Alpine Linux vs Ubuntu Server
Alpine Linux
alpinelinux.orgUbuntu Server
ubuntu.comSide by side
| Figure | Alpine Linux | Ubuntu Server |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $2.08/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 7 |
| Spec score · Server Operating System | 8.1 (#4) | 7.6 (#11) |
| Spec score · Operating Systems | 8.1 (#8) | 7.7 (#25) |
| Purpose | Alpine Linux is an independent, non-commercial, general purpose Linux distribution designed for power users who value security, simplicity and resource efficiency. | Ubuntu Server is designed to scale across enterprise data centers and public or private clouds, including OpenStack clouds, Kubernetes clusters, and large render farms. |
| Support | The community page lists #alpine-linux for general discussion and quick support questions, and mailing lists for support and development. | Ubuntu Pro plus Support offers 24/7 expert support with break-fix and bug-fix coverage for infrastructure and applications. |
| Virtualization | The Virtual image has a slimmed down kernel and is optimized for virtual systems. | The download page links Multipass for creating Ubuntu virtual machines on Windows, Mac, and Linux, and lists VirtualBox, Hyper-V, HyperKit, or KVM. |
Plans
Ubuntu Server
- Ubuntu Pro CommunityFree
- Ubuntu Pro PersonalFree
- Ubuntu ServerFree
- Ubuntu Pro Workstation$25 a year
- Ubuntu Pro with 24/7 Enterprise support — Workstation$300 a year
- Ubuntu Pro Server with unlimited VMs$500 a year
- Ubuntu Pro with 24/7 Enterprise support — Server with unlimited VMs$3,400 a year
In their own words
Alpine Linux
Alpine Linux has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Ubuntu Server
Ubuntu Server is a Linux operating system for enterprise data centers, public or private clouds, Kubernetes clusters and render farms. It can be deployed on physical servers, virtual machines, cloud instances and IoT or edge devices. The server page describes a lean initial deployment, integrated deployment and application modeling tools, and hardware OEM certification.
LTS releases receive five years of standard security updates for thousands of open-source packages in the Ubuntu Main repository. Ubuntu Pro extends LTS security maintenance to ten years, with a Legacy add-on extending it to 15 years. Pro also includes kernel live patching, security hardening features for named compliance frameworks, and Landscape fleet management. Ubuntu Server is available for Intel or AMD 64-bit systems, ARM, IBM POWER, IBM Z and RISC-V. Listed installation requirements are 1.5 GB of system memory, 5 GB of free disk space and a USB port or DVD drive for installer media. The server itself is free; Ubuntu Pro Workstation costs $25 a year per machine.