Best Amazon Linux Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 tools from operating systems ranked against Amazon Linux on the same published basis.
- 1Amazon Linux vs pfSense
- 2Amazon Linux vs Ubuntu Server
- 3Amazon Linux vs Kali Linux
- 4Amazon Linux vs HPE Morpheus VM Essentials Software
- 5Amazon Linux vs Nix
- 6Amazon Linux vs Rocky Linux
- 7Amazon Linux vs AlmaLinux OS
- 8Amazon Linux vs Manjaro Linux
- 9Amazon Linux vs MX Linux
- 10Amazon Linux vs Debian
- 11Amazon Linux vs OPNsense
- 12Amazon Linux vs CentOS Stream
- 13Amazon Linux vs Fedora Linux
- 14Amazon Linux vs Kubuntu
- 15Amazon Linux vs Pop!_OS
- 16Amazon Linux vs SUSE Multi-Linux Manager
- 17Amazon Linux vs Wind River Conductor
- 18Amazon Linux vs OmniOS
- 19Amazon Linux vs postmarketOS
- 20Amazon Linux vs Raspberry Pi Imager
Amazon Linux alternatives compared
| # | Tool | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | pfSense | 7.4 | Free plan | — | Linux, self-hosted, Web |
| 2 | Ubuntu Server | 7.3 | Free plan | $2.08/mo | Linux, self-hosted |
| 3 | Kali Linux | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | Android, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Windows |
| 4 | HPE Morpheus VM Essentials Software | 7.0 | No | $50/mo | Linux, self-hosted, Web |
| 5 | Nix | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Windows |
| 6 | Rocky Linux | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted, Windows |
| 7 | AlmaLinux OS | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted, Windows |
| 8 | Manjaro Linux | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | Linux |
| 9 | MX Linux | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | Linux |
| 10 | Debian | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted |
| 11 | OPNsense | 6.7 | Free plan | — | API, self-hosted, Web |
| 12 | CentOS Stream | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted |
| 13 | Fedora Linux | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted |
| 14 | Kubuntu | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Linux |
| 15 | Pop!_OS | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Linux |
| 16 | SUSE Multi-Linux Manager | 6.6 | No | — | API, Linux, self-hosted, Web |
| 17 | Wind River Conductor | 6.0 | No | — | Windows, Linux |
| 18 | OmniOS | 5.9 | No | — | Linux |
| 19 | postmarketOS | 5.9 | No | — | Linux |
| 20 | Raspberry Pi Imager | 5.9 | No | — | Linux |
Make your tool an alternative to Amazon Linux
See the priceThe sponsored alternative slot on this page is labelled Sponsored.
Questions about Amazon Linux alternatives
What is the best alternative to Amazon Linux?
pfSense, number 1 in operating systems with a score of 7.4 out of 10. The others here: Ubuntu Server, Kali Linux, HPE Morpheus VM Essentials Software and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to Amazon Linux?
pfSense is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 14 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, the fullest spec sheet first: how deeply the product is documented, the platforms it runs on, a free tier or trial to test it, and its standing.