--- title: "Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux: which Linux for a server" description: "Which Linux to install on a VPS: Ubuntu LTS, Debian, AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux. Support lifecycles, apt vs dnf, Docker and panels, what to do about CentOS. A comparison table." url: https://tihost.io/en/blog/ubuntu-vs-debian-server language: en section: "Basics" published: 2026-10-05 updated: 2026-10-05 publisher: Tihost (https://tihost.io) --- # Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux: which Linux for a server > **In short:** For most VPS the best choice is Ubuntu LTS (5 years of standard support, the most guides) or Debian (about 3 years of support plus LTS to 5 years, a minimal and conservative system). AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux are for when you need Red Hat Enterprise Linux compatibility and 10 years of support per release - for example for cPanel. CentOS Linux 7 reached end of life on June 30, 2024, and new servers use AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux instead. **Key takeaways:** - Ubuntu LTS is released every two years in April and gets 5 years of standard support; an Ubuntu Pro subscription extends security updates to 10 years. - Debian ships a stable release roughly every two years: the Debian security team supports it for about 3 years, then the Debian LTS project extends support to about 5 years. - AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux are free, binary-compatible alternatives to Red Hat Enterprise Linux: each major version is supported for 10 years, and packages are installed with dnf. - CentOS Linux 7 reached end of life on June 30, 2024 and no longer gets security updates; new servers use AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux instead. - Ubuntu LTS or Debian is the easiest choice for beginners and for Docker: most server guides are written for apt-based distributions. ## How do Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux differ? All four are server Linux distributions (builds of the Linux kernel with a set of software and a package manager). They fall into two families: Ubuntu and Debian use .deb packages and the apt manager, AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux use .rpm packages and dnf. Within a family, guides are almost interchangeable; across families they are not. | | Ubuntu LTS | Debian | AlmaLinux | Rocky Linux | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Developed by | Canonical (a company) | The Debian Project community | AlmaLinux OS Foundation | Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation | | Based on | Debian | Independent | RHEL-compatible | RHEL-compatible | | New release | LTS every 2 years, in April | Roughly every 2 years | Follows RHEL | Follows RHEL | | Support per release | 5 years, up to 10 with Ubuntu Pro | ~3 years + LTS to ~5 years | 10 years | 10 years | | Packages | apt, .deb, plus snap | apt, .deb | dnf, .rpm | dnf, .rpm | | Security module | AppArmor | AppArmor | SELinux | SELinux | | Package freshness | Newer | Conservative | Conservative | Conservative | | Best for | Beginners, Docker, most workloads | Stable minimal servers | cPanel, enterprise software for RHEL | cPanel, enterprise software for RHEL | *Support periods follow each project's policy; exact end dates for every release are published on their websites.* ## When should you choose Ubuntu? Ubuntu LTS (Long Term Support) is the default distribution for a VPS. Releases numbered like 22.04 and 24.04 (year and month) come out every two years and get 5 years of security updates at no cost; an [Ubuntu Pro](https://ubuntu.com/pro) subscription, free for personal use, extends that to 10 years. Ubuntu packages are newer than Debian's, it has the most guides and forum answers, and many projects (Docker, Node.js, PostgreSQL) ship packages for Ubuntu first. Interim releases such as 24.10 live only 9 months - do not put them on a server. ## When should you choose Debian? Debian is the non-commercial distribution Ubuntu is built on. The stable branch (for example Debian 12 "bookworm" and Debian 13 "trixie") receives only security and bug fixes, so a server behaves predictably for years. The base install is minimal: no snap and no extra services, so the system uses less memory. The downside is older software versions, so a current PHP, Node.js or PostgreSQL has to come from the developers' own repositories. Support dates for each release are on the [Debian website](https://www.debian.org/). Commands for Ubuntu and Debian are almost always the same - which is why blog guides such as the [first VPS setup](https://tihost.io/en/blog/vps-first-setup) and [installing Docker](https://tihost.io/en/blog/install-docker-ubuntu-debian) are checked on both. ## When do you need AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux? AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux appeared in 2021 as replacements for CentOS Linux after Red Hat moved CentOS to the CentOS Stream model. Both are free, binary-compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and support each major version for 10 years - the longest in this comparison. Choose them if: - the software officially supports only RHEL-compatible systems (some enterprise and billing software); - you need cPanel/WHM - its main platforms are AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux and CloudLinux; - your team already knows dnf, SELinux and firewalld; - the server is meant to last and you do not want a major OS upgrade for 5-7 years. AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux barely differ from each other: both match RHEL package for package and differ mainly in the organization behind them and the build infrastructure. A guide for one works for the other. ## What about CentOS? CentOS Linux 7 reached end of life on June 30, 2024, and CentOS Linux 8 back on December 31, 2021. They get no more security updates, so they should not go on a new internet-facing server. CentOS Stream is a different product: the branch where future RHEL updates are tested, with a shorter lifecycle. For new servers use AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux instead of CentOS, and migrate existing CentOS 7 servers to one of them. ## How do apt and dnf commands differ? | Task | Ubuntu / Debian | AlmaLinux / Rocky Linux | | --- | --- | --- | | Update the system | `sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade` | `sudo dnf upgrade` | | Install a package | `sudo apt install nginx` | `sudo dnf install nginx` | | Remove a package | `sudo apt remove nginx` | `sudo dnf remove nginx` | | Search for a package | `apt search redis` | `dnf search redis` | | Apache web server | Package `apache2` | Package `httpd` | | Automatic security updates | `unattended-upgrades` | `dnf-automatic` | | Extra packages | Universe (Ubuntu), backports (Debian) | The EPEL repository | One command shows which system and version the server runs - it works on all four distributions: ```bash cat /etc/os-release ``` ## Which distribution for Docker and control panels? - **Docker**: official Docker Engine packages exist for Ubuntu, Debian and the RHEL family, but most examples and Compose projects online are tested on Ubuntu and Debian. AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux ship Podman as the default container tool, and Docker is installed from Docker's RHEL repository. - **Control panels**: HestiaCP runs only on Debian and Ubuntu, cPanel primarily on AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux and CloudLinux. Before installing any panel, check the supported OS list in its documentation. - **LAMP and LEMP stacks** are easiest to build on Ubuntu and Debian - they have the most guides. ## What to choose: the short answer 1. Not sure, or you need Docker - Ubuntu LTS. 2. You want a minimal system that stays the same for years - Debian stable. 3. You need cPanel, enterprise software for RHEL or 10 years of support - AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux. 4. You need Windows-only software - not Linux at all but Windows Server: see [Linux or Windows VPS](https://tihost.io/en/blog/linux-vs-windows-vps). On a Tihost VPS, Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, Oracle Linux, CentOS, FreeBSD and Windows are available when ordering and when reinstalling. If a distribution does not suit you, reinstall the server with another one from the web panel or the Telegram bot @tihost_bot - but a reinstall wipes the disk. Unfamiliar terms are explained in the [VPS glossary](https://tihost.io/en/blog/vps-glossary). **Launch a server in 2 minutes.** AMD Ryzen 9, NVMe and DDoS protection in Germany, Finland and Poland. Pay with crypto or card. [Order a Server](https://tihost.io/login) ## FAQ ### Which is better for a server - Ubuntu or Debian? Ubuntu LTS is easier for beginners: newer packages, more guides, 5 years of support at no cost. Debian is chosen for its minimal base system and conservative updates; commands are practically the same on both because Ubuntu is built on Debian. ### How long is Ubuntu LTS supported? Each Ubuntu LTS release gets 5 years of standard security updates. An Ubuntu Pro subscription (free for personal use) extends updates to 10 years. ### What is the difference between AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux? Technically almost none: both distributions are binary-compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux and support each release for 10 years. They differ in the organizations behind them: the AlmaLinux OS Foundation and the Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation. ### Can I still install CentOS 7 on a server? No: CentOS Linux 7 reached end of life on June 30, 2024 and gets no security updates. New servers use AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux instead - they are compatible with the same RHEL ecosystem. ### Which Linux is best for Docker? Ubuntu LTS or Debian is the easiest for Docker: Docker's official repository supports both, and most Docker Compose examples are tested on them. Docker also runs on AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux, but Podman is the default tool there. ### What is the difference between apt and dnf? apt is the .deb package manager in Ubuntu and Debian; dnf is the .rpm package manager in AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux and other RHEL-compatible systems. The commands look alike - `apt install nginx` and `dnf install nginx` - but some package names differ, for example `apache2` and `httpd`. --- Updated 2026-10-05 ยท https://tihost.io/en/blog/ubuntu-vs-debian-server