Ubuntu Linux vs openSUSE Leap comparison

Why PeerSpot?

openSUSE and Canonical are both solutions in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category. openSUSE is ranked #26, while Canonical is ranked #2 with an average rating of 9.1. openSUSE holds a 4.4% mindshare in OSB, compared to Canonical’s 8.2% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of openSUSE users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Canonical users who would recommend it.

openSUSE Leap

Read 6 openSUSE Leap reviews

8,008 Views
7,928 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Ubuntu Linux

Read 152 Ubuntu Linux reviews

22,294 Views
20,733 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

openSUSE Leap

Ubuntu Linux

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 25, 2026

Ubuntu Linux and openSUSE Leap compete in the open-source operating system category. Ubuntu seems to have the upper hand with its faster boot times and comprehensive community support, thus enhancing usability and stability.

Features: Ubuntu Linux offers faster boot times, a wealth of free software, and long-term support releases that provide stability. Its package management and wide community support address various computing needs efficiently. openSUSE Leap ensures robust security with regular updates and is ideal for on-premises deployment, supported by a strong community network.

Room for Improvement: Ubuntu Linux could improve its compatibility with certain Windows applications and enhance its third-party management tools. Improved documentation and better support for Microsoft products are desired. openSUSE Leap needs better GUI stability and increased support for third-party applications. Enhanced documentation and better hardware compatibility would also benefit users.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Ubuntu Linux is highly flexible in deployment, supporting private and hybrid cloud environments with strong community backing. However, users often rely more on community resources than official customer service. openSUSE Leap focuses more on on-premises deployment, benefiting from a community similar to Ubuntu, though with less cloud emphasis.

Pricing and ROI: Both Ubuntu Linux and openSUSE Leap are free and open-source, eliminating licensing costs. Ubuntu offers paid enterprise support options. Users of both systems experience cost savings by extending hardware lifespan and avoiding software fees, thus achieving a high ROI through stable and reliable performance.

To learn more, read our detailed Ubuntu Linux vs. openSUSE Leap Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Ubuntu Linux vs. openSUSE Leap

September 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

openSUSE Leap

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

26th

Average Rating

9.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Ubuntu Linux

Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business

2nd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

152

Ranking in other categories

OpenStack (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of openSUSE Leap is 4.4%, down from 6.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ubuntu Linux is 8.2%, down from 11.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Operating Systems (OS) for Business Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Ubuntu Linux	8.2%
openSUSE Leap	4.4%
Other	87.4%

Operating Systems (OS) for Business

Featured Reviews

Nagendra Kavadi

Senior Manager at Cognizant

Provides BTRFS file system, which allows you to take snapshots

I only use the tool for testing purposes on my team, but multiple people use it. We don't make a team effort to install the solution. When it comes to maintenance, we ask our company to buy SUSE Linux Enterprise. My team consists of 13 people. We are currently integrating the solution with Ansible to do some coding. Although not a full-fledged automation, we are integrating the solution with Ansible and executing a couple of playbooks connected to openSUSE Leap. I would recommend the solution to other users looking for an open-source solution. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Read full review

reviewer2728158

Associate Cloud Operations Engineer at a tech vendor with 501-1,000 employees

Good compatibility and improvement needed in migration process

For long-term support, it has been good because in most enterprise environments, people still use Ubuntu Linux sixteen, which is quite obsolete now. Other enterprise versions do not support obsolete systems, so supportability is good in terms of Ubuntu Linux. For sustainability, it's quite a significant point of view for every organization. For us, Ubuntu Linux is the preferable way. For others, it might not be, so that is quite a subjective matter itself. The pinpoint of the problem is that they take time because they need specific information. We need to go to AWS first, and then they'll contact the Ubuntu Linux support team itself. This creates a two-way hop for us, which is why it's not that great. It's not really Ubuntu Linux's problem but rather the way we are accessing Ubuntu Linux. The migration part when migrating an application or one version of Ubuntu Linux to another is quite hectic. During the process, one or many applications might crash. That is something they could handle themselves, but I don't think that's something Ubuntu Linux will look into. During a migration project that I was handling, Ubuntu Linux was not completely compatible for the migration process from one application to another. This is an area they could improve in migrating from minor versions to major versions.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The solution is very stable after it is configured. It is hard to have a panel slow, a problem, misconfiguration, or any kind of loss function."

