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Sr Software engineer at a consultancy with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Top 20
Oct 5, 2025
Ease of managing workloads and saving time with effective infrastructure automation
Pros and Cons
  • "Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has positively impacted our organization because all of our enterprise applications run on Red Hat RHEL only, which is the enterprise version, and for our application runs and application connections, we use Red Hat, which is very helpful for managing our entire application."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) for our workloads, DevOps and SRE workloads, to manage our application and CI/CD pipeline runs.

    We use Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) in our DevOps and SRE workloads for DevOps and CI/CD pipeline runs and also for managing our infrastructure.

    We mostly use Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) to automate our infrastructure, and we use it to automate our image cataloging and all those things.

    What is most valuable?

    The best features Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) offers are that it is very easy to use, and the commanding is also straightforward. It's easy to install, easy to configure, and easy to manage all aspects.

    When we need to install or upgrade our version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), we have straightforward commands. Using the DNF command, we execute the commands. When we upgrade the OS version, it is without downtime. We can run that in minimal time.

    Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has positively impacted our organization because all of our enterprise applications run on Red Hat RHEL only, which is the enterprise version. For our application runs and application connections, we use Red Hat, which is very helpful for managing our entire application.

    We have very minimal downtime, which is beneficial for us. We can improvise our application connectivity and interconnection. Everything performs exceptionally well.

    What needs improvement?

    As of now, there are no notable things to advise, from my understanding. As per customer interaction, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) listens, every word is counted, and it is improved. At this point, everything performs as expected.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) for almost five-plus years.

    Buyer's Guide
    Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
    June 2026
    Learn what your peers think about Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2026.
    900,838 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is always stable, and I definitely recommend choosing RHEL.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    In terms of scalability, reliability, and application upgradation, I am satisfied with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).

    How are customer service and support?

    The customer support is very interactive and provides quick responses. It is very helpful for us to improve our system.

    How was the initial setup?

    When we need to install or upgrade our version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), we have straightforward commands. Using the DNF command, we execute the commands.

    What was our ROI?

    In terms of investment, we have saved both time and money.

    In terms of hourly and weekly savings, we save almost six to seven hours per week with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). This is based on user experience, deployment, configuration, and high availability perspectives.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    At the enterprise level, the pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is as expected. It's quite standard - not very high, not very low. It's appropriate because the support is provided within and depends on our SLO and SLA.

    What other advice do I have?

    Everything is set as expected, which is quite good. We are also expecting the same kind of support from Red Hat. All aspects look good.

    On a scale of 1-10, I rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) a 9.5.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud

    If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
    Last updated: Oct 5, 2025
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    reviewer1341057 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Principal Analyst at a marketing services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
    Real User
    Top 5
    Sep 19, 2025
    Guides clients to manage hybrid cloud complexity through a unified Linux environment
    Pros and Cons
    • "Since we started recommending and our clients started using it, I can see the cost-to-performance ratio go up by over 50%."
    • "I would suggest focusing more on the cloud-native aspect. Kubernetes and microservices are built in natively; however, it would help to bring the service mesh and service mesh handling. That would be one of the improvement areas."
    • "Since Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 10 was recently launched, there were some bugs that needed to be fixed and performance issues."

    What is our primary use case?

    I don't directly use Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). I advise our clients to select this kind of technology for their hybrid cloud requirements.

    When looking at hybrid cloud, the entire ecosystem is very complex; public cloud, private cloud, everything comes together and becomes very difficult to manage. The best use case I can see when Linux systems are involved is to use one common platform to manage all the infrastructure and the platforms on top of that. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) would be the best choice for that particular use case.

    What is most valuable?

    The ability to manage complex environments, especially when it comes to hybrid cloud, helps us significantly, along with the Linux environments which are natively in-built into Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). The reduction in complexity, ease of use, and managing the entire hybrid cloud landscape was easier with this software. Service mesh and Kubernetes support contribute significantly, allowing better handling of complex cloud-native applications efficiently.

    We use third-party platforms to manage the risks and put the security guardrails in place, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has its own native security guardrails as well, so we use both.

