# CentOS Linux Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra > With the help of Capterra, learn about CentOS Linux Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Operating Systems products and more. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/229026/CentOS-Linux --- # CentOS Linux Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on March 13, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[FAQs](#faqs)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) CentOS Linux ## What is CentOS Linux? CentOS Linux is a free operating system that can be run in any linux environment and provides new releases every 6-12 months. ## What is CentOS Linux used for? [Operating Systems](https://www.capterra.com/operating-systems-software/) Overall rating Based on 34 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive 94% Neutral 6% Negative 0% Contact vendor for pricing Free trial not available Free version not included Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Do you work for CentOS Linux?[Manage this product listing](https://digitalmarkets.gartner.com/get-listed/claim-bx?url=https://wiki.centos.org/FrontPage&name=CentOS Linux) ## Compare with a popular alternative Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status. ### CentOS Linux 4.6 (34) VS. [### Windows 11](https://www.capterra.com/p/251507/Windows-11/) [4.4 (102)](https://www.capterra.com/p/251507/Windows-11/reviews/) Starting Price Contact vendor Starting Price Contact vendor Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 4.2 (34) Ease Of Use 4.5 (102) Value For Money 4.8 (30) Value For Money 4.1 (82) Customer Service 4.1 (26) Customer Service 4.0 (73) ## CentOS Linux alternatives [Android 11](https://www.capterra.com/p/228982/Android-11/) [4.6 (121)](https://www.capterra.com/p/228982/Android-11/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 94% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/228982/Android-11/) [Ubuntu](https://www.capterra.com/p/229058/Ubuntu/) [4.7 (122)](https://www.capterra.com/p/229058/Ubuntu/reviews/) Starting price $225.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 99% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/229058/Ubuntu/) Highest Rated [MacOS Big Sur](https://www.capterra.com/p/228984/MacOS-Big-Sur/) [4.8 (59)](https://www.capterra.com/p/228984/MacOS-Big-Sur/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 97% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/228984/MacOS-Big-Sur/) [iOS14](https://www.capterra.com/p/228981/iOS14/) [4.6 (53)](https://www.capterra.com/p/228981/iOS14/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 94% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/228981/iOS14/) [View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/229026/CentOS-Linux/alternatives/) ## FAQs about CentOS Linux Overview ### Which roles and teams benefit most from CentOS Linux? CentOS Linux is most used by system engineers, DevOps teams, infrastructure analysts, and network administrators who need a stable server environment for hosting applications, managing networks, and maintaining backend systems. Developers use it for deployment and testing, while executives and technical leaders value its reliability, cost control, and operational consistency. Answer based on 34 reviews Overview ### What company size and industries is CentOS Linux built for? CentOS Linux is built mainly for small businesses, which make up 68% of reviewers, with strongest use in Information Technology and Services at 26%. It also serves enterprises at 26%, plus Computer Software at 21% and Hospital & Health Care at 18%, primarily as an operating system. Answer based on 34 reviews Features and Usability ### What are the key features of CentOS Linux? CentOS Linux offers data security, kernels, system updates, and a user interface for managing the operating system. These core features support system administration, software maintenance, and access to underlying Linux components through a standard desktop or command-line environment. Integrations ### Which third-party tools and platforms does CentOS Linux integrate with? CentOS Linux integrates with Cloudflare, Jenkins X, RainLoop, cPanel & WHM, File Manager, and Terminal. These connections cover DNS and security, CI/CD, webmail, server administration, and command-line or file access, giving CentOS Linux support for common infrastructure and management tools. Answer based on 7 reviews Getting Started and Support ### What training and onboarding options does CentOS Linux offer? CentOS Linux provides documentation to help teams get started. This format offers written reference material for reviewing installation steps, configuration details, and feature guidance at a self-paced pace. No other training formats are listed in the catalog data. Answer based on 2 reviews Getting Started and Support ### What customer support options does CentOS Linux offer? CentOS Linux provides FAQ/Forum and a Knowledge Base for support. Users often rely on community discussions and tutorials to solve issues, and help is usually found through self-service resources rather than direct assistance. Some users note that support feels smaller than other Linux communities, which can slow problem-solving. Answer based on 7 reviews Security ### How does CentOS Linux handle data security and access control? CentOS Linux uses fast security updates, secure patches, a strong