--- title: "Best Red Hat Enterprise Linux Alternatives 2026 | Capterra" description: "Looking for alternatives to Red Hat Enterprise Linux? Find out how Red Hat Enterprise Linux stacks up against its competitors with real user reviews, pricing information, and what features they offer." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/229025/Red-Hat-Enterprise-Linux/alternatives/" page_type: "alternatives" language: "en" --- # Red Hat Enterprise Linux alternatives Last updated on September 16th, 2026 The best Red Hat Enterprise Linux alternatives are MacOS Big Sur (best overall), Linux Mint (best free plan), Ubuntu (best budget option), and Android 11 (most reviewed). Together they hold 358 verified Capterra reviews, with overall ratings from 4.6 to 4.8 out of 5. Red Hat Enterprise Linux itself holds 4.6 out of 5 across 27 reviews. ### Red Hat Enterprise Linux - Rating: 4.6 out of 5 (27 reviews) - Ease of use: 4.3 out of 5 - Starting price: $99.00 /yr - Key features: 4 of 4 top category features --- ## Top alternatives Red Hat Enterprise Linux alternatives compared | Product | Rating difference | Ease of use | Starting price | Key features | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Windows 11](https://www.capterra.com/p/251507/Windows-11/) — 4.4 out of 5 (104 reviews) | Rated 0.2 lower than this product | 4.5 out of 5 | Not available | 2 of 4 top category features | | [Android 11](https://www.capterra.com/p/228982/Android-11/) — 4.6 out of 5 (123 reviews) | Rated the same as this product | 4.7 out of 5 | Not available | 2 of 4 top category features | | [Ubuntu](https://www.capterra.com/p/229058/Ubuntu/) — 4.7 out of 5 (123 reviews) | Rated 0.1 higher than this product | 4.4 out of 5 | $225.00 /yr | 4 of 4 top category features | | [MacOS Big Sur](https://www.capterra.com/p/228984/MacOS-Big-Sur/) — 4.8 out of 5 (59 reviews) | Rated 0.2 higher than this product | 4.7 out of 5 | Not available | 4 of 4 top category features | | [iOS14](https://www.capterra.com/p/228981/iOS14/) — 4.6 out of 5 (53 reviews) | Rated the same as this product | 4.8 out of 5 | Not available | 2 of 4 top category features | | [Debian](https://www.capterra.com/p/229027/Debian/) — 4.6 out of 5 (24 reviews) | Rated the same as this product | 4.3 out of 5 | Not available | 3 of 4 top category features | | [Linux Mint](https://www.capterra.com/p/229032/Linux-Mint/) — 4.8 out of 5 (53 reviews) | Rated 0.2 higher than this product | 4.6 out of 5 | Not available | 1 of 4 top category features | | [Fedora Workstation](https://www.capterra.com/p/229028/Fedora-Workstation/) — 4.8 out of 5 (18 reviews) | Rated 0.2 higher than this product | 4.4 out of 5 | Not available | 3 of 4 top category features | | [Oracle Linux](https://www.capterra.com/p/229031/Oracle-Linux/) — 4.4 out of 5 (18 reviews) | Rated 0.2 lower than this product | 4.1 out of 5 | Not available | 4 of 4 top category features | | [CentOS Linux](https://www.capterra.com/p/229026/CentOS-Linux/) — 4.6 out of 5 (34 reviews) | Rated the same as this product | 4.2 out of 5 | Not available | 3 of 4 top category features | --- ## Top Free alternatives to Red Hat Enterprise Linux The best free alternatives to Red Hat Enterprise Linux are Android 11, Ubuntu, and MacOS Big Sur — all three offer a free plan alongside paid tiers. ### [Android 11](https://www.capterra.com/p/228982/Android-11/) — 4.6 out of 5 (123 reviews) - Free options: Free version - Starting price: Not available ### [Ubuntu](https://www.capterra.com/p/229058/Ubuntu/) — 4.7 out of 5 (123 reviews) - Free options: Free version - Starting price: $225.00 /yr ### [MacOS Big Sur](https://www.capterra.com/p/228984/MacOS-Big-Sur/) — 4.8 out of 5 (59 reviews) - Free options: Free version - Starting price: Not available --- ## Top alternatives for SMBs Among reviewers from companies with 1-200 employees, the highest-rated Red Hat Enterprise Linux alternatives are CentOS Linux (4.9), Ubuntu (4.8), and Debian (4.8). ### [CentOS Linux](https://www.capterra.com/p/229026/CentOS-Linux/) - 21 SMB reviewers say - Overall rating: 4.9 out of 5 across 21 SMB reviews - Ease of use: 4.1 out of 5 across 21 SMB reviews > "It is a stable, secure, and reliable operating system that also offers a graphical user interface for personal computers." — Nabin P., CEO (August 17, 2021) ### [Ubuntu](https://www.capterra.com/p/229058/Ubuntu/) - 60 SMB reviewers say - Overall rating: 4.8 out of 5 across 60 SMB reviews - Ease of use: 4.6 out of 5 across 60 SMB reviews > "It's free open source software, and it's a heavy standard used everywhere (in my opinion)." — Glen N., IT Director (July 25, 2025) ### [Debian](https://www.capterra.com/p/229027/Debian/) - 12 SMB reviewers say - Overall rating: 4.8 out of 5 across 12 SMB reviews - Ease of use: 4.4 out of 5 across 12 SMB reviews > "Debian LTS versions may not be always uptodate with security patches." — Nabin P., CEO (August 26, 2021) --- ## Find software for your specific use case ### Operating Systems - [Ubuntu](https://www.capterra.com/p/229058/Ubuntu/) — 4.7 out of 5 (123 reviews) - [Android 11](https://www.capterra.com/p/228982/Android-11/) — 4.6 out of 5 (123 reviews) - [Windows 11](https://www.capterra.com/p/251507/Windows-11/) — 4.4 out of 5 (104 reviews) ### Virtual Machine - [Google Cloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/268690/Google-Cloud-Platform/) — 4.7 out of 5 (2,330 reviews) - [Microsoft Azure](https://www.capterra.com/p/16365/Azure/) — 4.6 out of 5 (1,980 reviews) - [VirtualBox](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/) — 4.6 out of 5 (888 reviews) ---