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CentOS Logo
13,383 views|13,273 comparisons
98% willing to recommend
Oracle Logo
30,250 views|22,360 comparisons
91% willing to recommend
Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary
Updated on May 9, 2022

We performed a comparison between CentOS and Oracle Linux based on our users’ reviews in four categories. After reading all of the collected data, you can find our conclusion below.

  • Ease of Deployment: Users of both solutions tell us the installation and deployment is straightforward and simple to complete. With CentOs, users have a wizard and several templates, which help to make the process super fast and easy.
  • Features: CenOS users tell us the solution is very efficient and very powerful. Users like that it is easy to use and very productive. The solution is also very robust and stable. Users feel the UI is very intuitive and also offers a command prompt option. CentOS users would like to see improved security, additional coding tools, and better integration.

    Oracle Linux is very flexible, robust, reliable, and scales easily. Many users find the Ksplice feature to be very useful, as it allows users to update the Kernal without a reboot, minimizing any potential downtime. Oracle Linux offers regular updates and patches, which help support great security. The GUI on Oracle Linux is not very attractive and users feel it needs an update . They note that the download speed is not good, and that overall server capacity could be improved as well. Oracle Linux needs better integrations, as it only works with Oracle products.

  • Pricing: CentOS is a community-driven free software solution. Oracle Linux users relate that there are some Oracle products that include Oracle Linux for free or at a very reduced cost. However, some of their other licensing and pricing options can get quite costly.
  • Service and Support: CentOS’s support is community-based. Users relate that the knowledge base is very trustworthy and it is very easy to get issues resolved quickly. Oracle Linux users are very satisfied with the service, support, and response time they have experienced.

Comparison Results: Based on our user reviews, CentOs slightly edges out Oracle Linux. CentOS is very user friendly, does not take up a lot of resources, and integrates with other applications. It is a very strong, powerful, reliable solution and users feel they get a performance boost using applications with CentOS. However, Oracle Linux is very flexible and secure and may be the right choice for enterprises currently running on Oracle or planning to migrate to Oracle solutions.

To learn more, read our detailed CentOS vs. Oracle Linux Report (Updated: March 2024).
772,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"CentOS's most valuable features are that it's cost-saving and helps to scale down your usage.""It's a good and stable system. It provides everything you need for web servers and database servers.""The most valuable feature of CentOS is the speed and it is very easy to use.""It’s a simple, straightforward implementation.""The solution is stable and reliable.""Its performance is most valuable. There is a performance boost as compared to when the applications are run on Windows OS.""Setup is straightforward. You can complete it in about 30 minutes.""We particularly like that we can remove the graphic user interface to minimize attack settings for the operating system."

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"It's very useful for hosting other Oracle products.""The good thing about Oracle Linux is that it's free, as long as you don't want support.""It is a stable solution. We rarely face any issues with the machine.""Overall Oracle Linux is very good.""Oracle Linux's most valuable feature is flexibility.""It is good for web, network, and file management.""The most valuable feature is the binary compatibility i.e. that Oracle Linux is 100% compatible with Red Hat Linux.""The tool's performance is good."

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Cons
"Integration with Open Stack could be improved.""It could be more secure.""We would like Red Hat to keep supporting the solution but they have decided to get rid of it and there isn't much we can do about it.""CentOS could be improved by being more secure. Of course, we use a firewall, but security is always a concern.""The interface could be improved.""GUI could be merged and expansion simplified.""Updates are going to a streaming version.""The server system is a little bit tough to manage."

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"Oracle Linux could improve by having more documentation.""Technical support slow to respond.""The solution could improve by giving the client or customer more control.""Another notable aspect that could be improved is minor compatibility with Red Hat.""We'd like it if it was a bit more secure.""The GUI could be made more attractive.""In the next release, I would like for Autonomous Linux to be available to all users so that the OS administration can be automated.""Oracle Linux could improve by having better compatibility with other solutions. Some aspects of the configuration are difficult. I was using Oracle Linux on a Mac computer and it was very difficult to set up."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "There are no licensing costs for CentOS."
  • "It is open-source, which means it is a free product. It has a one-time deployment cost."
  • "There is no license required for this solution."
  • "There is no price or licensing required — it's open-source."
  • "There are no licensing fees. CentOS is a free solution."
  • "There are no licensing fees for CentOS."
  • "We are using a subscription-based license option for CentOS."
  • "CentOS is a free solution."
  • More CentOS Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "The pricing and licensing are good."
  • "Nowadays, Oracle is very open toward price negotiation; they negotiate well with their clients"
  • "This is an open-source product that can be used free of charge."
  • "The licensing is expensive."
  • "Oracle Linux is very cheap at this time."
  • "The solution is free."
  • "There is a license required for this solution and we are on an annual license."
  • "The licensing cost is expensive. It should be reduced by at least half."
  • More Oracle Linux Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Comparison Review
    Anonymous User
    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:Red Hat Enterprise Linux is fantastic. It is an inexpensive solution that has excellent security, performance, and stability, and also lots of features. I specifically like that the solution has… more »
    Top Answer:CentOS is very easy to use, and all the commands are user-friendly.
    Top Answer: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… more »
    Top Answer: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… more »
    Ranking
    Views
    13,383
    Comparisons
    13,273
    Reviews
    31
    Average Words per Review
    362
    Rating
    8.5
    Views
    30,250
    Comparisons
    22,360
    Reviews
    29
    Average Words per Review
    439
    Rating
    8.4
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Oracle Enterprise Linux
    Learn More
    Overview

    CentOS is a versatile operating system with many use cases, including virtual spaces, scientific computing, data center servers, web-based applications, and more. Its valuable features include customization options, low memory consumption, performance, scalability, open-source nature, cost-saving, and compatibility with Red Hat packages. 

