We performed a comparison between Oracle Linux and Red Hat Enterprise Linux RHEL based on our users’ reviews in four categories. After reading the collected data, you can find our conclusion below.
Comparison of Results: Based on the parameters we compared, Oracle Linux seems to be the superior solution. Our reviewers feel that the question concerning whether or not Red Hat Enterprise Linux is easy to deploy, the difficulty that it has integrating with non- Red Hat solutions, and the fact that it is upstream from Oracle Linux make Oracle Linux a better investment.
"The installation is straightforward and it did not take very long."
"We don't have any failing cases. Oracle releases regular hot patches, so we don't have many difficulties."
"The performance is good and the solution has been stable."
"The stability of Oracle Linux is good."
"We find the consolidated support for this solution and other same vendor systems to be an extremely valuable feature. This allows for faster resolution of issues and consistency of support personnel."
"It is good for web, network, and file management."
"When it comes to my favorite features of Oracle Linux, I have been impressed with its ability to facilitate a smooth and efficient workflow system. This system is responsible for gathering data from multiple cameras and transferring this information to the backend systems. The system comprises around 10 to 12 servers, all of which are integrated into a highly reliable and redundant cluster setup. Currently, we are using Red Hat Linux for our production needs, however, we have plans to switch over to Oracle Linux in the near future. The reason for this change is due to the specialized nature of our system which precludes the use of cloud computing capabilities."
"The good thing about Oracle Linux is that it's free, as long as you don't want support."
"It is a stable solution."
"The updates are the most valuable feature."
"We have support. If we have any issues with the distro, we can call their support team."
"Red Hat Enterprise Linux is easy to manage, update, and integrate. I also like Red Hat Enterprise Linux's built-in security features. You need to enable them by default or keep them enabled if you want your system to be secured. It protects most of the system components."
"Resiliency-wise, the solution is very good."
"When it comes to security, scalability, and robustness, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) excels in all aspects. That's why we rely on this operating system."
"There are some nice integrations with scanning for vulnerabilities. That is the feature I have enjoyed the most because I am a security person, and that is my bread and butter."
"The features and tools help us to maintain security overall."
"What can improve in the solution is a rather challenging question given that Oracle is pushing towards cloud computing and the closed nature of the system. Maintaining Oracle Linux behind a firewall can be a cumbersome process, as it requires manual intervention to copy repositories and obtain approval from internal authorities. With the current emphasis on cloud computing, the support and development of traditional, closed systems like Oracle Linux may not receive as much attention, leading to potential limitations in the system's capabilities and performance."
"The Oracle Linux graphical interface could be improved by fixing its occasional freezing on personal home laptops."
"The tool’s user interface needs to improve."
"It does not have any reporting on attempted intrusions."
"It could be easier to reach a higher support level."
"Time drifts happen frequently, and the database restarts automatically to protect data integrity."
"Oracle Linux could improve by having more documentation."
"Another notable aspect that could be improved is minor compatibility with Red Hat."
"It could be a bit more user-friendly. It could also be cheaper."
"The price is something that can be improved, as they are still being undercut."
"Red Hat can improve its operating system by making it better from the quality assurance perspective. Users do find bugs, which they, of course, shouldn't encounter. A better QA would probably make the job a lot better. It would make the product a lot more stable than it's today."
"It would be very good if we can easily migrate from CentOS to Red Hat. We are about to move from CentOS to Red Hat. It would be great if they can give us a free version. Otherwise, we need to purchase licenses, which are quite expensive."
"Continuous improvement is essential to enhance user experiences and address evolving needs."
"Red Hat should provide a way to mirror repositories or at least provide a solution for us to bubble up packages throughout the entire process."
"The solution's ecosystem is good but it would be better to create cohesive components in all of the development tools."
"We just learned that we can get access to more support documents by going through the portal. I didn't know that. If it was something that was more known or advertised, that would have helped us to find out some of the information a little better."
More Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Pricing and Cost Advice →
Oracle Linux is ranked 3rd in Operating Systems (OS) for Business with 109 reviews while Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is ranked 1st in Operating Systems (OS) for Business with 167 reviews. Oracle Linux is rated 8.4, while Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is rated 8.8. The top reviewer of Oracle Linux writes "The operational system is the best and is packed with free features like CapsLive". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) writes "Highly stable, good knowledge base, and reasonable price". Oracle Linux is most compared with Ubuntu Linux, CentOS, Rocky Linux, Oracle Solaris and Windows Server, whereas Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is most compared with Ubuntu Linux, Windows Server, SUSE Linux Enterprise, Windows 10 and Rocky Linux. See our Oracle Linux vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) report.
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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.
I have been working on both Linux (RHEL from RedHat and OLE from Oracle) in many projects for more than 10 years now.
firstly, RHEL is the main Linux Distribution whereas OLE is just a clone version of RHEL with some enhancements in Kernel to makes it more compatible with Oracle hardware and software.
secondly, there is no point to use OLE in heterogeneous Data Centers which they are equipped with multi-brand hardware.