    Indirectly, we help other enterprises implement this solution, and I can tell how other enterprises are benefiting. They reduce complexity and achieve faster time to market as they improve efficiency and use these tools to improve their development process. This helps them move faster and release their software as soon as possible.

    We are trying to move most of our workloads to public cloud environments; however, not everything will go to the public cloud. We are trying to find a balance between on-premise, private cloud, and public cloud. Currently, the split is 50% on public cloud, 40% on private, and 10% on on-premise.

    Since we started recommending and our clients started using it, I can see the cost-to-performance ratio go up by over 50%.

    What needs improvement?

    I would suggest focusing more on the cloud-native aspect. Kubernetes and microservices are built in natively; however, it would help to bring the service mesh and service mesh handling. That would be one of the improvement areas.

    Most importantly, since we deal with mostly Fortune 500 clients who are global in nature, as the data is siloed from multiple sources and has to be pulled in, it's very important that the data is secure and all the security guardrails are in place.

    Since Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 10 was recently launched, there were some bugs that needed to be fixed and performance issues. If those are cleared, then it would be a good fit for everyone.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    There has not been much downtime with the system.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The scalability is above average. It has scaled up and created its portfolio in line with market demands.

    How are customer service and support?

    The customer service was good. 

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We did not use any previous solutions.

    How was the initial setup?

    Deployment is fairly easy. The support that is required is appropriate for both full-fledged full stack developers and starting developers. The support overall is good.

    What about the implementation team?

    We implement mostly through service integrators who help to do the groundwork.

    What was our ROI?

    Since IBM's acquisition, we thought there might be some changes, yet surprisingly, it was kept aside. IBM was kind enough to let them operate on their own, which is a plus sign. The stability has been good, and we have no complaints.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The pricing was good and did not affect much of the decision-making. It was appropriate, though I would suggest the team improve upon offering higher discounts on bulk purchases.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    There are not many options available besides Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).

    What other advice do I have?

    I am a principal catalyst who works with AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, the hyperscalers, public cloud, and private cloud, both on the client side and on-premise.

    The ability to manage complex environments, especially regarding hybrid cloud, helps us significantly, along with the Linux environments which are natively in-built into Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).

    I rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) a nine out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Hybrid Cloud

    If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

    Other
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
    June 2026
    Learn what your peers think about Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2026.
    900,838 professionals have used our research since 2012.
    Lead Ecm Architect at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
    Real User
    Top 20
    May 13, 2026
    Secure operations have improved while automated management now simplifies daily administration
    Pros and Cons
    • "A specific outcome showing how Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has benefited my organization is improved security, and I am not aware of any downtime."

      What is our primary use case?

      Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) serves as the base operating system where all applications run. It is the platform I manage, and all applications run on top of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). I run IBM FileNet on top of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).

      What is most valuable?

      Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) offers excellent security, reliability, and stable security as a secured operating system. Security features have helped my organization because Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is already a locked down version of enterprise Linux distributions and is managed by Red Hat, with timely release of vulnerability fixes and patches that give a lot of security and peace of mind for enterprises.

      Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has positively impacted my organization by ensuring that timely release of vulnerability fixes and patches keeps the system secure. All the latest versions and new features with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) as an image and with AI capabilities add more value for enterprises using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).

      A specific outcome showing how Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has benefited my organization is improved security, and I am not aware of any downtime. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has helped to mitigate downtime and lower risk, as I have not heard of any server reboot or crash throughout my career when it comes to Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), which speaks to its reliability.

      SELinux is the most important security feature in Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), as it is the most security-oriented feature. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) helps me solve pain points such as management of servers with Ansible automation, security capabilities, and timely release of vulnerabilities and security fixes, which combined create great value for enterprises.

      What needs improvement?

      An AI assistant specifically for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 10 or the latest version of Red Hat Enterprise, such as an AI-assisted tool to get assistance on commands and syntax, would be beneficial.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      I have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) for almost 17 years.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is stable.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      I have not seen any issues with the scalability of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL); it is good or great.

      How are customer service and support?

      Customer support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is great.

      Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

      I have only used Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and did not previously use a different solution.

      What was our ROI?

