Top 5 Linux Server Distributions for 2024

Overview
2023 was an active year in the Linux world! Red Hat, the biggest open-source company decided to lock the source code behind a paywall, Ubuntu dropped default support for Flatpak for all its flavors, Vim creator, Bram Moolenar, passed away, and Linux rose above MacOS in gaming stats with an increase in Linux desktop market share numbers. While this year has been dramatic in the Linux world, in this blog post we are going to review and share what we think are the top 5 server distributions in the Linux world for 2024.
AlmaLinux

AlmaLinux Main Page
AlmaLinux Wiki Page
AlmaLinux ISO Download Page
AlmaLinux OS is an open-source, community-driven Linux operating system that fills the gap left by the discontinuation of the CentOS Linux stable release. AlmaLinux OS is an Enterprise Linux distro, binary compatible with RHEL®, and guided and built by the community. As a standalone, completely free OS, AlmaLinux OS enjoys $1M in annual sponsorship from CloudLinux Inc. and support from more than 25 other sponsors with ongoing development efforts governed by the members of the community.
 
There are many benefits to using AlmaLinux but some of the important benefits are listed below. We invite you to test the OS as it is one of the ISOs provided with Hivelocity, providing both version 8 and version 9 for both our dedicated servers and our VPSs.

Long-term support for up to 10 years for each major version providing a stable and secure platform.
Dedicated community and transparent development process. 
Compatible with a wide range of software and hardware, making it easy to integrate existing systems and applications.
Optimized for performance to easily handle heavy workloads with efficient resource management and low overhead. 
Supported by cPanel as detailed in the cPanel’s AlmaLinux installation guide.

Rocky Linux
 

 
Rocky Linux Main Page
Rocky Linux Wiki Page
Rocky Linux ISO Download Page
Rocky Linux is a Linux distribution that is developed by the Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation. It is based on the source code of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), and it aims to be fully binary compatible with it. The purpose of this project is to provide a community-supported, enterprise-grade OS. Rocky Linux competes with other enterprise OSs, such as RHEL and SUSE Linux Enterprise.

There are many benefits to using Rocky Linux but some of the important benefits are listed below. We invite you to test the OS as it is one of the ISOs provided with Hivelocity, providing both version 8 and version 9 for both our dedicated servers and our VPSs.

Enterprise-ready, providing solid stability with regular updates and a 10-year support lifecycle, all at no cost.
Community-supported, meaning that it is developed and maintained by volunteers who are passionate about Linux and open source. The community, sponsors, and partners have invested with long-term commitments to ensure the project stays with the community
Easy to migrate from other Enterprise Linux distributions, such as CentOS or RHEL.
Constantly evolving, thanks to the active involvement of the community. Rocky Linux releases new versions regularly, with the latest features and security patches. 
Supported by cPanel as detailed in the cPanel’s Rocky Linux installation guide.

CloudLinux

 
CloudLinux Main Page
CloudLinux Knowledge Base
CloudLinux Licenses & installation can be acquired 
with Hivelocity during order customization.
 
CloudLinux OS is designed for shared hosting providers and is an OS that is based on CentOS which uses the OpenVZ kernel and the RPM package manager. The concept behind CL is that it isolates each hosting account into a separate Lightweight Virtual Environment (LVE) that limits the resources, such as CPU, memory, and IO, that each account can use. This setup allows an admin to min/max the performance and usage requirements of each account without having the one affecting the other. 
 

 
There are many benefits to using CloudLinux but some of the important benefits are listed below. The OS is available during the customization of your order which can be found in our dedicated servers section and can be requested later on if needed via a reload request ticket.

CloudLinux OS uses Lightweight Virtual Environment (LVE) technology to limit the amount of resources that each user can consume. This ensures that no single user can bring down the entire server, thereby improving the overall stability of the system.
Provides users with great visibility over their resources. The system runs each execution by a user inverse, making it easy to monitor system logs or log attempts that may be potential security threats.
Ensures that accounts are relatively isolated from each other. When one account goes down, the others remain unaffected.
Offers great support for its users. Users can submit tickets to OS support staff to have their issues resolved. This support is available for usage, configuration, installation, bug fixes, and even diagnosis for all versions of CloudLinux.
Supported by cPanel as detailed in the cPanel’s CloudLinux installation guide.

Ubuntu

 
Ubuntu Main Page
Ubuntu Wiki Page
Ubuntu ISO Download Page
 
Ubuntu is a popular and user-friendly operating system that is based on the Linux kernel. It is free and open source, which means anyone can use, modify, and distribute it. The operating system comes in different editions for different purposes, such as desktop, server, and IoT devices, and works with nearly any hardware or virtualization platform. Ubuntu can serve up websites, file shares, and containers, as well as expand your company offerings with an incredible cloud presence. 

 
There are many benefits to using Ubuntu but some of the important benefits are listed below. The OS is available during the customization of your order which can be found in both our dedicated servers and our VPSs and can be requested later on if needed via a reload request ticket.

Ubuntu Server is free to download and use by any user.
Recognized for its robust security capabilities, which consist of integrated firewall and encryption tools and a wide range of available related packages. 
Known for its stability and reliability, which makes it a great choice for hosting mission-critical applications.
Ubuntu Server is highly customizable, allowing users to tailor the operating system to their specific needs.
Ubuntu is supported by cPanel as detailed in the cPanel’s Ubuntu installation guide.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux

 
RedHat Main Page
RedHat Knowledge Base
RedHat Licenses & installation can be acquired 
with Hivelocity during order customization.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server is designed to be easy to control and administer, and it can be deployed on physical hardware, virtual machines, or in the cloud. Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server supports various hardware architectures, such as x86 and ARM along with thousands of commercial and custom applications. Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server also provides access to the latest open-source tools and frameworks, and enhanced security features to protect against vulnerabilities. 
 

 
There are many benefits to using RHEL but some of the important benefits are listed below. The OS is available during the customization of your order which can be found in our dedicated servers.

Stability: RHEL provides a stable operating system infrastructure that stays the same so that everything else can be different. It offers a product life cycle of 10 years, kernel stability, ABI and API compatibility, and support.
Security: Red Hat engineers help improve features, reliability, and security to make sure your infrastructure performs and remains stable.
Flexibility: RHEL allows developers to be agile and use the latest packages and tooling. A Red Hat subscription provides the latest enterprise-ready software from Red Hat, expert knowledge, product security, and technical support from trusted engineers.
Cost-effective: RHEL provides a consistent performance environment for Microsoft SQL-based applications that run on bare metal, virtual machines, containers, and the hybrid cloud. It lowers deployment costs and accelerates time to value critical workloads, allowing development and operational teams to collaborate in any environment.

 
In conclusion, while there are many server distributions available online, the above is an overview of some of the most used and recommended distributions to be deployed with your Hivelocity servers. These operating systems are available via the order page within the customization page of the dedicated servers and VPSs (Note that not all are available for the VPS instances). Hivelocity’s support team is available 24/7 to assist with any request relating to your operation and operating system and can be reached out via a support ticket from within your customer portal, a chat via the main site, or by calling at 888-869-4678.