web-based installer, and Cockpit in newer releases is a step in the right direction.SUSE has made progress with multi-Linux support, allowing organizations to manage and support not just SUSE systems but also other distributions such as Red Hat and CentOS; continuing to expand these capabilities, especially for hybrid and multi-cloud environments, will help organizations manage diverse infrastructure more effectively. Security is a top concern, and further strengthening default security policies, simplifying compliance management, and integrating advanced vulnerability management tools would be a valuable improvement.

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

"The solution is easy for me to use because the backend is derived from FreeBSD and this is something I have been using for over 20 years."

"Stable - it just runs without the necessity to reboot."

"The most valuable feature by far has been the virtualization capabilities of the operating system."

"The solution is very stable after it is configured. It is hard to have a panel slow, a problem, misconfiguration, or any kind of loss function."

"The solution's most valuable feature is the BTRFS file system, which allows you to take snapshots."

"openSUSE Leap has helped me with using containers in Podman."

"SUSE Linux Enterprise is stable."

"The stability of the solution is good. We have not had any issue with performance."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is the installation part...We don't face any issues related to the operating system or application."

"The operating system is efficient in terms of security."

"It is a stable platform."

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

"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."

"The main feature is that Linux is flexible to work with for most web-based applications."

More SUSE Linux Enterprise pros

Cons

"In the future, the Active Directory could improve."

"It would be helpful if we could easily switch from openSUSE Leap for testing to SUSE Linux Enterprise for production."

"There is room for improvement in the console."

"Like most Linux-based operating systems, the biggest challenge Leap faces is the GUI."

"I would like openSUSE Leap to have better link integration with Windows."

"Somehow the change from OS12.x via 13.x to Leap was a bit bumpy and some old issues seemed to reappear."

"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."

"The software management side was a bit difficult, especially compared to Ubuntu."

"SUSE Linux could provide more information about cost and the details of how clustering works."

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

"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 solution has to be fine-tuned with better documentation."

"They should provide chatbot support for customers to open the troubleshooting cases directly."

"All distributions of Linux could use some improvement."

More SUSE Linux Enterprise cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is open-source."

"This is an open-source operating system that can be used free of charge."

"The cost of this solution was reasonable and it was within our budget."

"openSUSE Leap is an open-source solution that is free of cost."

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

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

"The tool is expensive compared to Red Hat. I rate its pricing a nine out of ten."

"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."

"SUSE Linux Enterprise is reasonably priced compared to other operating systems. I find it's a much better option for us than Oracle, for example, because of the pricing structure. The pricing is easier to explain to clients and makes it easier to get clients' commitment. The licensing is also simpler to manage and keep track of. Their responsiveness is great - they give feedback very quickly when we ask questions about licensing or other aspects. This helps ensure we're always at the gold standard regarding licensing and everything related to SUSE Linux Enterprise."

"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."

"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."

"The platform is affordable."

More SUSE Linux Enterprise pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

17%

Computer Software Company

15%

Educational Organization

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	2
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	4

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	11
Large Enterprise	19

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with openSUSE Leap?

Both openSUSE Leap and the SUSE Enterprise version use the same kernel. Suppose I have a lower environment where I can run openSUSE to test all my products. It would be helpful if I could easily sw...

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What is your primary use case for openSUSE Leap?

I use openSUSE Leap for testing purposes. Before officially using any server in our office, we test it using the solution. My office usually uses production servers on the SUSE Linux enterprise ver...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for openSUSE Leap?

openSUSE Leap is an open-source solution that is free of cost.

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?

We are facing an issue with licensing usage. The subscription does not carry over within the same instance family, so upgrading an instance results in overlapping or double subscription fees.

See all answers

What needs improvement with SUSE Linux Enterprise?

The functionality is good, but the licensing subscription model needs improvement. The license we subscribed to should carry over within the same instance family. Why are we required to re-subscrib...

See all answers

Comparisons

Ubuntu Linux vs openSUSE Leap

Compared 18% of the time

Rocky Linux vs openSUSE Leap

Compared 16% of the time

Fedora Linux vs openSUSE Leap

Compared 11% of the time

Debian vs openSUSE Leap

Compared 7% of the time

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs openSUSE Leap

Compared 6% of the time

More openSUSE Leap Competitors

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs SUSE Linux Enterprise

Compared 25% of the time

Ubuntu Linux vs SUSE Linux Enterprise

Compared 18% of the time

Oracle Linux vs SUSE Linux Enterprise

Compared 7% of the time

Rocky Linux vs SUSE Linux Enterprise

Compared 6% of the time

CentOS vs SUSE Linux Enterprise

Compared 5% of the time

More SUSE Linux Enterprise Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Operating Systems (OS) for Business

September 2025

Download openSUSE Leap product report

Buyer's Guide

SUSE Linux Enterprise

September 2025

Download SUSE Linux Enterprise product report

Also Known As

No data available

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP3

Overview

openSUSE Leap is a brand new way of building openSUSE and is new type of hybrid Linux distribution. Leap uses source from SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLE), which gives Leap a level of stability unmatched by other Linux distributions, and combines that with community developments to give users, developers and sysadmins the best stable Linux experience available. Contributor and enterprise efforts for Leap bridge a gap between matured packages and newer packages found in openSUSE’s other distribution Tumbleweed.

openSUSE

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

SUSE Linux Enterprise vs. openSUSE Leap

September 2025

Free Report: SUSE Linux Enterprise vs. openSUSE Leap

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