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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Debian OS

    Score6.9 out of 10
    N/ADebian OS is an open source operating system.N/A

    Windows Server

    Score8.2 out of 10
    N/AN/AN/A
    Pricing
    Debian OSWindows Server
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Debian OSWindows Server
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Debian OSWindows Server
    Considered Both Products
    Open Source
    Chose Debian OS
    Debian is the most widely used operating system in our environment due to being how lightweight, stable, and versatile it is.
    Incentivized
    Microsoft
    Chose Windows Server
    We've utilized docker and debian for very specific applications and they have been useful - overall Windows Server provides a better package. I would choose VMware ESXi over Windows Server for virtualization as it's far more reliable in our experience. I can't imagine using a …
    Incentivized
    Chose Windows Server
    I have used/administered several servers using systems like Ubuntu, Debian, and CentOS. While these systems are great in their own rights, you are typically using a command-line interface or shell in order to administrate the system. This requires a lot of commands to be …
    Incentivized
    Chose Windows Server
    For our purposes it came down to picking between Windows and Linux and at the end of the day we picked both. We use Windows for 80% of our server needs to run our Web, File, Print, DHCP, Internal DNS, Active Directory, SQL, Web and other windows based servers. We use linux …
    Incentivized
    Chose Windows Server
    About any linux distro can be setup to handle services that a Windows Server can do, except I have not personally found anything nearly as convenient of a replacement for Active Directory, Group Policy, or an RD Gateway. There are alternatives to those services, they just …
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    100%
    Would buy again
    7 Answers
    98%
    Would buy again
    39 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    7 Answers
    95%
    Delivers good value for the price
    38 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    7 Answers
    98%
    Happy with the feature set
    39 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    7 Answers
    92%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    34 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    7 Answers
    93%
    Implementation went as expected
    37 Answers
    Best Alternatives
    Debian OSWindows Server
    Small Businesses
    CentOS Linux
    Score8.6 out of 10
    CentOS Linux
    Score8.6 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    IBM AIX
    Score9.3 out of 10
    IBM AIX
    Score9.3 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
    Score9.3 out of 10
    Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
    Score9.3 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Debian OSWindows Server
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.3
    (7 ratings)
    8.2
    (63 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (6 ratings)
    Usability
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    8.2
    (7 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    5.5
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.4
    (19 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (4 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    -
    (0 ratings)
    4.5
    (1 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    Professional Services
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.4
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.2
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Debian OSWindows Server
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Open Source
    My favorite way to use Debian OS is to run shared, hosted, network applications for easy segmentation of apps so that when doing work on one you don't have to effect or take down others. I would not use it is for a daily use desktop style OS. For that I would stick to Windows, macOS, or a distribution of Linux that is already geared towards a daily use desktop OS.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    If you have one user or 1000's of users (especially using Windows), Windows Server is a no-brainer! The only reason I would suggest going with a Linux server is if you have old hardware (Windows Server is more process intensive than Linux). But, Linux is open-source, so anyone can publish updates/security updates, but on the flip side, malicious people also have full access to Linux's codebase allowing for much easier writing of exploitations/viruses/malware/ransomware.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Open Source
    • The APT package manager is dead simple to use, and the APT repositories contain pretty much every package you can think of. If there's something missing from the standard repositories, there's a good chance a third-party repository can be added to fill the gap.
    • Debian OS releases are often considered, "boring". But that's a good thing! The Debian developers do not make changes for change's sake and this means new releases are very predictable and intended to cause as little drama as possible.
    • Debian is such a widely used and popular Linux distribution, that practically all Linux software vendors officially support it.
    • The Debian community is huge, especially when you consider Ubuntu is derived from it. If you need help with anything, you'll usually find it has been asked before and already has a resolution.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • Easy to use due to its intuitive graphical user interface.
    • Very popular and makes integration easier.
    • Lots of software drivers available.
    • Has many functionalities such as Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, VPN, RDP, VDI server, etc.
    • Many patches and updates available. Maybe abit too much too often.
    • Cost effective and with budget.
    • Remote desktop feature simplifies remote access to this server.
    • It has a built in VPN and ssl certificate feature.
    • Event viewer is available for alerts, although it seems too cumbersome to go through the logs.
