AlmaLinux vs. Ubuntu Server: Which Is Right for Your Business?

Choosing a Linux distribution is one of the first decisions you'll make when deploying a new server. Two of the most popular options for business environments are AlmaLinux and Ubuntu Server.

Both are capable, secure, and well-supported Linux distributions. Both can run websites, databases, business applications, virtual machines, and hosting platforms. But they come from different parts of the Linux ecosystem and are often better suited to different types of environments.

At AcuNett, we've been administering Linux servers for more than 25 years. Over that time, we've worked through multiple generations of Linux distributions and watched the server ecosystem evolve considerably. One thing hasn't changed: there is rarely a single Linux distribution that's best for every business.

The right choice depends on what you're running, which software you need to support, how your administrators work, and how you plan to maintain the server over its lifetime.

Let's take a closer look at AlmaLinux and Ubuntu Server and where each one fits.

What Is AlmaLinux?

AlmaLinux is an enterprise-focused Linux distribution designed to be compatible with the Red Hat Enterprise Linux ecosystem.

It emerged following Red Hat's decision to change the direction of CentOS Linux. For many years, CentOS was extremely popular among web hosting companies, server administrators, and businesses that wanted a stable enterprise Linux platform without the licensing costs associated with Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

AlmaLinux was created to provide a community-driven continuation of that type of enterprise Linux environment.

Today, AlmaLinux is widely used for:

• Web hosting servers
• cPanel & WHM environments
• Business web servers
• Database servers
• Virtual private servers
• Dedicated servers
• Enterprise applications
• Private cloud infrastructure

For organizations coming from CentOS or another RHEL-based environment, AlmaLinux provides a familiar administrative experience.

What Is Ubuntu Server?

Ubuntu Server is the server edition of Ubuntu, a Debian-based Linux distribution developed and maintained by Canonical.

Ubuntu has become one of the most widely recognized Linux distributions and is particularly popular in cloud computing, development, containerized applications, and modern infrastructure environments.

Ubuntu Server is commonly used for:

• Web and application servers
• Cloud infrastructure
• Development environments
• Docker and container workloads
• Kubernetes environments
• Database servers
• Virtual machines
• Custom applications
• DevOps infrastructure

Canonical releases Long Term Support versions of Ubuntu that are specifically useful for businesses that want a stable platform with a predictable support lifecycle.

AlmaLinux and Ubuntu Come From Different Linux Families

One of the biggest differences between AlmaLinux and Ubuntu is their lineage.

AlmaLinux belongs to the Red Hat family of Linux distributions, while Ubuntu is based on Debian.

This affects many of the tools and conventions administrators use to manage the server.

For example, AlmaLinux generally uses RPM packages and the DNF package manager. Ubuntu uses DEB packages and APT.

An administrator might install software on AlmaLinux using:

dnf install package-name

While on Ubuntu, the equivalent would typically be:

apt install package-name

There are also differences in default configurations, package names, filesystem conventions, networking tools, firewall implementations, and security frameworks.

For an experienced Linux administrator, these differences are manageable. For an internal IT team that already has extensive experience with one ecosystem, however, familiarity can be a legitimate reason to stay within that family.

AlmaLinux Is a Natural Choice for Traditional Web Hosting

One area where AlmaLinux is particularly strong is traditional web hosting.

The Red Hat and CentOS ecosystem has been deeply connected to commercial web hosting for decades. Many hosting tools and control panels were originally developed around these distributions.

AlmaLinux is therefore a common choice for servers running:

• cPanel & WHM
• Multiple customer hosting accounts
• PHP websites
• WordPress
• Joomla
• MySQL and MariaDB
• Apache, NGINX, or LiteSpeed

If we're deploying a traditional cPanel hosting environment, AlmaLinux is often one of the first distributions we consider.

Its compatibility with the broader enterprise Linux ecosystem also makes it familiar to administrators who spent years managing CentOS servers.

Ubuntu Is Extremely Popular in Cloud Environments

Ubuntu has developed a particularly strong presence in public cloud infrastructure.

It is readily available from major cloud and virtualization providers and is widely used by development teams building modern web applications.

