Rocky Linux vs SUSE Linux Enterprise comparison

Rocky Linux and SUSE are both solutions in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category. Rocky Linux is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.3, while SUSE is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.3. Rocky Linux holds a 15.3% mindshare in OSB, compared to SUSE’s 6.9% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Rocky Linux users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of SUSE users who would recommend it.

Rocky Linux

Read 7 Rocky Linux reviews

12,848 Views
12,848 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

SUSE Linux Enterprise

Read 32 SUSE Linux Enterprise reviews

7,725 Views
7,648 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Rocky Linux

SUSE Linux Enterprise

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 3, 2025

SUSE Linux Enterprise and Rocky Linux are major competitors in the enterprise Linux market. Although SUSE Linux Enterprise is known for its robust support and enterprise-grade features, data comparisons suggest Rocky Linux has the upper hand due to its cost-effectiveness and simplicity.

Features: SUSE Linux Enterprise provides advanced security, scalable infrastructure, and support for a wide range of enterprise applications. Rocky Linux offers simplicity, community-driven development, and Red Hat infrastructure compatibility.

Room for Improvement: SUSE Linux Enterprise could enhance integration with non-SAP systems, improve its user interface, and offer more flexible pricing models. Rocky Linux needs to improve its documentation, enhance enterprise-grade support options, and provide more proprietary tools to compete with SUSE.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SUSE Linux Enterprise is recognized for its structured deployment process and premium customer service, enabling smooth installations with professional support. Rocky Linux offers straightforward deployment with community resources and forums, catering to those preferring a simpler setup without extensive support.

Pricing and ROI: SUSE Linux Enterprise involves higher setup costs, justified by its comprehensive support and features. Rocky Linux, with minimal setup costs, presents attractive ROI for budget-conscious enterprises. SUSE Linux targets organizations investing in premium support, while Rocky Linux appeals to those seeking reliable performance at a lower price.

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

Buyer's Guide

Rocky Linux vs. SUSE Linux Enterprise

July 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

Rocky Linux

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

4th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

5.5

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 August 2025, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of Rocky Linux is 15.3%, up from 10.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SUSE Linux Enterprise is 6.9%, down from 8.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Operating Systems (OS) for Business

Featured Reviews

Jetsada Malaisirirat

System Engineer at clusterkit

Enhancements in package management elevate user experience

I have been using Rocky Linux for three or four years. It is used for HPC, online assessments, and Ceph storage The solution is free and open source. The OS choice in my project is quite specific. It is based on customer requirements, as they might want to use Rocky Linux or Ubuntu, depending on…

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Naveen Venugopal

Research Engineer at a educational organization with 10,001+ employees

Efficient IT management with crucial automatic updates but needs developer-friendly configuration

Sometimes it is a bit of work for developers to change the configurations. Some kernels will not fit with some packages, and this aspect could be improved. Furthermore, the system's rigidity when updating packages and services needs improvement. Additionally, there should be more loosely bound functionalities to improve developer experience.

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 free and open source."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is its stability."

"It's very simple to work with, easy to learn, and know where things are."

"It helps us keep our workstations in sync and ensures consistent settings across most of our machines."

"I haven't needed to use customer service or support, which speaks volumes about their product's reliability and ease of use."

"The custom install scripts streamline the setup process, making it straightforward."

"The most important feature is the automatic kernel lifecycle subscription, which is critical for us because the server cannot go down once we start offering any services on the cluster."

"The initial setup is simple and takes five minutes for deployment and if you have automation in place, it will take four minutes."

"It's a flexible solution."

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

"It's easy to set up."

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

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

More SUSE Linux Enterprise pros

Cons

"The solution's audio integration for virtual machines could be improved."

"In terms of improvement, Rocky Linux needs to clarify its identity and target audience."

"One of the potential issues is that if you don't pay for support, you may need to manage certain aspects on your own and rely on the community for assistance."

"Improved integration with Windows, particularly Active Directory, would be beneficial for the product. Currently, this aspect requires additional effort."

"The package versions can be quite older compared to other distributions such as Ubuntu."

"I have certain problems with the tool's DNS part, making it an area where improvements are required."

"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."

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

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

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

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

"The product must improve its UI."

"The solution could be more stable."

"I have not been overly impressed with their technical support."

More SUSE Linux Enterprise cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Compared to the market prices of other tools, the solution has a very competitive pricing."

"The product is expensive. I rate the pricing a three."

"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."

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

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

"The price of SUSE Linux Enterprise could be cheaper. Other solutions, such as"

"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."

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

"There is no license for this solution, there is only a subscription of support available."

"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."

More SUSE Linux Enterprise pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

11%

University

11%

Educational Organization

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Rocky Linux?

It's very simple to work with, easy to learn, and know where things are.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Rocky Linux?

If I find something which is strong with virtualization with Rocky Linux, it's an alternative that I can study and spend time learning about, trying it, making tests, validating, and perhaps ultima...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Rocky Linux?

I am responsible for virtualization and networking, and other services related to the systems including Linux and Windows, but the security part is actually the responsibility of the French team in...

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

Fedora Linux vs Rocky Linux

Compared 25% of the time

Ubuntu Linux vs Rocky Linux

Compared 23% of the time

Debian vs Rocky Linux

Compared 13% of the time

Oracle Linux vs Rocky Linux

Compared 11% of the time

Kali Linux vs Rocky Linux

Compared 2% of the time

More Rocky Linux Competitors

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs SUSE Linux Enterprise

Compared 28% of the time

openSUSE Leap vs SUSE Linux Enterprise

Compared 25% of the time

Ubuntu Linux vs SUSE Linux Enterprise

Compared 19% of the time

Oracle 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

Rocky Linux

August 2025

Download Rocky Linux product report

Buyer's Guide

SUSE Linux Enterprise

July 2025

Download SUSE Linux Enterprise product report

Also Known As

No data available

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP3

Overview

Rocky Linux is a robust and secure enterprise-grade operating system designed as a drop-in replacement for CentOS. Its primary use case is to provide a stable and reliable platform for organizations to run their critical workloads and applications.

The most valuable functionality of Rocky Linux lies in its compatibility with CentOS, ensuring a seamless transition for organizations already using CentOS. It offers long-term support, regular security updates, and a predictable release cycle, providing stability and reliability for mission-critical systems.

Rocky Linux helps organizations by offering a free and open-source alternative to CentOS, which was discontinued by Red Hat. It allows businesses to continue using their existing CentOS-based infrastructure without the need for costly migrations or vendor lock-in. With its strong community support and active development, Rocky Linux ensures a sustainable and community-driven future for CentOS users.

Moreover, Rocky Linux is built with security in mind, providing robust features like SELinux and secure defaults. This helps organizations protect their data and systems from potential threats and vulnerabilities.

Rocky Linux

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

Rocky Linux vs. SUSE Linux Enterprise

July 2025

Free Report: Rocky Linux vs. SUSE Linux Enterprise

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