firewall, and administrator-focused tools to help secure servers, backups, and hosted applications. Reviewers describe it as stable, reliable, and easy to secure, though some mention a learning curve, complicated repository implementation, and a desire for more libraries to strengthen security. Answer based on 13 reviews Features and Usability ### Is CentOS Linux easy to use for beginners? CentOS Linux works well for beginners who want to learn Linux basics, but it still asks for technical knowledge. Many administrators and small business teams find the command line clear and the system manageable, while less technical users may struggle with configuration, navigation, and a less familiar desktop experience. Answer based on 13 reviews Features and Usability ### What is the CentOS Linux user interface like? CentOS Linux offers a functional interface that suits administrators and server-focused teams better than general desktop users. Many users like the clean layout, accessible terminal, and low clutter, but some find the GUI dated, less interactive, harder to customize, and more dependent on command-line knowledge than Windows alternatives. Answer based on 11 reviews ## Features Features with the highest number of reviews are displayed first. Those that have no reviews appear next, sorted alphabetically. System Updates 4.6 (25) 44.00% of 25 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Automatically update to the latest version User Interface 4.3 (25) 40.00% of 25 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important A visual way of interacting with a computer using items such as windows, icons, and menus, used by most modern operating systems Data Security 4.5 (24) 37.50% of 24 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Protect sensitive data for digital privacy Kernels 4.5 (22) 45.45% of 22 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Manage communication between software and hardware CentOS Linux 4 features Protect sensitive data for digital privacy Manage communication between software and hardware Automatically update to the latest version A visual way of interacting with a computer using items such as windows, icons, and menus, used by most modern operating systems Features 4.6 (34) 4.6 Based on 34 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 4.8 (30) Value for money 4.8 (30) 4.8 Based on 30 reviews ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 4.1 (26) Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Deployment - Web - Android - iPhone/iPad Typical users - Freelancers - Small businesses - Mid size businesses - Enterprises Customer Service 4.1 (26) 4.1 Based on 26 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 4.6 Based on 34 reviews Filter by rating 5(24) 4(8) 3(2) 2(0) 1(0) Mentioned topic Sorted by most recent IM Ilario M. ICT Infrastructure Manager Mechanical or Industrial Engineering ### "great server Linux release" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 April 22, 2025 The best free Linux server release that can be used instead most famous paying versions Pros Free; can replace or be compatible with most of server Linux release Cons sometimes difficult to configure for basic services; not always updated as other Linux release Alternatives considered [SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229040/Suse-Linux-Enterprise-Desktop/) [Fedora Workstation](https://www.capterra.com/p/229028/Fedora-Workstation/) Reasons for choosing CentOS Linux Mantain compatibility respect other versions even if is free of charges for support Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Ankit S. Devops Engineer Financial Services ### "Centos Operating System" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 9/10 March 10, 2024 It is built on the red hat enterprise linux so making secure and reliable to use. Free to use so it easy is for a beginner to start using it for learning. It works with much faster speed compared to other operating systems. Pros It is free to use so anyone get started with it. It is flavour of linux so if a person knows linux already it very easy to switch to centos. Centos provides more security features than linux. As it is being used for hosting many servers it is go to choice to learn a os. Cons Having less community support. Having long release cycle compared to fedora, ubuntu. It is designed to be used through terminal, can'nt perform actions using the UI. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. IB Ian B. Prevent Manager Information Technology and Services ### "A Great Alternative to Windows" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 8/10 June 19, 2023 We have had a very reliable experience with CentOS. Applications run well on it and we are able to secure our backups more using that operating system. We have had some difficulty getting users up to speed on how to properly navigate the OS. Pros Have a Linux based operating system has made it helpful for our engineers to use for certain projects. User interface for CentOS is setup for administrators to access tools efficiently. The applications in CentOS are more secure than our Windows machines. Cons There are only specific application that are compatible with CentOS. The support for Linux is hard to find that is able to resolve issues at a good price. There are less engineers that are able to use and manage CentOS. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. AN Anonymous User software developper Computer Software ### "Centos: Easy linux operating system" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 0.0 0.0 Likelihood to Recommend 8/10 January 8, 2023 Centos allows the deployment of various Linux various machine for free (no license required) Pros Centos is light and stable compared to other Linux OS. Plus, it is excellent for beginners since it provides a friendly user interface and easily accessible terminal commands. Cons Centos OS' community is smaller than other Linux operating systems. Furthermore, apps not downloaded from the app store are less stable than the store's apps. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Rosa maria M. Operaria de Limpieza Hospital & Health Care ### "Mi hijo me habla de CentOS como servidores." 3.0 Overall Rating 3.0 3.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 3.0 3.0 Likelihood to Recommend 7/10 December 8, 2022 Excelente, tiene las 3 B (Bueno , Barato y Bonito), usa pocos recursos y funciona de maravilla. Pros Aparte de ser gratuito se puede personalizar cada servidor. Mi hijo lo utiliza hasta para servidores de prueba en su universidad y no consume muchos recursos de hardware. Cons No hay nada que no me guste, pero espero que aumenten mas librerias para mejorar nuestra seguridad. Alternatives considered [Microsoft Azure](https://www.capterra.com/p/16365/Azure/) [AWS IoT](https://www.capterra.com/p/234826/AWS-IoT/) Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. SA Sakthi A. System Administrator Computer Software ### "Best OpenSource Operating System" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 3.0 3.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 November 23, 2022 Good Server for WEB Hosting Platform. Pros Easy to install and manage commands in terminal. Cons Need to update and change stable releases frequently. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Jose J G. CTO Market Research ### "Strong Linux Operating System for Business Servers" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 2.0 2.0 Likelihood to Recommend 5/10 November 18, 2022 It has been a great operating system for our cloud server and containers. Pros I like that CentOS doesn't use a lot of memory resources to run fast our server. Cons I don't like the recent changes and discontinuity of CentOS 7 and 8. It's confusing how to upgrade to CentOS RHEL version without affecting our actual server functions. Alternatives considered [Ubuntu](https://www.capterra.com/p/229058/Ubuntu/) Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. AN Anonymous User Infrastructure Engineer Information Technology and Services ### "CentOS Honest Review" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 November 13, 2022 When I started my career as infrastructure engineer, my almost work is related to Linux, at my early stage it was difficult for me to learn and understand Linux but centOS solves the problem to learn linux. Now I can easily understand Linux and can do my daily tasks more efficiently and perfectly. Also almost every organisation has adapted cloud so it is easy to move from CentOS to Amazon cloud Linux. I would say if you are at your learning phase then CentOS is the best. Also if have small or medium enterprise then there is nothing better than CentOS. Pros CentOS is an open source operating system, it's easy to use and features are awesome.i like the security feature the most.CentOS graphical user interface is fantastic, nowadays every organisation needs Linux at any point of time, I would say CentOS is best OS for beginners you can easily learn and understand Linux . Cons CentOS is little bit outdated than other OS like windows and Mac. I would if UI of CentOS can be enhanced and some new features will be added then it will be great.Installing the new packages is not easy in CentOS as compare to other OS. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. NK Nishant K. Netbackup administrator Information Technology and Services ### "CentOS user review" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 2.0 2.0 Likelihood to Recommend 7/10 October 26, 2022 Overall, it has been a good experience along with working on ubuntu, fedora, suse for different work purpose Pros Centos runs only the most stable version of codes and integrates it as well.The CLI works buttery smooth and is superfast Cons CentOS has a small database and still emerging and developing.So not much updates.. Overall its great. Switched from [Fedora Workstation](https://www.capterra.com/p/229028/Fedora-Workstation/) Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. AN Anonymous User 情報システム Architecture & Planning ### "惜しまれつつもサービス終了" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 0.0 0.0 Likelihood to Recommend 5/10 October 20, 2022 とても良い製品でしたが、今後サポート終了が発表されました。完全終了までに代替製品を検討していく予定です。 Pros 費用対効果の面です。この製品が無償で利用できていたことには驚きしかありません。 Cons 特になかった印象です。強いていえば、RedHatが元になっているとはいえ、完全互換ではなかったために微妙に動作不安定になったり、サポート対象外になるようなことがあった程度でしょうか Alternatives considered [Ubuntu](https://www.capterra.com/p/229058/Ubuntu/) Reasons for choosing CentOS Linux 大規模向けのRedHatをベースにしていたため、ユーザーが増えた場合に対してもそれなりに安心感があるとおもったため Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. [View all Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/229026/CentOS-Linux/reviews/) ## Top-rated software of 2026 ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.