    The solution has helped organizations save money on licensing and improve testing capabilities for new implementations without spending additional resources. CentOS is a stable, reliable, and efficient operating system that is easy to use and integrate with other applications and services.

    Oracle Linux is a stable, reliable, and scalable operating system primarily used for deploying and running Oracle databases. It is also suitable for various other functions, including managing operating systems and web servers, supporting traffic surveillance, and identity management. 

    Oracle Linux is highly valued for its stability, reliability, scalability, good technical support, and ease of use. It has helped organizations to achieve faster DNS queries, stable development environments, reduced vulnerability issues, good performance for Oracle applications, and improved ability to run test scenarios and parallel queries across massive databases.

    Oracle Linux Features

    Oracle Linux has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

    • The software is 100% free (no cost) to use, distribute, and update
    • Ksplice allows for zero-downtime kernel and user-space upgrades
    • DTrace provides comprehensive kernel and application tracing
    • For Oracle Linux Support clients, Linux management and high availability are available at no additional cost
    • It's Oracle-optimized and works well with Oracle Database and Oracle Applications
    • New workload optimizations:
      • Enhanced memory performance by attempting to better locate a process near its memory and better placement of tasks that do not fit on a single NUMA node
      • SPECjbb's performance has been improved by up to 3.6 times thanks to optimizations that help reduce lock contention.
      • With bcache, it's simple to employ SSDs as a block cache for slower block devices. A new, scaled block layer subsystem supports many millions of IOps on NVM-Express and high-end PCI-E devices.
    • Oracle Linux has three deployment options:
    • Linux in the cloud: Oracle Linux Premier Support is included in all Oracle Cloud Infrastructure subscriptions at no additional cost.
    • Linux on premises: This is the industry's most comprehensive and open Linux distribution.
    • Embedded Linux design: Embedding a feature-rich Linux distribution is an optimized, cost-effective solution for your business.

     Oracle Linux Benefits

    There are many benefits to implementing Oracle Linux. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

    • Save money by only paying for support for the systems you need
    • Improve security by applying patches faster and spending less time troubleshooting and updating
    • Improve Oracle software and hardware performance

    Reviews from Real Users

    Oracle Linux stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are its stability and scalability. PeerSpot users take note of the advantages of these features in their reviews: 

    One PeerSpot reviewer, an IT Manager, reports, “I find the virtualization the most valuable.” He adds, “Oracle Linux is the best Linux operating system that I have ever known. It is very stable and strong.”

    An Enterprise Architect at a financial services firm writes of the solution, “You also don't have memory issues, especially when it is engineered with platforms like Exadata and Oracle Cluster. These give you the most throughput and performance.” He adds, “It is very scalable, especially on platforms like Oracle Cluster and Exadata.

    Sample Customers
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    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company21%
    Financial Services Firm18%
    Comms Service Provider12%
    Government12%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company16%
    Manufacturing Company9%
    Government9%
    University7%
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company17%
    Financial Services Firm15%
    Comms Service Provider12%
    Retailer10%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company14%
    Government10%
    Educational Organization9%
    Manufacturing Company8%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business39%
    Midsize Enterprise28%
    Large Enterprise33%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business24%
    Midsize Enterprise14%
    Large Enterprise61%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business32%
    Midsize Enterprise10%
    Large Enterprise59%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business23%
    Midsize Enterprise16%
    Large Enterprise62%
    Buyer's Guide
    CentOS vs. Oracle Linux
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about CentOS vs. Oracle Linux and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    772,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    CentOS is ranked 5th in Operating Systems (OS) for Business with 63 reviews while Oracle Linux is ranked 3rd in Operating Systems (OS) for Business with 108 reviews. CentOS is rated 8.2, while Oracle Linux is rated 8.4. The top reviewer of CentOS writes "Allows you to securely store data, and command prompts make it simple to use". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Oracle Linux writes "The operational system is the best and is packed with free features like CapsLive". CentOS is most compared with Ubuntu Linux, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), Windows Server, SUSE Linux Enterprise and openSUSE Leap, whereas Oracle Linux is most compared with Ubuntu Linux, Rocky Linux, Oracle Solaris, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and Windows Server. See our CentOS vs. Oracle Linux report.

    See our list of best Operating Systems (OS) for Business vendors.

    We monitor all Operating Systems (OS) for Business reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.