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Oracle Solaris vs Ubuntu Linux comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 25, 2026

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
4.6
Oracle Solaris offers high ROI with stability, integration, reduced downtime, performance boosts, and cost benefits, enhancing operational efficiency.
Sentiment score
6.0
Ubuntu Linux offers cost savings, high returns, stability, and security, making it a valuable, cost-effective alternative to licensed software.
In terms of ROI, there have been performance improvements because Oracle Solaris is lighter.
Technology Consultant at Clarinox Technologies Kenya
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
4.6
Oracle Solaris support is 24/7, efficient yet sometimes slow, with helpful tools and mixed user ratings on effectiveness.
Sentiment score
6.5
Ubuntu Linux users appreciate efficient support but often rely on community resources and documentation for effective self-assistance.
The technical support by Oracle is good.
SR AVP–Presales Cloud & Platform Management Services at Path Infotech ltd
They responded well, understood that the issue was not on my end, and provided a patch within two days.
Manging Director at Winworth UK
The community around Ubuntu Linux is beneficial, providing answers to questions and assisting with issues.
Bachelor of Engineering at Vaasan ammattikorkeakoulu VAMK University of Applied Sciences
Ubuntu Linux has a comprehensive knowledge base for self-help.
Techincal Support Engineer at Ibits Tech Solutions
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.1
Oracle Solaris excels in scalable performance, efficiently handling extensive workloads with robust file systems and virtualization, despite hardware dependencies.
Sentiment score
7.1
Ubuntu Linux is highly scalable for servers, excelling in diverse industries and popular for cloud and on-premises applications.
Regarding vertical scalability, Oracle Solaris is probably one of the most scalable operating systems in the industry.
System specialist at Savecore
Ubuntu Linux itself is a lightweight OS, so it's very convenient to scale it up to any form needed.
Associate Cloud Operations Engineer at a tech vendor with 501-1,000 employees
In a server environment, it can seamlessly adapt to increased customer demand.
Bachelor of Engineering at Vaasan ammattikorkeakoulu VAMK University of Applied Sciences
So far, I do not have any issues related to security in Ubuntu Linux.
System Administrator at mmcytech
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.2
Oracle Solaris is highly stable and secure, with rare crashes and minimal disruptions, making it ideal for reliable operations.
Sentiment score
7.9
Ubuntu Linux is praised for its stability, reliability, minimal maintenance, and efficient updates, though challenges may arise in virtual environments.
The system has been completely stable, which makes it deserve a perfect score.
BA at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Ubuntu Linux is extremely stable and maintains uptime effectively.
Manging Director at Winworth UK
If updates happen frequently, no system would be stable without tuning it every time there's an update.
Associate Cloud Operations Engineer at a tech vendor with 501-1,000 employees
 

Room For Improvement

Oracle Solaris needs improvements in hardware support, GUI, training, cost reduction, integration, package management, and open-source tool support.
Ubuntu Linux faces challenges in user-friendliness, stability, compatibility, and integration, demanding improvements in support and enterprise tools.
The firewall must be more capable because security is the main concern of every organization and every user.
Head Of IT at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Oracle Solaris needs to improve its compatibility with office tools like Excel.
Technology Consultant at Clarinox Technologies Kenya
Oracle is going to discontinue it, so I do not think any improvement is possible in Oracle Solaris.
SR AVP–Presales Cloud & Platform Management Services at Path Infotech ltd
There is a push towards integrating AI into software for various purposes like video and sound processing.
Manging Director at Winworth UK
During a migration project that I was handling, Ubuntu Linux was not completely compatible for the migration process from one application to another. This is an area they could improve in migrating from minor versions to major versions.
Associate Cloud Operations Engineer at a tech vendor with 501-1,000 employees
Stability issues occur when integrating new components due to physical or technical challenges.
Bachelor of Engineering at Vaasan ammattikorkeakoulu VAMK University of Applied Sciences
 

Setup Cost

Enterprise users find Oracle Solaris pricing complex; it's beneficial for performance but costly compared to Linux, with desired pricing improvements.
Ubuntu Linux offers cost-effective adoption with a free core version, optional subscription support, and significant resource efficiency for enterprises.
I find the pricing of Oracle Solaris to be affordable compared to competitors like Windows.
Technology Consultant at Clarinox Technologies Kenya
For an enterprise-wide scalable operating system with professional services, you can select Ubuntu Linux at a reasonable price.
Owner at a computer software company with 1-10 employees
The setup cost is free.
Head of mission at CapHornier
Ubuntu Linux is open-source, leading to cost savings through its free availability.
Bachelor of Engineering at Vaasan ammattikorkeakoulu VAMK University of Applied Sciences
 

