Which OS to Choose in AliCloud?

Which Operating System is Suitable for Use in Alibaba Cloud?

With the rapid development of cloud computing technology, more and more enterprises and individuals are choosing to deploy their businesses on the cloud. As a leading cloud service provider in China, Alibaba Cloud offers an increasingly diverse range of operating systems. So, which operating system should be chosen in Alibaba Cloud? This requires comprehensive consideration from multiple dimensions.

Firstly, we need to clarify our own needs and application scenarios. For enterprise users, common operating systems include Windows Server and Linux distributions such as CentOS and Ubuntu. Windows Server is usually more suitable for enterprises that are heavily dependent on the Microsoft ecosystem, such as running specific Microsoft applications or development tools. On the other hand, Linux systems are widely popular due to their openness, stability, and strong community support. For example, according to the financial report released by Alibaba Group for Q2 of 2025, Alibaba Cloud added a large number of Linux server instances in this quarter. This data indicates that many enterprises tend to choose Linux as their primary operating system.

Secondly, cost factors are also an important consideration that cannot be ignored. Compared with the high licensing fees of Windows Server, Linux systems based on open-source technologies undoubtedly have significant price advantages. Especially over the long-term operation process, these cost differences will gradually become apparent. Alibaba Cloud provides users with a series of optimized Linux images. These images not only pre-install many commonly used software packages but also significantly reduce the time and difficulty of initial configuration. According to statistics, since the launch of the optimized image service by Alibaba Cloud, more than 70% of new registered users have chosen these deeply customized Linux versions.

Moreover, security is another key indicator for evaluating the quality of an operating system. In recent years, with the increasing complexity and diversity of network attack methods, how to ensure system security has become a problem that every IT manager must face. In this regard, Linux has a clear advantage with its kernel-level security mechanisms and rich tool libraries for protection. According to information disclosed by the Alibaba Cloud Security Team, in the past year, they successfully helped customers fend off millions of potential threats through continuous improvements to the security features of Linux images. At the same time, Alibaba Cloud also provides various advanced security services, such as DDoS protection and Web Application Firewall, further enhancing the overall platform's security.

Of course, for certain special scenarios, compatibility issues may also need to be considered. For instance, if you are developing an application that needs to support multiple platforms simultaneously, you may need to evaluate the interoperability between different operating systems. In such cases, it is recommended to prioritize the use of operating systems with higher standardization, such as mainstream Linux distributions or cross-platform solutions officially supported by Microsoft. It is worth mentioning that Alibaba Cloud has long been aware of this point and actively builds an open collaborative ecosystem to ensure that its products can seamlessly integrate with various mainstream technologies and frameworks.

In summary, there is no absolute answer to which operating system to choose in Alibaba Cloud; it depends on your specific needs, budget constraints, and technical background. Regardless of which operating system you ultimately decide to adopt, you can achieve an efficient and stable operating environment by leveraging the powerful infrastructure and service system provided by Alibaba Cloud. In the future, with the continuous evolution of cloud computing technology, we have reason to believe that Alibaba Cloud will continue to lead the industry trend and provide users with more flexible and convenient solution options.