Why I use both and why this approach works best:
Over the years, I’ve worked extensively with both Red Hat and SUSE.
Both systems have their strengths but saying “one is better than the other” oversimplifies the matter. The right choice depends on the use case.
Red Hat: powerful when you want everything from a single source
-Ideal for closed, homogeneous environments
-Perfect integration within its ecosystem: Image Builder, Satellite, AAP, OpenShift, IDM, SSO, GitOps
-Clear, well-documented toolchain from image creation to container deployment
But:
This closed ecosystem also creates dependencies. Fedora or CentOS Stream are left out, and moving away from the Red Hat ecosystem is not trivial.
SUSE – strong when diversity is key
- The Multi-Linux Manager centrally manages SUSE, openSUSE, Red Hat, Fedora, CentOS Stream, Rocky, Alma, Oracle Linux, Ubuntu, and Debian
- Thoughtful patch and lifecycle management across multiple distributions
- Multi-cluster management for EKS, AKS, GKE, OKE, K3s, RKE2, etc.
What’s missing (so far): integrated IDM, SSO, or a dedicated automation platform.
SUSE prioritizes openness and integration over proprietary solutions.
My conclusion:
If I want consistency from A to Z, Red Hat is unbeatable.
If I need flexibility and diversity, SUSE plays to its strengths.
Both approaches are not mutually exclusive, they complement each other perfectly.
