CentOS vs Ubuntu: Find Out What the Differences Are

CentOS vs Ubuntu

There are many distributions of Linux OS including but not limited to CentOS and Ubuntu, thanks to its openness and community driven, choosing the right one is hard for many beginners as well intermediates.

We get a lot of our queries on a regular base asking use questions such as this one:

“What Linux server should I go for – Ubuntu or CentOS?”

In spite of many choices, these two Linux OS are dominant on servers. They are both excellent choices, but when choosing one over other is hard, it’s useful to know the ways in which they are different.

In this article we will take look at the similarities and difference between Ubuntu and CentOS. There is no “one size fits all” type of answer, your situation might be different from the other person, so go all the points discussed below and choose the one which best suits your particular need, it’s highly personal but we’ll try to provide some sort of differences of both Operating Systems.

CentOS

CentOS stands for Community ENTerprise Operating System, it’s an enterprise class Linux distribution derived from Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and has similar features of RHEL. The RHEL is widely-supported distribution in corporate IT, this means that CentOS also enjoys extensive enterprise support. This only reason makes the CentOS a perfect choice if you’re looking for a inexpensive alternative to one of the mainstream server OS. CentOS has much more release cycle then the Ubuntu. CentOS offers smaller number of features in comparison to Ubuntu, thus it is naturally lightweight. CentOS is preferred distribution for simply hosting a website or web application.

Ubuntu

Ubuntu is reliable and stable Linux OS and offers plenty of features that make server management more sufficient and useful. However, this makes the system more complex, as it is heavier than CentOS. Ubuntu comes in 2 flavors, Ubuntu Server and Ubuntu Desktop. It’s based on the Debian system architecture and has similar infrastructure but comes with its own GUI. Ubuntu is frequently updated and release new package too often, it is both an advantage and a disadvantage. The advantage is that you will get the latest version of Ubuntu frequently but many of these updates are not tested enough and are in the process of bugs being fixed (not stable), makes it disadvantageous.

FeaturesCentOSUbuntu
CentOSUbuntu
Package CommandRPM and YUMAPT-GET
VariantBased on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)Based on Debian
Percentages of websites using (as per this site)20.4%34.8%
Release CycleLong periodShort period
SecuritySecure out of the boxLess secure (out of the box) compare to CentOS
Download LinkDownload CentOSDownload Ubunto

To Conclude

In the end we must say that everyone has their preferences, and both OS have what it take to be a good operating system with some differences. Say for example CentOS is much more suitable for the hosting industry whereas we personally like Ubuntu for personal use (local development) but it doesn’t mean that Ubuntu can’t be used on server and/or lacking enterprise features it’s just our preference one over another. It’s highly a personal choice.

No matter which Linux OS you like, CentOS or Ubuntu, we hope you like this article, and share it with your friends and colleagues. In case you want to say something on this topic feel free to leave your comment below.

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