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Rocky Linux vs Windows Server 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

Rocky Linux
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
4th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.3
Number of Reviews
10
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Windows Server
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
5th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
194
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 Rocky Linux is 14.3%, up from 12.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Windows Server is 10.0%, up from 8.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Operating Systems (OS) for Business Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Rocky Linux14.3%
Windows Server10.0%
Other75.7%
Operating Systems (OS) for Business
 

Featured Reviews

Massimiliano Adamo - PeerSpot reviewer
Has supported seamless migrations and enabled running complex data workloads securely
The best features Rocky Linux offers include clustering and all the packages from Red Hat.Rocky Linux has impacted my organization very positively because we migrated everything from CentOS and Windows servers to Rocky Linux. Everything is clear, with good packaging, and now it's version 9.6, which is very important for us due to security problems since we are in Europe. Rocky Linux is very good for security and other aspects. Since migrating to Rocky Linux, I've seen specific outcomes such as improved security because CentOS stopped the project, and security patches aren't being released. We need to maintain a system similar to Red Hat, which is very stable and has many features such as file system, topology, and containers.
Jai Prakash Sharma - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient Management Achieved with Internal Resources and Reliable Technical Support
Maintenance of Windows Server varies by organization, but for us, it's not very difficult as we have in-house resources managing these tasks. However, it can become a bit tricky when we want to see a collated view of our security posture. Regarding AI integrations with Windows Server, Copilot adoption is progressing, though I have only experienced it on endpoints and not on the server side. We operate significant workloads on AI, but we consume those primarily on Linux rather than Windows Server. I don't have much experience regarding integration capabilities in Windows Server for AI workloads, so I may not be the right person to provide insights on that. Overall, I am quite happy with my experience using Windows Server. I don't have many constraints or concerns, so I would rate it eight out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It's very simple to work with, easy to learn, and know where things are."
"The custom install scripts streamline the setup process, making it straightforward."
"Rocky Linux has impacted my organization very positively because we migrated everything from CentOS and Windows servers to Rocky Linux, everything is clear, with good packaging, and now it's version 9.6, which is very important for us due to security problems since we are in Europe."
"In my opinion, the best features Rocky Linux offers are stability, compatibility, and community support, all of which I think are extremely necessary and essential for the distribution, and I find that all three pillars are very supported by Rocky Linux."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is its stability."
"Rocky Linux provides us with extended maintenance, security patches, and support lifecycle aligned with RHEL, making it highly reliable for critical systems."
"The solution is free and open source."
"I haven't needed to use customer service or support, which speaks volumes about their product's reliability and ease of use."
"The capabilities and beta securities are important features. The IP directory is the most valuable feature."
"Windows Server is easy to use."
"What I like most about Windows Server is that it's easy to use."
"A valuable feature of Windows Server has been the performance. We have done all the redundancy and fault tolerance things to protect our servers and, so far, so good."
"I find the solution to be easy to use, flexible with overall great performance."
"In my opinion, the ease of use of Windows Server is the most effective feature."
"The solution is easy to use and it has good performance."
"The solution is scalable."
 

Cons

"Improved integration with Windows, particularly Active Directory, would be beneficial for the product. Currently, this aspect requires additional effort."
"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."
"The solution's audio integration for virtual machines could be improved."
"I have certain problems with the tool's DNS part, making it an area where improvements are required."
"I see some performance-related issues, but we are still checking on that, and we don't know if it is related to the OS or the resource; that is something still to be checked from our end."
"Rocky Linux could be improved by having more integration with Kubernetes."
"In terms of improvement, Rocky Linux needs to clarify its identity and target audience."
"The package versions can be quite older compared to other distributions such as Ubuntu."
"I would like to see better performance and more integration options in the next release of Windows Server."
"One area for improvement in Windows Server is the basic administration tools and scripts, which have become less reliable and functional over time."
"We've had a few minor compatibility issues."
"If Windows could make the OS part lighter, especially starting and restarting the Windows Server, which needs to be quick, then it would be great since this is an area where the tool lacks a bit."
"It would be better if the license had a longer lifetime."
"The security could improve. If you are comparing the Linux operating systems and Windows Server, Windows Server is still way behind in terms of security. Microsoft can enhance security instead of having customers rely on third-party security tools."
"I would like to see better integration with other solutions."
"One area that needs improvement is the protection against ransomware attacks. A mechanism similar to what Linux offers for preventing ransomware attacks would be beneficial."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is expensive. I rate the pricing a three."
"Compared to the market prices of other tools, the solution has a very competitive pricing."
"There is a license required for this solution."
"Windows Server has medium pricing."
"We have an enterprise agreement."
"We pay these on an annual basis."
"We have purchased a perpetual license to use the solution."
"Windows Server needs to be more flexible with the minimum requirements with the license and options. We are on an annual subscription to use the solution."
"Our customers prefer lifetime licenses."
"There is a one-time purchase for the license of Windows Server."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
11%
University
11%
Educational Organization
8%
Computer Software Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Large Enterprise7
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business77
Midsize Enterprise41
Large Enterprise88
 

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.
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...
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...
What needs improvement with Windows Server?
I don't have experience with Windows Server containers and Kubernetes for deploying cloud-native applications. I cannot provide specific improvements for Windows Server because I don't have extensi...
What is your primary use case for Windows Server?
At the office, the main use case for Windows Server involves different functions, for example, file server or firewall and the IIS server, Microsoft Internet Server, Internet Information Services. ...
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Rakuten, Rackspace, Tyco
Find out what your peers are saying about Rocky Linux vs. Windows Server and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
868,759 professionals have used our research since 2012.