      I have not seen a return on investment, and I do not have that level of management information since I am an individual contributor.

      What other advice do I have?

      All recent capabilities introduced in Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 10, including the AI inference server, are already great. I use Ansible for the management of servers and patching, and I find that management experience quite satisfying. I have not used much of the knowledge base offered by Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), and I have not used much of the documentation recently, so I cannot speak to that with certainty. I would recommend making use of Ansible automation with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and automating as much as possible. I rate this review a 9.

      Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

      On-premises
      Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
      Last updated: May 13, 2026
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      reviewer2783742 - PeerSpot reviewer
      AWS administrator at a energy/utilities company with 5,001-10,000 employees
      Real User
      Top 10
      Dec 4, 2025
      Improved cloud backups and security have transformed how our team builds and manages servers
      Pros and Cons
      • "By using RHEL striping, throughput and IOPS have increased, which reduced the backup completion time from fifteen to sixteen hours to just fifteen to sixteen minutes."
      • "Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) entitlement management can be confusing, as converting systems between subscription modes is not straightforward."

      What is our primary use case?

      Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is used primarily to build AWS servers. A specific example of how RHEL is used to build AWS servers involves purchasing licenses from third-party vendors like REL and also from AWS. Once an AMI is obtained from the Marketplace, the AMI is customized by injecting all organization standards.

      After internal tools have been built on the AMI, that AMI is used to build AWS servers.

      How has it helped my organization?

      Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has positively impacted the organization by helping track everything, such as how many users have access to the server, which is easy to monitor. RHEL also offers better options for downloading repositories easily, and the ability to stripe the EBS volumes has allowed for pulling more IOPS and throughput.

      The impact on the team and organization has been significant, as it has helped improve application performance and backup performance. Since AWS backend is used for backups, RHEL striping has proven very useful.

      By using RHEL striping, throughput and IOPS have increased, which reduced the backup completion time from fifteen to sixteen hours to just fifteen to sixteen minutes. The main reason is the backend and the striping implemented for EC2 instances.

      What is most valuable?

      Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) offers several valuable features, including being secure and standard, and making whatever commands are executed easier to manage. When security and standardization are considered, no other person can access those RHEL servers.

      Another good aspect is that whatever is downloaded comes from the repository, and every command is tracked, including the person who entered the command. Tracking on RHEL AMIs and OS standardization is very effective.

      Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) helps mitigate downtime and lower risks by using the Pacemaker role for high availability. The primary and secondary systems are managed by the Pacemaker role, which helps reduce downtime for applications.

      What needs improvement?

      Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) could be improved by including a better app stream module experience or simply phasing out modules in favor of straightforward version repos. Red Hat could also integrate more common tools directly or integrate EPEL more seamlessly. Additionally, enabling AI-based operational tuning for kernel parameters, file system parameters, and network stack optimization could enhance the experience.

      Regarding needed improvements, simplifying the subscription and licensing would help reduce complexity in subscription management. Clear visibility of consumption and unused subscriptions and compliance is also important.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      Seven years of experience have been accumulated in the current field.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is stable.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) offers great scalability and supports very large memory.

      How are customer service and support?

      The customer support received is good.

      How would you rate customer service and support?

      Positive

      Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

      Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has been the only solution used, and no switch from any other solution has occurred.

      In comparing the business value of RHEL to other Linux distributions, no other Linux distributions have been used; only Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has been utilized.

      How was the initial setup?

      Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) systems are managed with a dedicated cloud support team that handles provisioning and monthly patching. Additionally, focus is placed on security hardening and optimizing it with cloud-init, instance tuning, and subscription activation.

      What about the implementation team?

      Image Builder has been used, but the AMIs are not built personally. A dedicated support team handles the building of the AMIs.

      What was our ROI?

      A return on investment has been seen, as it has saved a tremendous amount of time.

      Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) helps save time; for example, the Pacemaker role facilitates faster task completion, and it optimizes backup processes.

      What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

      Regarding pricing, setup cost, and licensing, the pricing is good; however, licensing is a bit confusing.

      What other advice do I have?

