Rocky Linux vs Amazon Linux

Rocky Linux9.0Visit Amazon Linux8.9Visit

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

vs

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

• Rocky Linux fits best

  Free RHEL-compatible servers across cloud and edge

• Amazon Linux fits best

  AWS-native EC2 and container workloads

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Side by side

Feature	Rocky Linux 9.0/10 Visit ↗	Amazon Linux 8.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	8.9
Ranking	#5 in Server Operating System	#6 in Server Operating System
Best for	Free RHEL-compatible servers across cloud and edge	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	Linux
Support	Community, Docs	Tickets, Community
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Rocky Linux 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	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	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	Only the latest minor release is supported Architecture support varies by release Support channels are community and documentation	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	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 →	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

• 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

• 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

• Rocky Linux9.0/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit Rocky LinuxFull verdict →
• Amazon Linux8.9/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit AWSFull verdict →