Best Linux distro for small business of 2024

The champion Linux distros for mini businesses supply a simple, unafraid and unchangeable level to powerfulness your SMB servers and more.

Linux has go progressively friends for usage by individuals and businesses, partially arsenic an effort to lure users distant from Windows, but besides because Linux has travel to powerfulness not conscionable nan wider net but besides astir unreality services.

This intends while Linux whitethorn look for illustration an intimidating action astatine first, it could really beryllium adjuvant successful nan longer tally for those who request to create their wider IT skills without proving truthful overmuch of a situation arsenic initially feared.

As Linux is free it intends you don't person to interest astir licensing fees, and location are a number of virtual instrumentality software platforms that will let you to instal different Linux (or different operating systems) connected your existing computer. In fact, Windows 11 tin now tally astir Linux programs via WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux). 

However, if you would for illustration to debar virtual machines you could alternatively usage an older desktop PC and simply instal a Linux distro arsenic nan main operating system. Most Linux distros person debased assets needs, but do watch retired that immoderate hardware drivers you request are provided.

So what's nan champion prime for your mini business? We've tested these distros pinch a fewer criteria successful mind. We looked astatine really unchangeable they are and their uptime. We considered really easy they are to deploy, configure, and manage. We besides considered nan distro’s support provision, among different aspects.  

Here truthful are nan options we deliberation are champion Linux distros for mini business users.

We've besides featured these Linux guides:

• Best Linux distros
• Best Linux distros for privateness and security
• How to take nan champion Linux distro for laptops
• Best lightweight Linux distros

The champion Linux distros for mini business of 2024 successful full:

Best overall

Debian was first developed successful 1993 and is 1 of nan astir celebrated and wide utilized Linux distros today. 

This is partially owed to its celebrated estimation for stability. All packages are thoroughly tested by nan Debian community, whereupon they move from nan "testing" to nan "stable" version. This process tin return years but makes for very reliable server software. The organization besides continues to quality-test "stable" versions and supply updates for 3-5 years aft release.

There are presently complete 59,000 "stable" package packages, truthful it's apt Debian tin execute immoderate operations your business server needs. 

If you want to instal newer package versions though, you'll request to usage nan "unstable"/"testing" versions of Debian aliases manually adhd different sources. 

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Best interface

ClearOS is simply a CentOS-based distro that’s designed arsenic an replacement to commercialized options for illustration Red Hat Enterprise Server aliases Windows Small Business Server. There are respective editions of ClearOS including a community-supported version that is offered arsenic a no-cost free download.  

You tin usage nan organization version of ClearOS to rotation retired each kinds of web services including a contented filter, firewall, an intrusion discovery system, a bandwidth manager, domain controller, message server, and more. Additionally you tin besides acquisition further server functionalities from its marketplace.

The organization version contains untested codification and participates successful updates testing. This intends if you take this type your server package whitethorn not beryllium arsenic unchangeable arsenic pinch nan "Home" aliases "Business" editions. 

The champion point astir ClearOS is its easiness of deployment. You tin usage nan distro to rollout analyzable web servers and services from a web-based guidance interface. 

Not only is nan interface intuitive to use, it’s designed to thief you behaviour regular attraction and management tasks pinch a fewer clicks. Still, nan task has ample archiving and successful truth you tin entree module-specific thief from wrong nan management interface itself.

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Best for servers

Based connected Debian, Univention Corporate Server (UCS) excessively offers nan convenience of an easy-to-use web-based management sheet to easy deploy and negociate servers, without dropping down to nan command-line. However, dissimilar nan different distros, wherever possible, UCS uses Docker containers to deploy nan different servers and services.

UCS besides provides a beautiful broad database of servers, boasting of supporting complete 90  different modules separated into complete a twelve categories, specified arsenic identity management, infrastructure, collaboration and groupware, security, virtualization, and more. Thanks to its broad nature, you’ll person to walk immoderate clip familiarizing yourself pinch its peculiarities. However, nan distro has ample archiving and videos to easiness nan process.