Third, Oracle's policies regarding open source projects are unacceptable. As far as I can remember, projects such as Open Solaris, OpenOffice, and etc were owned by Oracle disappeared. Moreover, Oracle releases OLE to keep its product list complete on the other hand Oracle Linux fans are most people and companies that work with Oracle products. And the lack of knowledge in the Linux field leads to accepting Oracle's recommendations that my Linux works better and should be used. Based on my experience in various projects as a Linux expert and SAN storage admins with an expert colleague in the Oracle database have obtained interesting results.
These projects have used OLE, RHEL, and CentOS Linux with IBM or HP servers also EMC, HPE or Hitachi storage.
And we found that:
1-RHEL Linux is better compatible with different hardware.
2-Not only are RHEL Documents more clear but also Red Hat has better support compared to Oracle.
3-RHEL and CentOS have better repositories and quicker security patching compared to OLE.
Finally, Red Hat (RHEL, CentOS, Fedora) communities are much greater and active than the Oracle Linux community.
Hi Nawazish,
I have worked with both products. I strongly recommend Oracle Enterprise Linux.
The reasons are as follows :
1. Oracle Enterprise Linux has some key features which are suitable for running enterprise class workloads. KSplice is one of such key feature.
2. If you are planning to run Oracle database / MiddleWare / E-Business on Intel/ Linux then select Oracle Linux. Because you get one support portal "Metalink" to manage your support issues for all the software components. In case you run RHEL, you will end up in managing Oracle and RHEL support separately.
3. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) runs on Oracle Linux, and Oracle Exadata runs on Oracle Linux. In case you plan to migrate your Oracle workload to Oracle Cloud (OCI) or Exadata in future, the migration will be seamless.
4. Oracle has announced Autonomous Linux during Oracle Open World few weeks back. I am sure they will get all Autonomous features in Oracle Linux in future versions.
5. Commercially Oracle Linux gives you better price as compared to RHEL. Simply compare Oracle Linux Standard Edition with Ref Hat Linux with 24x7 support and you will understand the difference. This is because Oracle Linux support comes from Oracle Metalink 24x7 by default. Thats not the case with Red Hat
Let me know in case you need additional help.
Thanks
Shrikant
Hi, Did you see this Oracle Linux review ? -> www.itcentralstation.com
Is the information given in that review enough for satisfying your curiosity? If not, please update.
Just the location of the repository for the most part. If you're running Oracle databases on RHEL I recommend purchasing Oracle X-8 hardware and running Oracle Enterprise linux instead, you will save a lot of money in the long run.
The biggest advantages OEL has is that if you buy the Oracle hardware you get support for the OS for free. If you run databases on Oracle hardware your core licensing costs are usually cut in half. Oracle Linux on Oracle hardware also allows for the use of OVM (like vmware) The main disadvantage of the OVM over VMware is that the OVM software is still underdeveloped a little and requires a little more effort for disk functions.
Oracle Linux is developed by Oracle Corp. Oracle ULN (unbreakable Linux (UEK) as they call it, has come into existence since the time Oracle started to invest in Cloud computing. It is again Kernel-based under GNU license. It is now majorly used in Oracle cloud platforms and Oracle Exadata or Oracle Database appliance.
RHEL Linux is developed by Red Hat which also uses Kernel-based under GNU license. RHEL can be used in local desktop, servers and also it can be used on IBM mainframe Hardware (Z13/Z14) as Zlinux and LINUXONE platform as well. They both have similar interfaces (GNOME) except Oracle has KDE as well. Moreover, they use the same terminology and commands to execute on their Linux versions. Oracle Linux uses RPM packages where RHEL Linux using RPM as well as YUM packages and both support containerization and dockerization.
Oracle Linux is best suited for Oracle products because of its support and compatibility with the Oracle products.
Hi Nawazish,
I have experiences with both products and both companies.
Both Linux distributions are binary compatible with very similar functions and utilities. The same is also CentOS, that is build on the same source codes.
I choose RHEL for:
1. better support (at least for problems that I faced with)
2. quicker security patching
3. additional products that are build on RHEL (RHEV, Middleware products, GlusterFS)
I'm not sure about the performance of Oracle DB on Oracle Linux with comparing to RHEL. I would like to see some independent performance analysis.
I like Red Hat more as a company, because It is not Evil like Oracle. I have very bad experience with Oracle products licensing and software audit.
These is the reasons, why I chose the RHEL.
Regards,
Petr
I share this article with you, the publication is from this year, where this difference is explained. I hope this information is useful.
www.muylinux.com
Oracle Linux is RHEL, rebranded. It includes the Oracle Unbreakable Kernel which you can read about on the Oracle website. I have found no practical extra value from it.
Redhat support of the Redhat OS is better than Oracle support on a Redhat OS.