      My advice for others looking into using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is to be aware that subscriptions can be challenging to manage. When a server reboots, the subscription goes to open, which can lead to others consuming the subscription, creating a challenge regarding the subscription and licensing part.

      Security requirements were a significant consideration in choosing RHEL in the cloud because it is not open source and is highly secure.

      Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is assessed as having a better knowledge base offered through its tuning capabilities. By better tuning, the documentation is referred to, which helps in day-to-day work.

      Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) entitlement management can be confusing, as converting systems between subscription modes is not straightforward.

      I would rate this review a nine out of ten.

      Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
      Last updated: Dec 4, 2025
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      DavidDuncan4 - PeerSpot reviewer
      Architect at Amazon
      Real User
      Top 20
      Sep 29, 2025
      Enables consistent networking performance and increases uptime while supporting collaborative problem-solving
      Pros and Cons
      • "Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) by itself scales incredibly."
      • "Normally, if I need help making a customer experience better, I can have a conversation with the business teams at Red Hat, and then we can find a collaborative solution."
      • "For a new release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), the main improvement could be in the pricing models, particularly understanding how to better present those pricing models in a more predictable manner."

      What is our primary use case?

      My main use cases for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) are Virtual Desktop Interface (VDI) for the server, supporting Telco work workflows, manufacturing software for manufacturing, and travel software. I have a huge base for what we're targeting around AWS or Red Hat solutions.

      What is most valuable?

      I favor the network manager feature of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL); I appreciate the versatility and flexibility of network manager. I appreciate that we can make super-fast modifications to networking solutions, and I value the support for IPv6. 

      I also value the support for working with the community very specifically. Bringing the solutions we need for customer problems to reality tends to result from our conversations with Red Hat. Normally, if I need help making a customer experience better, I can have a conversation with the business teams at Red Hat, and then we can find a collaborative solution.

      Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has helped to mitigate downtime and lower risk; although it's hard for me to say that I really understand it outside of an analyst report, I can say that I truly believe it has increased uptime based on my experience. 

      There's a consistency, and my example is that I trust the kernel and the quality engineering, which leads me to more favorable results in places where other distributions might make changes that slow down my networking or storage network in unpredictable ways.

      What needs improvement?

      For a new release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), the main improvement could be in the pricing models, particularly understanding how to better present those pricing models in a more predictable manner. It is very difficult from a partner perspective to figure out how to position software to a customer when the pricing may or may not be competitive, so that's my biggest 'how could I fix this?' question.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      I have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) for 25 years.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      When assessing the stability and reliability of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), I can say that on every operating system, there are always exceptions and new issues to fix. 

      However, if I have software validated for RHEL, I know I can expect a certain level of certainty that issues will be ones that have either never been seen before or are the result of our new approaches.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) by itself scales incredibly. However, the problem tends to arise where increased consumption raises total costs. 

      As the total cost increases across the operating system distribution, my requirements for support decrease, making it difficult to gauge a return on investment, which complicates the situation for me as a representative of an entire fleet.

      How are customer service and support?

      I would evaluate customer service and technical support as generally positive; I've never had a problem with my support. Sometimes, individual support agents might not know what they're discussing or misunderstand the question, possibly due to my clarity or other factors. I would say that it is at least at the same level or better than any support group I've ever engaged with in technology.

      How would you rate customer service and support?

      Positive

      Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

      Prior to adopting Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), I was using another solution within the RHEL family. I often test workloads using Fedora or CentOS as a foundation and then move those production workloads to Red Hat.

      How was the initial setup?

      My experience with pricing, setup costs, and licensing has been confusing; it feels different every time. The complications often arise from being unable to predict exactly what is necessary for a deployment, as the build-out and sales cycles are significantly more complex.

      What was our ROI?

      I have most definitely seen a return on investment with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL); I don't think my job would exist if there wasn't a return on investment.

      Which other solutions did I evaluate?

      By policy, I am required to use Amazon Linux for everything, however, by necessity, I am replacing that with Red Hat solutions where we have space during my evaluation process.

      What other advice do I have?

      My business relationship with Red Hat is that I am a Partner.