"Leap has provided me with the ability to offer what I consider Enterprise class server O/S platforms to my smaller customers who are looking to improve their competitive stances without breaking the bank."

"Stable - it just runs without the necessity to reboot."

"This solution has helped my organization's security from the use of its firewall, and the features for blocking or allowing traffic are very effective and have worked well for us."

"The solution's most valuable feature is the BTRFS file system, which allows you to take snapshots."

"The solution is easy for me to use because the backend is derived from FreeBSD and this is something I have been using for over 20 years."

"openSUSE Leap has helped me with using containers in Podman."

"The most valuable feature by far has been the virtualization capabilities of the operating system."

"We use the solution for business use and running applications."

"For us, OpenStack is awesome."

"The biggest advantage of Ubuntu Linux for me is that it is open-source, secured, and scalable."

"There are many features I like about this solution, but one that stands out, is that it allows me to easily install new packages and to have recent packages available."

"Ubuntu Linux is a very good platform for software development."

"The biggest advantage of Ubuntu Linux for me is that it is open-source, secured, and scalable."

"I love the way that they introduced the Linux system by making a lot of user adjustments for beginners who'd never used Linux before."

"There is value in the long-time supported LPS distribution and there is an updated version that has recently become available."

More Ubuntu Linux pros

Cons

"In the future, the Active Directory could improve."

"Somehow the change from OS12.x via 13.x to Leap was a bit bumpy and some old issues seemed to reappear."

"I would like openSUSE Leap to have better link integration with Windows."

"It would be helpful if we could easily switch from openSUSE Leap for testing to SUSE Linux Enterprise for production."

"Like most Linux-based operating systems, the biggest challenge Leap faces is the GUI."

"There is room for improvement in the console."

"The solution could improve its GUI personalization."

"The migration part when migrating an application or one version of Ubuntu Linux to another is quite hectic; during the process, one or many applications might crash."

"More drivers for hardware such as different network adapters should be developed."

"If I run an application, I need it to show up in Microsoft, so Microsoft can run in Ubuntu. It needs to connect better with Microsoft products."

"The solution is not user-friendly in comparison with Windows."

"What I think could be improved greatly is the support for the majority of hardware vendors like ATI, Nvidia, and all the other vendors producing hardware and supplying perfect drivers for Windows operating system, but they don't care much for Linux."

"We do not like this solution and we are only using it because the project we are working on demands it."

"Stability could be improved."

More Ubuntu Linux cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"openSUSE Leap is an open-source solution that is free of cost."

"The solution is open-source."

"This is an open-source operating system that can be used free of charge."

"The cost of this solution was reasonable and it was within our budget."

"The solution is free."

"There are no licensing fees, it's an open-source solution."

"It is open source."

"The product is cheap compared to Windows."

"On a personal level, I'm using the free version."

"It comes as free software, where there is an option for you to buy support licenses."

"It is a free product."

"We do not incur a licensing fee for the solution, as we make use of the free version."

More Ubuntu Linux pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

23%

University

Educational Organization

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

12%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	2
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	4

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	86
Midsize Enterprise	22
Large Enterprise	54

Questions from the Community

Ask a question

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Which would you choose - Ubuntu Linux or Oracle Linux?

Ubunto Linux is a complete Linux operating system that is freely available with both community and professional support. This solution is suitable for both desktop and server use. It has a very app...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Ubuntu Linux?

My experience with the pricing, implementation costs, and licenses of Ubuntu Linux shows that it is free software, so the licensing cost is zero. Having the Ubuntu Pro licensing option, where you h...

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What needs improvement with Ubuntu Linux?

I think Ubuntu Linux could improve in the area of packages, as Snap packages are being imposed on us and we are migrating to certain versions where we are losing APT. To have a pure terminal experi...

