Choosing an OS: CentOS, Ubuntu, Debian, FreeBSD, or Windows Server

This article provides a brief synopsis of the server operating systems offered as templates on Vultr.

CentOS

CentOS is an open-source version of RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux). Created in 2004, CentOS is used widely in the hosting industry. Benefits include:

• Easy to use for beginner level administrators.
• Has long term support for certain versions (up to ten years).
• Includes a simple package manager: yum (or dnf on newer releases)
• Compatible with cPanel, and a variety of other server control panels.
• Offered by industry leader, Red Hat.

Trade-offs include:

• An irregular development cycle. Major releases don't happen on a set cycle; they happen every 3-5 years.
• Due to long release periods, bundled software support is dated compared to other flavors of Linux.

Debian

Debian is a long-term-supported Linux distribution known for its universal compatibility. Benefits include:

• Support for many architectures ( x86, x64, ARM, etc ).
• Modern Linux kernel.
• Large package repository.
• Long term support.
• Multiple desktop environment support.

Fedora

Fedora is a cutting edge Linux distribution. It is part of the CentOS and RHEL family. The main goals of the distribution include:

• Latest kernel and software package versions.
• Short lifespan (13 months).
• New releases roughly every 6 months.

FreeBSD

FreeBSD is a flavor of BSD, which is a version of UNIX developed at the University of California, Berkeley. It is reliable, stable and has been updated for over 20 years. Benefits include:

• Long term support.
• Very lightweight.
• Includes a package manager and port building system.

Trade-offs include:

• Ports of Linux packages can take a long time.
• Older filesystem design than other server operating systems.

OpenBSD

OpenBSD is a UNIX-like operating system with a strong focus on security and cryptography. Benefits include:

• New releases roughly every 6 months.
• Lightweight UNIX operating system.
• Security features not available in other operating systems.

Trade-offs include:

• Routine system administration tasks can become more complicated due to additional security.
• Less popular than other server operating systems.

Ubuntu

Ubuntu is recognized for its stability and its large list of features. Benefits include:

• Better software support.
• Easy-to-use package manager: apt
• Regular update cycles.
• 5 year LTS (Long Term Support) templates available.

The regular updates and additional packages bundled into the installation create several trade-offs. These include:

• Uses more disk space than other distributions.
• Shorter LTS compared to CentOS.

Windows Server

Windows Server is the server edition of the popular desktop operating system created by Microsoft. It is a closed-source operating system which requires license management. Vultr deployments handle license management automatically. Benefits include:

• Supported by Microsoft.
• Regular updates (from every few days to months).
• Very long term support (more than 10 years).
• User-friendly GUI (graphical user interface).
• Great software compatibility.

Trade-offs include:

• Licensing increases overall cost.
• Closed source platform.
• Programs can be more difficult to configure than on Linux/BSD.