      The knowledge base offered by Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is still hard to search, but I recognize that AI is probably making that easier during this period. I think Lightspeed is an important part of our structure for interacting with the knowledge base information, and I look forward to making that work better.

      I typically advise other organizations considering Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) by asking how important their workload is to them. I question what happens if it goes down and how much time they have to spend fixing it. If they value that aspect, then it's their choice to determine their path. 

      My biggest question often relates to how much they would pay to replace the community, and if they are willing to understand the significant number of partners and open-source champions contributing to Red Hat, they will see how that community cannot be replaced in terms of how software fits their business needs.

      I rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) ten out of ten.

      Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

      Hybrid Cloud

      If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

      Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
      Last updated: Sep 29, 2025
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      Teamansvarlig Serverdrift at a government with 501-1,000 employees
      Real User
      Top 20
      May 22, 2025
      Significantly improves maintainability and provides enterprise-ready stability
      Pros and Cons
      • "The customer service and technical support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is pretty good."
      • "Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has helped mitigate downtime and lower risk significantly."
      • "Although SELinux is complex as it does a lot. I cannot fully understand it, so that could be simplified."
      • "The only thing that I really have difficulty with is SELinux, so perhaps there is room to make it more accessible."

      What is our primary use case?

      My main use cases for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) now are mostly traditional workflows, web applications, and web servers.

      How has it helped my organization?

      Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has benefited my company by offering great features such as Satellite and all the enterprise features that provide us value, which enables stability and maintainability.

      What is most valuable?

      Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has helped me solve pain points by providing significant maintainability compared to other Linux distros.

      It is very stable and enterprise-ready, giving me substantial stability and manageability. 

      Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has helped mitigate downtime and lower risk significantly.

      With Satellite and everything else, we can effectively control which patches go to specific servers and reduce risk with different CVEs and insights, providing us with substantial control.

      We manage our Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) systems using Satellite, which works really effectively, and we also use Ansible Automation Platform.

      My assessment of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)'s built-in security features shows many cool features in the new version. From what I have used in 8 and 9, there are good features such as built-in firewalls.

      What needs improvement?

      Although SELinux is complex as it does a lot. I cannot fully understand it, so that could be simplified. The only thing that I really have difficulty with is SELinux, so perhaps there is room to make it more accessible.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      I have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) for approximately ten years.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has been able to scale to the growing needs of my company. We are not a huge company, so it works effectively.

      How are customer service and support?

      The customer service and technical support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is pretty good. We have used them extensively and they work effectively.

      How would you rate customer service and support?

      Positive

      Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

      Before choosing Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), we were using legacy systems running on AIX, but all new implementations are now on RHEL. The main difference between AIX and RHEL is the support from third-party applications. When installing third-party applications, there is always support for RHEL and almost never support for AIX.

      How was the initial setup?

      I would describe the experience of deploying Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) as really easy. It is similar to other systems, and I am really excited to explore Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 10 and try Image Builder.

      What was our ROI?

      The biggest return on investment when using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is the manageability we receive, with numerous features in the packages that free up substantial time from the operations side of things.

      What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

      The pricing, setup costs, and licensing for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) are within normal operating system pricing ranges.

      Which other solutions did I evaluate?

      While using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), I did consider other solutions. There are always many other options, such as another RHEL distribution, but RHEL is the only one that has extensive support for numerous other systems.

      What other advice do I have?

      We have not fully implemented Ansible Automation Platform yet, but we are starting to integrate it and we really appreciate it. 

      I would rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) from one to ten overall as probably a nine.

      Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

      On-premises
      Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
      PeerSpot user
      reviewer2839218 - PeerSpot reviewer
      Senior Staff Computer Systems Architect at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
      Real User
      Top 10
      May 12, 2026
      Standardized critical workloads and have relied on a trusted ecosystem for secure operations
      Pros and Cons
      • "From my point of view, the biggest return on investment when using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is the fact that it's well-curated and it's a one-stop shop for most everything you need."

        What is our primary use case?

        My main use cases for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) include everything from apps to web servers to HPC.

        What is most valuable?

        Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) helps me solve pain points primarily because the ecosystem has already been approved for use with our customers. That's probably the main thing. It's a single, trusted source to get everything from. That's really our main thing.

        Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has helped to mitigate downtime and lower risk using Satellite because I rarely have any outages on my RHEL boxes. They're pretty solid.

        Satellite helps reduce and mitigate risk through the quality of the packages that get put out and the dependencies that are already validated.

        What needs improvement?

        I've never really thought about how Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) could be improved, but the only thing I wish they had that I've asked Red Hat for so far is something resembling managed service accounts. Since we have to integrate with a lot of Active Directory, that would be beneficial.

        For how long have I used the solution?

        I have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) since RHEL 4.

        What do I think about the stability of the solution?

        I would assess the stability and reliability of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) as excellent because I've not had anything serious that couldn't be figured out.

        What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

        Regarding scalability, I've never had a problem there. We run HPC on it, and it's pretty rock solid.

        How are customer service and support?

        I don't really have an answer for the customer service and the technical support of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) because we have to handle most things in-house.

        Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

        Before adopting Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), my company was using a lot of Solaris, other flavors of Unix, and other options, but I think we've pretty much standardized on RHEL.

        How was the initial setup?

        I think the deployment process for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is straightforward.

        If you're doing a network install, it's easy. It's easier than the Windows side.

        What about the implementation team?

        I'm brand new to Ansible Automation Platform. We're just rolling it out.

        What was our ROI?

        From my point of view, the biggest return on investment when using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is the fact that it's well-curated and it's a one-stop shop for most everything you need.

        What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

        My experience with the pricing, the setup cost, and the licensing of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has been pretty good. I have no complaints.

        Which other solutions did I evaluate?

        Though there have been talks of going to other distros while using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), that's a big ask to switch everybody over.

        What other advice do I have?

        The features I prefer most about Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) relate to my broader appreciation for Linux given all the history behind it and open source for all that it represents.

        For navigating security risks, I use Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Satellite for patch management and deployment. We don't use Insights. That's probably the main one we use.

        Regarding the role Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) plays in my company's implementation of the zero-trust model, it's pretty new to us, so I can't really answer that yet. We're still in the learning process.

        In terms of managing regulatory compliance, we do use Nessus and other tools for auditing in our applications. That's probably about it.

        You can usually find a good answer on the knowledge base offered by Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).

        I've always been happy with Red Hat ecosystem, using it since before RHEL, and I just appreciate the flavor of it. I've tried other Linux distros and I just keep coming back because I'm so familiar with it. It's so helpful, and it's hard to beat. I would rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) a nine out of ten.

        Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

        On-premises
        Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partners
        Last updated: May 12, 2026
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        reviewer2838810 - PeerSpot reviewer
        Operating Systems Engineer at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
        Real User
        Top 20
        May 12, 2026
        Reliable open source platform has enabled secure custom distro builds and rapid patching
        Pros and Cons
        • "Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) helps me solve pain points because it's open source, so it's easy to modify, and there's the support that I need, especially since I work with the public sector a lot where they want support provided, updates, and patches on CVEs almost immediately after a zero-day is released, and that's the big thing that Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) helps me with."
        • "The desktop environment is another area that needs significant improvement because it is barely usable and meets just the bare minimum of what's needed."

        What is our primary use case?

        My main use cases for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) involve a custom Linux security module, and I use RHEL as my upstream and repackage it as my own distro.

        To navigate my security risks, I use features in Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) such as Satellite, Ansible, IPA, or IDM, and I also perform STIGging with a lot of my requirements coming from the government telling me to ensure I have all these things done. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) makes it easy to do that, with the biggest thing being their documentation because I can find any question I type into Google and find a Red Hat link, log in, and see it.

        I use Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) on-premise.

        What is most valuable?

        Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) helps me solve pain points because it's open source, so it's easy to modify, and there's the support that I need, especially since I work with the public sector a lot where they want support provided, updates, and patches on CVEs almost immediately after a zero-day is released, and that's the big thing that Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) helps me with.

        What I appreciate most about Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is that they're open source, and I take what they have and repackage it. I appreciate RPMs, Mock, and a lot of the tooling that's in that community, in the Fedora world, but Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) makes it easy to get to and work with.