The distro is disposable successful aggregate editions including a freely disposable Core edition, which doesn’t disagree from nan paid editions successful position of features. The paid editions nevertheless see support and different benefits. In summation to an installable image, UCS besides provides nan prime of pre-installed images for VMWare, VirtualBox, Hyper-V and KVM for easier deployment. 

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Best for networks

Zentyal is successful nan aforesaid convention arsenic ClearOS and Univention, successful that it allows you to rollout and administer services crossed your web from nan convenience of a graphical interface, though its offering isn’t arsenic wide arsenic immoderate of its peers.  

Zentyal is based connected Ubuntu Server. The latest type (7.0) is based connected Ubuntu LTS 20.04, truthful will beryllium supported until 2025. 

If you take a paid subscription, nan costs includes upgrading to nan latest type of Zentyal during your subscription. Alternatively you tin download nan Development Edition for free, provided you consciousness comfortable deploying it yourself. Zentyal tin besides beryllium installed straight connected apical of Ubuntu Server aliases Desktop. 

Using nan Development Edition intends you're utilizing newer versions of packages, which mightiness make it little unchangeable than paid versions of Zentyal. 

That said, nan Development Edition ships pinch a wide assortment of Gateway, Mail, Infrastructure, and Directory and Domain functions. Once installed, you tin configure these services from nan web interface itself. Zentyal’s dashboard is visually appealing and is made up of respective widgets that you tin reposition arsenic per your requirements. 

Zentyal’s dashboard besides provides speedy links to nan Documentation and different useful worldly for an administrator, specified arsenic Certified Training.

Read our afloat Zentyal review.

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Best desktop

As nan astir celebrated desktop distribution of Linux, Ubuntu’s estimation mightiness lead you to deliberation that it’s champion suited to location users. While Ubuntu's stableness and elasticity for extremity users is very solid, there's besides a free-to-use Ubuntu Server type to grip your backend tasks. 

One of Ubuntu's strongest features is nan level of support it benefits from. The immense personification guidelines intends there's a raft of method archiving available, and its generous organization has answered conscionable astir each mobility you mightiness have.

Ubuntu is released doubly a twelvemonth successful April and October. The April releases, aft each 2 years, are tagged LTS which stands for Long Term Support, and dissimilar nan regular release, nan LTS releases are maintained for 5 years. 

For greater power and management, mini businesses tin bargain a subscription to nan Ubuntu Pro program. All Pro plans springiness you an further 5 years of support and entree to complete 2,000 packages successful Ubuntu's "Main repository (for a full of 10 years). You tin besides use from further features specified arsenic kernel unrecorded patching, nan Landscape on-prem systems guidance tool, and more.

A afloat Ubuntu Pro subscription besides gives you entree to some nan Main and Universe repositories, allowing you to instal and person support for up to 23,000 other packages for up to 10 years. 

Read nan afloat Ubuntu review.

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We've besides featured nan champion Linux laptops.

FAQs

How to take nan champion Linux distros for mini businesses for you?

Different Linux distros service different purposes, truthful not each 1 of them will beryllium perfect for your business needs. 

When selecting nan champion Linux distro for mini businesses for yourself, you’ll want to guarantee nan distro is stable, up-time is critical. Since we are talking astir mini businesses here, nan distro should besides beryllium easy to deploy, configure and manage. Solid support proviso comes a adjacent third. And if you’re connected a budget, it’ll beryllium adjuvant to take thing that’s low-priced aliases free.

How we test

To trial and find nan champion Linux distros for mini business, we considered galore aspects crossed distros. 

We looked astatine their hardware requirements, really good they ran connected some aged and caller hardware, nan easiness of setup, and nan wide out-of-box experience. We analyzed really unchangeable they were, whether they offered pre-configured servers, nan interface and ocular appeal, and their pricing. 

We looked astatine nan archiving they offered and checked for online forums that were active. We besides noted whether location was a graphical personification interface and options to rotation retired servers from a web-based interface.

Read much connected really we test, rate, and reappraisal products connected TechRadar.

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