AlmaLinux OS vs Amazon Linux

AlmaLinux OS9.2Visit Amazon Linux8.9Visit

Higher score AlmaLinux OS #3 in Server Operating System 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit AlmaLinux OS

vs

Amazon Linux #6 in Server Operating System 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit AWS

• AlmaLinux OS fits best

  RHEL-compatible enterprise servers without license fees

• Amazon Linux fits best

  AWS-native EC2 and container workloads

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Side by side

Feature	AlmaLinux OS 9.2/10 Visit ↗	Amazon Linux 8.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	8.9
Ranking	#3 in Server Operating System	#6 in Server Operating System
Best for	RHEL-compatible enterprise servers without license fees	AWS-native EC2 and container workloads
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Linux, Windows	Linux
Support	Docs, Community	Tickets, Community
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features AlmaLinux OS 0/4 · Amazon Linux 0/4
Long-term support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Live kernel patching	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Container tooling	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Commercial support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
License model	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Architecture support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Management interface	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	About 10 years of support for each major version Official images cover cloud providers, containers, WSL and live media ELevate supports migrations between major versions of RHEL-derived distributions	Free to run, with EC2 AMIs and Docker-compatible container images Versioned repositories support deterministic package updates Systems Manager supports fleet kernel update management
Cons	Minor versions reach end of life when the next minor version is released Support channels are documentation and community Cloud-provider infrastructure may still incur charges	Its strongest fit is AWS, not heterogeneous infrastructure AWS Support Plans do not cover AL2023 images used outside AWS EC2 and other AWS services still incur charges
Our verdict	AlmaLinux OS is a free, open-source Linux distribution for servers, workstations, virtual machines, cloud deployments and containers. Maintained by its community and nonprofit foundation, it aims for compatibility with Red Hat Enterprise… Read the review →	Amazon Linux 2023 (AL2023) is a general-purpose, RPM-based Linux distribution designed for workloads on AWS. It suits teams running Amazon EC2 instances or Docker container workloads, including local development, who want an operating… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• AlmaLinux OS — where it wins

  • About 10 years of support for each major version
  • Official images cover cloud providers, containers, WSL and live media
  • ELevate supports migrations between major versions of RHEL-derived distributions

  Where it doesn't

  • Minor versions reach end of life when the next minor version is released
  • Support channels are documentation and community
  • Cloud-provider infrastructure may still incur charges

• Amazon Linux — where it wins

  • Free to run, with EC2 AMIs and Docker-compatible container images
  • Versioned repositories support deterministic package updates
  • Systems Manager supports fleet kernel update management

  Where it doesn't

  • Its strongest fit is AWS, not heterogeneous infrastructure
  • AWS Support Plans do not cover AL2023 images used outside AWS
  • EC2 and other AWS services still incur charges

• AlmaLinux OS9.2/10 · Free plan

  A free RHEL-compatible Linux distribution for servers, cloud, containers and more.

  Visit AlmaLinux OSFull verdict →
• Amazon Linux8.9/10 · Free plan

  A free, AWS-focused Linux distribution with controlled updates and EC2 and container images.

  Visit AWSFull verdict →