FreeBSD vs. macOS

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
FreeBSD
Score 9.0 out of 10
N/A
FreeBSD is an operating system used to power modern servers, desktops, and embedded platforms. A large community has continually developed it for more than thirty years. Its advanced networking, security, and storage features have made FreeBSD the platform of choice for many of the busiest web sites and most pervasive embedded networking and storage devices.N/A
macOS
Score 9.9 out of 10
N/A
macOS is the graphical operating system for Apple desktop devices.N/A
Pricing
FreeBSDmacOS
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
FreeBSDmacOS
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
FreeBSDmacOS
Best Alternatives
FreeBSDmacOS
Small Businesses
Ubuntu
Ubuntu
Score 8.7 out of 10
Ubuntu
Ubuntu
Score 8.7 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
Score 9.3 out of 10
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
Score 9.3 out of 10
Enterprises
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
Score 9.3 out of 10
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
Score 9.3 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
FreeBSDmacOS
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
FreeBSDmacOS
Likelihood to Recommend
FreeBSD is the closest to a UNIX style operating system. This has been extensively used by vendors in the field of routing, switch and security as their base operating system. This speaks for itself being a reliable, scalable and secure operating system.
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Anyone with an iPhone or iPad would benefit from having a macOS-based computer. Additionally, the learning curve for a new user is much less steep than for a Windows computer. Apple has updated its OS for 20+ years, however, still maintains the same basic functionality (turn on/off, open/close apps, etc), the same cannot be said for Windows (Windows Vista, 8, 8.1, 11).
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Pros
  • stability
  • security
  • scalability
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  • Hardware and OS seamlessly work together.
  • Hardware lasts longer.
  • Elegant interface tailored for creative work.
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Cons
  • Installation can be tricky for first timers
  • You need to be comfortable using a command line terminal most of the time
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  • Integration within a windows environment does require more work.
  • Does not play well with PCL based network printers that do not also support PS.
  • Dongles for everything
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Usability
No answers on this topic
Everything makes sense when using macOs. It sorta guides the user how to get around
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Alternatives Considered
FreeBSD was the only operating system out of many I tried to install easily on older hardware and to run in a very performant way. For example, I had a lot of trouble trying to get Ubuntu to install on older hardware and when it did, it was too slow to use. FreeBSD installed quite easily and even after installing a desktop such as XFCE - it still run surprisingly fast. I was very impressed with it's performance, which it seems is a goal of the FreeBSD project.
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macOS just makes sense to me. Each OS has its pros and cons.. macOS works for me. It's well designed, intuitive, and efficient. But it's not cheap... well, macOS is basically free, but you need the hardware to run it, and the hardware isn't cheap. Pick the right tool for the job and for you. And even though macOS may not be thought of in an enterprise environment, it works remarkably well if configured properly. Tools like DEP and ABM from Apple enable device management and lock them to the company. Use an MDM like Jamf to push policies and packages. Jamf can also manage accounts and authentication. JumpCloud is another great product for account management. Although it might not be all included in the box, with the right knowledge, you can build a robust and versatile enterprise Mac infrastructure. You can even do zero-touch deployment in most cases with the correct setup. And Apple employs engineers to help you get it set up right.
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Return on Investment
  • As FreeBSD is free - the ROI is at least the cost of some commercial Linux or Windows based OS (which can be very expensive)
  • Allowed the re-use of older hardware that would have otherwise been disposed
  • No cost development environment
  • Opportunity for a no cost server setup also
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  • Less maintenance over time
  • User friendly makes efficient work flow
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ScreenShots