    • If you got too many Windows systems to manage, then SCCM is an option.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Open Source
    • The installation could include suggested partitioning schemes for those beginning users or those who have their first approach with Debian OS
    • offer encryption of the home partition or the entire hard drive by default
    • an improved visual package manager and if it could be native it would be very well received
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • DHCP Server could be better - we use the router for DHCP Routing
    • Print Server - not a fan of using the server as a print server since you have to license it. Direct access to printers via IP addresses is a much more efficient way to go
    • Better backup program - we utilize a third-party program that gives us more flexibility when restoring individual files.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    I've carefully reviewed the servers and services currently running on Windows Server 2012, and given the opportunity would renew them as is going forward. There are two systems I currently have in place, one is a very large Linux implementation for a large ecommerce site, and one is a very large backup solution front ended by FTP servers running Linux. Neither are well suited for Windows, but the overall network infrastructure is and will be Windows Server for the foreseeable future.
    Read full review
    Usability
    Open Source
    Debian is one of the most well-thought-out, logical, and intuitive Linux operating systems you can use. Configuration, package management, file system layouts, etc, are all based on many years of usage, and it's very rare to find anything surprising or confusing in everyday usage. Package management and updates are handled by APT in such a way that once configured, you can almost guarantee your system will behave as expected for the lifetime of its service. Top-notch system integration provides all the tools you'd expect from a modern Linux system, with all the stability you demand from a demanding server OS.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    There are simply too many different parts of Windows Server to make it a cohesive piece of software. While some of the newer features found in Windows Server 2012 and 2016 have nice UIs that are logically laid out, there are enough parts of the system that is still based on old code with clunky UIs and confusing options to make Windows Server a particularly user-friendly experience.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    some times server hungs and user sessions were busy to connect
    Read full review
    Performance
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    need to improve the performance more
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    Microsoft's support is hugely wide-ranging from articles online to having to contact them directly for the more serious issues. In recent years when I have contacted them directly, I have found the support o be excellent as I have found myself connected to very knowledgeable people in the field in which I needed the support. The online support available is vast and I tend to find most of the time that there is always someone out there who has had the same issue as me in the past and knows something about how to resolve it! This is the advantage of using industry standard and long-established systems such as Windows Server.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    it was my senior who trained Windows Server features and i was satisfied
    Read full review
    Online Training
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    it was recorded session and useful
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    Make sure that you have detailed processes in place for every server instance you plan to install/upgrade, if possible get the base OS loaded and Windows Updates applied ahead of time, and if using a VM take a snapshot prior to installing each role, as well as along the way.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    Open Source
    Its has all the needy features that we are looking for plus the support and updates for the OS as well. This means we get all the support and updates in the mean time. Also comparing to others, Debian OS helps us with more security features in built which is also updated over time.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    I didn't use any other system which gives the same functionality and I am not aware of any. The full integration between all components and especially the ability to integrate mail via Exchange or even via a hybrid setup with the Ofice365 cloud, including the ability to directly manage the cloud from the server, using Power Shell, is something I didn't see anywhere else.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    need to reduce a lot
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    yes i completely agree multi deployment
    Read full review
    Professional Services
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    i like the professional service but need to improve
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Open Source
    • Having no software cost for my business has made me much more profitable, and I never need to worry about a license expiring and crippling features.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • Because of our Microsoft Campus Agreement, Windows products are fairly affordable for us and that has been a huge blessing. We are considering some Azure cloud options and some of that is covered under our Campus Agreement, making it a nice incentive to start migrating certain apps and functionality to the cloud
    • I don't have access to our budgets so I cannot give a good answer as far as the impact of ROI on our institution, but if your company can afford it, you cannot go wrong with Windows server. Not having to send your sys admins to Linux or Unix school alone is a big savings as well as not having to train your staff on using a Linux desktop instead of a Windows-based one.
    • The compatibility with end users of all varieties and platforms will definitely impact your ROI in a positive way. We have Apple users, Android, Windows, and even a few Linux end users on our campus and Windows server works quite well with all of them.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots