AlmaLinux OS vs Rocky Linux

AlmaLinux OS9.2Visit Rocky Linux9.0Visit

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

vs

Rocky Linux #5 in Server Operating System 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Rocky Linux

• AlmaLinux OS fits best

  RHEL-compatible enterprise servers without license fees

• Rocky Linux fits best

  Free RHEL-compatible servers across cloud and edge

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Side by side

Feature	AlmaLinux OS 9.2/10 Visit ↗	Rocky Linux 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	9.0
Ranking	#3 in Server Operating System	#5 in Server Operating System
Best for	RHEL-compatible enterprise servers without license fees	Free RHEL-compatible servers across cloud and edge
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	Community, Docs
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features AlmaLinux OS 0/4 · Rocky 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, open-source OS designed for RHEL compatibility Images cover physical systems, cloud, containers, WSL, and Raspberry Pi Major releases have a 10-year lifecycle with active and security support
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	Only the latest minor release is supported Architecture support varies by release Support channels are community and documentation
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 →	Rocky Linux is a community-developed, open-source enterprise operating system designed for compatibility with Red Hat Enterprise Linux. It suits teams and individuals seeking a no-cost Linux environment for servers, workstations, virtual… 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

• Rocky Linux — where it wins

  • Free, open-source OS designed for RHEL compatibility
  • Images cover physical systems, cloud, containers, WSL, and Raspberry Pi
  • Major releases have a 10-year lifecycle with active and security support

  Where it doesn't

  • Only the latest minor release is supported
  • Architecture support varies by release
  • Support channels are community and documentation

• AlmaLinux OS9.2/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit AlmaLinux OSFull verdict →
• Rocky Linux9.0/10 · Free plan

  A free, RHEL-compatible Linux OS with deployment images for servers, cloud, and edge.

  Visit Rocky LinuxFull verdict →