See all answers

Comparisons

Debian vs openSUSE Leap

Compared 14% of the time

Rocky Linux vs openSUSE Leap

Compared 9% of the time

SUSE Linux Enterprise vs openSUSE Leap

Compared 9% of the time

Fedora Linux vs openSUSE Leap

Compared 9% of the time

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs openSUSE Leap

Compared 8% of the time

More openSUSE Leap Competitors

Oracle Linux vs Ubuntu Linux

Compared 22% of the time

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) vs Ubuntu Linux

Compared 8% of the time

SUSE Linux Enterprise vs Ubuntu Linux

Compared 7% of the time

Windows 11 vs Ubuntu Linux

Compared 5% of the time

Windows Server vs Ubuntu Linux

Compared 5% of the time

More Ubuntu Linux Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Operating Systems (OS) for Business

September 2026

Download openSUSE Leap product report

Buyer's Guide

Ubuntu Linux

September 2026

Download Ubuntu Linux product report

Also Known As

No data available

Ubuntu

Overview

openSUSE Leap stands out for its virtualization, server management simplicity, and integration with advanced storage technologies. Users appreciate the stability, intuitive interface, and no need for a paid license alongside robust features like BTRFS file system snapshots.

openSUSE Leap offers reliable performance, critical for virtualization and secure server operations. It effectively integrates technology like NVMe and supports familiarity with a FreeBSD-inspired backend. Despite its graphical interface challenges compared to Microsoft, openSUSE Leap excels in performance, stability, and providing a seamless experience for enterprise and private use. Zypper update tool and user efficiency in server management are noted, though improvements in third-party integration and documentation could enhance user experience.

What important features make openSUSE Leap noteworthy?

Virtualization Capabilities: Supports multiple guest operations on compact hosts.
Stable Performance: Ensures reliable operations without frequent reboots.
Storage Integration: Utilizes modern technologies like NVMe.
BTRFS Snapshots: Allows easy rollbacks during patching for system integrity.
Zypper Tool: Simplifies software updates and management.

What benefits can users expect when evaluating openSUSE Leap?

Cost-Effectiveness: No paid licenses required.
User-Friendly Design: Intuitive interface improves usability.
Security Enhancement: Offers secure server operating environment.
Familiar Backend: Ease of use with FreeBSD-inspired backend.

Businesses adopt openSUSE Leap for diverse applications, including desktop use in offices, highlighting KVM's stability for virtualization. It's crucial in High Availability setups using Pacemaker, DRBD, LVM for clustering. DevOps teams utilize it for secure containerized deployments with Podman, while enterprises appreciate its reliability in pre-deployment testing.

openSUSE

Ubuntu Linux is an open-source platform known for its robust security, ease of use, and rapid performance. Its lightweight design and comprehensive support system make it ideal for diverse IT environments, providing seamless management and scalability options.

Ubuntu Linux stands out with its open-source nature that allows extensive customization and access to a broad range of free software. It is widely praised for its stability and a vast package repository offering regular updates, enhancing its usefulness across different sectors. The platform is equipped with a lightweight design and excellent community support, making it scalable and easy to manage. While it could improve in areas like Windows software compatibility and user interface refinement, its benefits in enterprise management and development projects are undeniable. Improved documentation, better hardware integration, and enhanced third-party application compatibility are additional focal points to consider.

What are the key features of Ubuntu Linux?

Robust Security: Offers strong security protocols to protect user data.
Rapid Performance: Delivers fast and efficient processing speeds.
Open-source Customization: Provides extensive customization options.
Vast Package Repository: Features frequent updates and diverse software choices.
Lightweight Design: Ensures optimal performance even on limited resources.
Community Support: Backed by excellent community resources for assistance.

What benefits should be considered from reviews?

Resource Efficiency: Efficient utilization of system resources for enhanced performance.
Development Flexibility: Supports a wide range of programming and development tasks.
Enterprise Compatibility: Suited for large-scale enterprise solutions and cloud computing.
Scalability: Capable of managing and scaling across different environments.
Troubleshooting Support: Comprehensive community support for troubleshooting issues.

Ubuntu Linux is prominently implemented in industries for tasks such as server management, application deployment, and software development. Its resource efficiency and open-source tool compatibility make it a favorite for programming, research, and cybersecurity. Companies frequently use it for web hosting, cloud services, and managing multi-user enterprise solutions.

Canonical

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Samsung, eBay, AT&T, Walmart, Cisco, Time Warner Cable, Bloomberg, Best Buy, Dell, Intel, Microsoft, Ericsson, Orange, Wells Fargo

Buyer's Guide

Ubuntu Linux vs. openSUSE Leap

September 2026

Free Report: Ubuntu Linux vs. openSUSE Leap

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