        The knowledge base offered by Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is something I love, and it's very helpful. That is probably the most useful part of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).

        What needs improvement?

        Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) can be improved by getting more upstream packages from Fedora because they don't have enough packages, and it's problematic that I have to maintain a separate repo from what comes from Fedora. I don't understand why Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) doesn't package it as the base, as Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) only has a subset of packages from upstream.

        The desktop environment is another area that needs significant improvement because it is barely usable and meets just the bare minimum of what's needed. There are people from Red Hat giving presentations on Windows, Macs, and other distros, which to me would be embarrassing. If I was the CEO of Red Hat and my employees aren't using our own product, that should be a major red flag. Why would you present to customers of all people? Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is great as a server operating system distribution and the support is the number one thing that makes Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) stand out, but it really falls short as a client workstation.

        What do I think about the stability of the solution?

        I have not experienced any downtime, crashes, or performance issues with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). I've had servers run for three years straight without crashing, so Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is very reliable.

        What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

        In terms of scalability, I get a lot of complaints from customers, and when I start getting a lot of machines running, I start to see problems in production, which my customers experience as well, so then I'm supporting it. I don't know how much to blame Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) for that, but it does seem to become a headache once it gets larger.

        How are customer service and support?

        I evaluate customer service and technical support from Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) as pretty good.

        Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

        Prior to adopting Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), I was using another solution, specifically Solaris as my upstream. I think when Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 6 dropped, I switched from Solaris to Linux, and it was Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) as the solution because of the support.

        How was the initial setup?

        The deployment process of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has been straightforward and easy for me.

        Which other solutions did I evaluate?

        I am probably not considering switching to another product while using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).

        What other advice do I have?

        I have tried neither Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Image Builder nor system roles, and I'm not a big fan of them because they're not part of my use case. They are useful in a sense for reproducibility if I'm going to create a golden image and deploy it, but that's not really my use case.

        Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has helped me to mitigate downtime and lower risks.

        Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is great on the server side and not as strong on the client side, with the workstation and desktop environment needing a lot of work. As far as adopting it, if you're willing to pay for all the licensing, then go for it because you'll get the support you want. On a scale from one to ten, I would rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) overall as a seven or eight.

        Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

        On-premises
        Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
        Last updated: May 12, 2026
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        Khaled Raad - PeerSpot reviewer
        Senior System Engineer at a financial services firm with 51-200 employees
        Real User
        Top 5
        Aug 23, 2025
        Automation eases workload while strong support mitigates downtime
        Pros and Cons
        • "I appreciate Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) for its stable product and good support, and it helps me solve pain points through automation with tools such as Ansible."
        • "I don't think Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is saving money because it is expensive, but saving time is a benefit because they have a lot of automation and good documentation, and it is a stable product."

        What is our primary use case?

        I mainly use Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) as a financial application.

        What is most valuable?

        I appreciate Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) for its stable product and good support. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) helps me solve pain points through automation with tools such as Ansible. It helps mitigate downtime and lower risk because you can recover.

        What needs improvement?

        Regarding security requirements from my side, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is somewhat satisfactory, but in most organizations, they are asking for more enterprise solutions for security. If Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) can invest in monitoring, it would be great. For example, Instana is an IBM product, and since IBM owns Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), if they invest in Instana, it will be a great improvement.

        For how long have I used the solution?

        I have been working with Red Hat Enterprise Linux for more than five years.

        What do I think about the stability of the solution?

        For Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) stability, I rate it a nine. It is really stable, with no issues. I found one server running for more than two years without any issue.

        What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

        For scalability, it depends on the hypervisor you're using, and if you have a template, you can clone it. It doesn't matter which OS you are using, even in the cloud, it's the platform that can scale.

        How are customer service and support?

        I am satisfied with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)'s knowledge base. They have one of the best knowledge bases for their products with good documentation and articles that help solve issues without needing to open a case.

        How would you rate customer service and support?

        How was the initial setup?

        The initial setup for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is simple.

        What was our ROI?

        I don't think Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is saving money because it is expensive, but saving time is a benefit because they have a lot of automation and good documentation, and it is a stable product.

        What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

        I can say about pricing for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is maybe a two on a scale where ten is a high price.