Valuable Features

Oracle Solaris offers superior virtualization, security, performance, ZFS features, and seamless Oracle integration, praised for stability and reliability.
Ubuntu Linux offers security, stability, and user-friendliness, with strong community support, cost-effectiveness, and excellent compatibility for various users.
The operating system is lightweight, which makes it easier to use on an average computer compared to systems like Windows.
Technology Consultant at Clarinox Technologies Kenya
Additionally, regarding security, you do not have to implement any antivirus software.
SR AVP–Presales Cloud & Platform Management Services at Path Infotech ltd
Oracle introduced a GUI environment with Solaris 11.5.
Head Of IT at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Ubuntu Linux's open-source nature supports community contributions, bolstering its development and support ecosystem.
Bachelor of Engineering at Vaasan ammattikorkeakoulu VAMK University of Applied Sciences
Ubuntu Linux supports remote troubleshooting via SSH, allowing connection from anywhere, which is beneficial for troubleshooting server issues.
Techincal Support Engineer at Ibits Tech Solutions
The updates in terms of security are very fast, and it is very easy to deploy.
manager at SSDU Innovations
 

Categories and Ranking

Oracle Solaris
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
17th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
53
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Ubuntu Linux
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
151
Ranking in other categories
OpenStack (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of Oracle Solaris is 2.6%, up from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ubuntu Linux is 8.1%, down from 11.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Operating Systems (OS) for Business Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Ubuntu Linux8.1%
Oracle Solaris2.6%
Other89.3%
Operating Systems (OS) for Business
 

Featured Reviews

Shafiq Khan - PeerSpot reviewer
Head Of IT at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Long-term server platform has supported secure banking operations and simplified virtualization
Oracle Solaris is a very good operating system. Most of the time, we do not need to change or replace any configuration. If at any point in time we need to change something, it is really simple and a user-friendly environment. Although it is a CLI, Oracle introduced a GUI environment with Solaris 11.5. Currently, 11.5 has the operating system GUI as well as the CLI. The technical persons working on the operating system most of the time prefer to work on the CLI. It is actually really good and easy to use. As it is a server-level operating system, most of the time you do not need any extra features in the operating system because you are not using the operating system on home machines, desktops, or laptop machines. The extra features are not needed if we are talking about the enterprise level or an official operating system.
reviewer2728158 - PeerSpot reviewer
Associate Cloud Operations Engineer at a tech vendor with 501-1,000 employees
Good compatibility and improvement needed in migration process
For long-term support, it has been good because in most enterprise environments, people still use Ubuntu Linux sixteen, which is quite obsolete now. Other enterprise versions do not support obsolete systems, so supportability is good in terms of Ubuntu Linux. For sustainability, it's quite a significant point of view for every organization. For us, Ubuntu Linux is the preferable way. For others, it might not be, so that is quite a subjective matter itself. The pinpoint of the problem is that they take time because they need specific information. We need to go to AWS first, and then they'll contact the Ubuntu Linux support team itself. This creates a two-way hop for us, which is why it's not that great. It's not really Ubuntu Linux's problem but rather the way we are accessing Ubuntu Linux. The migration part when migrating an application or one version of Ubuntu Linux to another is quite hectic. During the process, one or many applications might crash. That is something they could handle themselves, but I don't think that's something Ubuntu Linux will look into. During a migration project that I was handling, Ubuntu Linux was not completely compatible for the migration process from one application to another. This is an area they could improve in migrating from minor versions to major versions.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
12%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Government
7%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
University
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business21
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise32
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business85
Midsize Enterprise22
Large Enterprise54
 

Questions from the Community

How does Oracle Linux compare with Solaris?
When comparing Oracle Linux and Solaris, I believe that Linux is more secure and more flexible. It is also very suitable for enterprises that are already Oracle solution users. I found Linux to be ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle Solaris?
I find the pricing of Oracle Solaris to be affordable compared to competitors like Windows.
What needs improvement with Oracle Solaris?
In my opinion, the GUI was missing, as I mentioned earlier. Oracle has already introduced it. There might be some additional security features. The firewall must be more capable because security is...
Which would you choose - Ubuntu Linux or Oracle Linux?
Ubunto Linux is a complete Linux operating system that is freely available with both community and professional support. This solution is suitable for both desktop and server use. It has a very app...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Ubuntu Linux?
Ubuntu Linux is almost free, but it has some professional services that require payment if you choose to use them. For a low-cost application server, Ubuntu Linux is a good choice, or for an enterp...
What needs improvement with Ubuntu Linux?
I was thinking that Ubuntu Linux and Windows would work on the same machine. With Windows 11, they came together, so it is a good thing. On the GUI, when I use SSH or PuTTY or what is called a cons...
 

Also Known As

Solaris 11, Solaris
Ubuntu
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Siemens, IVV
Samsung, eBay, AT&T, Walmart, Cisco, Time Warner Cable, Bloomberg, Best Buy, Dell, Intel, Microsoft, Ericsson, Orange, Wells Fargo
Find out what your peers are saying about Oracle Solaris vs. Ubuntu Linux and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
913,924 professionals have used our research since 2012.