Amazon Linux vs CentOS Stream

Amazon Linux8.9Visit CentOS Stream8.8Visit

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

vs

CentOS Stream #7 in Server Operating System 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit CentOS Stream

• Amazon Linux fits best

  AWS-native EC2 and container workloads

• CentOS Stream fits best

  RHEL-adjacent systems tracking upstream development

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Side by side

Feature	Amazon Linux 8.9/10 Visit ↗	CentOS Stream 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.9	8.8
Ranking	#6 in Server Operating System	#7 in Server Operating System
Best for	AWS-native EC2 and container workloads	RHEL-adjacent systems tracking upstream development
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Self-hosted, Cloud
Platforms	Linux	Linux
Support	Tickets, Community	Community, Docs
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Amazon Linux 0/4 · CentOS Stream 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	Free to run, with EC2 AMIs and Docker-compatible container images Versioned repositories support deterministic package updates Systems Manager supports fleet kernel update management	Free, community-driven Linux distribution with DNF and RPM package management Installation media, cloud and container images, and Vagrant boxes CentOS Stream 10 supports x86_64_v3, ARMv8.0-A, POWER9, and z14
Cons	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	Updates arrive ahead of RHEL, which may not suit conservative production systems CentOS Stream 10 has a roughly five-year lifecycle, maintained until 2030 Support channels are community and documentation
Our verdict	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 →	CentOS Stream is a free, community-driven Linux distribution positioned between Fedora Linux and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). Built by RHEL engineers, it is the major-version branch from which RHEL minor versions are created. It is… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• 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

• CentOS Stream — where it wins

  • Free, community-driven Linux distribution with DNF and RPM package management
  • Installation media, cloud and container images, and Vagrant boxes
  • CentOS Stream 10 supports x86_64_v3, ARMv8.0-A, POWER9, and z14

  Where it doesn't

  • Updates arrive ahead of RHEL, which may not suit conservative production systems
  • CentOS Stream 10 has a roughly five-year lifecycle, maintained until 2030
  • Support channels are community and documentation

• Amazon Linux8.9/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit AWSFull verdict →
• CentOS Stream8.8/10 · Free plan

  A free RHEL-adjacent server OS for teams that want to follow upstream development.

  Visit CentOS StreamFull verdict →