        Which other solutions did I evaluate?

        I think of Ubuntu and SUSE Linux as the top in my mind competitors to RHEL.

        What other advice do I have?

        Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) can run anywhere, everywhere, so it is easy to run on any platform. On RHEL, it is a more general OS, so I don't know if there's a particular feature to consider.

        Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) helps mitigate downtime and lower risk because you can recover, but upgrades require downtime. We mostly do in-place upgrades and haven't used migration much.

        We are involved in upgrading RHEL 7 because it has reached end of life; sometimes we upgrade to eight or nine. I am already a Red Hat Accelerator and a reference.

        Overall, I rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) eight to nine out of ten.

        Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

        On-premises
        Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
        PeerSpot user
        Tat Cheong Wong - PeerSpot reviewer
        Consultant, Information Technology Quality Assurance at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
        Consultant
        Top 5
        Nov 11, 2025
        Has reduced downtime while supporting our web servers cost-effectively
        Pros and Cons
        • "Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has helped to mitigate downtime and lower risk, and my assessment of its built-in security features for simplifying risk reduction and maintaining compliance is a score of eight or nine, as everything is clearly stated and listed in the documents, so it's easy for us to follow."
        • "The issue we have is that it's not a fixed time that we need to patch, but when we patch, the system would just stop working."

        What is our primary use case?

        My main use case for it is that we just support the application.

        What is most valuable?

        In general, it benefits our organization because it's more cost-effective. We save money, that's it.

        The main point it helps me solve is that it's just a web server.

        What needs improvement?

        I don't have specific feedback on what works well and what Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) needs to improve on.

        I cannot think of any additional features that should be included in the next release.

        For how long have I used the solution?

        I have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) for about eight years.

        What do I think about the stability of the solution?

        I have not experienced any downtime, crashes, or performance issues.

        I assess the stability and reliability of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) as stable.

        What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

        So far, so good with how Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) scales with the growing needs of my organization. Everything is supported.

        I expand usage of it every year.

        How are customer service and support?

        I evaluate the customer service and technical support as very good.

        On a scale of one to ten, I rate it a ten.

        Every time we have an issue, someone is there to fix it and troubleshoot, which is why I say that.

        How would you rate customer service and support?

        Positive

        Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

        When I joined, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) was already selected, so that's what was there.

        In my role, I have not considered other solutions in the past.

        How was the initial setup?

        I would describe my experience with deploying it as straightforward.

        What about the implementation team?

        We use Azure as our cloud provider.

        What was our ROI?

        I have not seen ROI with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).

        I don't know the exact number, so that may be because I just am not in charge of that kind of thing.

        What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

        My experience with the pricing and the cost of licenses is that if you compare it to the different operating systems, it's a little bit cheaper. The support is also good as well.

        What other advice do I have?

        Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has helped to mitigate downtime and lower risk.

        My assessment of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)'s built-in security features for simplifying risk reduction and maintaining compliance is a score of eight or nine.

        Everything is clearly stated and listed in the documents, so it's easy for us to follow, which is what could make it better.

        Security requirements and considerations were important in choosing Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) in the cloud because we are banks, so we have a lot of security regulations to follow.

        When it comes to managing Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) systems for provisioning and patching, that's our wonderful part of the day, as we use it as well. The issue we have is that it's not a fixed time that we need to patch, but when we patch, the system would just stop working. This is not a direct issue from Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), but from the line.

        I have been involved in some Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) system upgrades or migrations.

        The upgrade migration was straightforward.

        I can talk about it a little bit more by saying we just upgrade it, patch it, and reboot it. That's all.

        My upgrading or migration plans for the same product are that whenever we have new items that we assess, most likely we will get it.

        I assess the knowledge base offered by Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) as good.

        I don't need more from it; it's good.

        My advice for other organizations considering Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is that they should take into account the cost and support, especially when talking to someone in a different segment or an old colleague.

        I rate this product a ten overall.

        Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

        Hybrid Cloud

        If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

        Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
        Last updated: Nov 11, 2025
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        Buyer's Guide
        Download our free Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
        Updated: June 2026
        Buyer's Guide
        Download our free Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.