Ubuntu can be a strong choice for environments involving:

• Amazon Web Services
• Microsoft Azure
• Google Cloud
• Private cloud infrastructure
• Docker
• Kubernetes
• Continuous integration and deployment systems
• Infrastructure automation

Its popularity also means there is extensive documentation and a large community around deploying common software on Ubuntu.

Package Management: DNF vs. APT

Package management is one of the most noticeable day-to-day differences between the two distributions.

AlmaLinux uses the RPM package format and DNF for package management. Ubuntu uses Debian packages with APT.

Both systems handle the same fundamental responsibilities:

• Installing software
• Updating packages
• Resolving dependencies
• Removing software
• Managing repositories

Neither approach is inherently better for most businesses. Administrator experience and application requirements are usually more important than the package manager itself.

If your team already maintains dozens of RHEL-based systems, adding AlmaLinux may simplify administration. If your infrastructure is primarily Debian or Ubuntu based, Ubuntu Server may make more sense.

Software Availability

Both AlmaLinux and Ubuntu have access to large software repositories, but package availability and versions can differ.

Enterprise-oriented distributions often prioritize stability and compatibility over providing the newest possible version of every software package.

That's generally a good thing on production servers.

A server isn't a desktop computer where having the newest application features is always desirable. Production environments benefit from predictable behavior and carefully maintained software.

Before choosing a distribution, we recommend checking the requirements of the applications that will actually run on the server.

If an application vendor officially supports a specific distribution or version, that requirement should carry significantly more weight than a general preference for one Linux distribution over another.

Security

Both AlmaLinux and Ubuntu Server can provide secure production environments when they're properly configured and maintained.

The distribution itself is only one component of server security.

In practice, security depends heavily on how the server is administered, including:

• How quickly security updates are applied
• How SSH access is configured
• Whether unnecessary services are disabled
• How firewall rules are maintained
• How user permissions are controlled
• Whether the server is monitored
• How applications are maintained
• Whether backups are properly configured

AlmaLinux environments commonly use SELinux as an additional security layer.

Ubuntu commonly uses AppArmor for application-level access controls.

Both technologies can provide valuable protection when correctly configured.

From our perspective as Linux administrators, choosing a security-capable distribution is important, but maintaining the server correctly after deployment matters considerably more.

Updates and Long-Term Support

Businesses should pay close attention to the support lifecycle of any operating system they deploy.

Production servers often remain in service for years. Choosing a distribution with a long and predictable maintenance lifecycle reduces the frequency of major operating system migrations.

AlmaLinux is designed around the long lifecycle associated with enterprise Linux releases.

Ubuntu offers Long Term Support releases specifically intended for environments that value extended maintenance and stability.

For production infrastructure, we generally recommend using supported long-term releases rather than short-lived versions that require frequent major upgrades.

Regardless of the distribution, businesses should track end-of-life dates and begin planning upgrades well before security support ends.

Control Panel Support

If you're planning to run a hosting control panel, software compatibility may make the operating system decision for you.

Control panels support specific operating systems and versions, and those requirements change over time.

Platforms such as:

• cPanel & WHM
• Plesk
• DirectAdmin
• Webmin and Virtualmin

may support different combinations of AlmaLinux and Ubuntu.

Before deploying a server, always verify the current system requirements for the control panel and any related software you plan to install.

We don't recommend selecting an operating system first and then assuming every application will work with it. Start with the complete technology stack and choose an operating system that's officially supported by the software you depend on.

Performance: Is AlmaLinux or Ubuntu Faster?

We frequently see questions about which Linux distribution is faster.

For most business workloads, there isn't a useful universal answer.

Server performance depends on many factors beyond the distribution, including:

• CPU resources
• Available memory
• Storage performance
• Database configuration
• Web server configuration
• PHP configuration
• Caching
• Application efficiency
• Network performance
• Traffic patterns

A properly configured Ubuntu server can outperform a poorly configured AlmaLinux server, and the reverse is equally true.

For most organizations, we wouldn't choose between these distributions based on theoretical performance differences. Application compatibility, administration, support lifecycle, and infrastructure requirements are much more meaningful factors.

AlmaLinux May Be Better If...

AlmaLinux may be the better fit when:

• You're migrating from CentOS or another RHEL-based distribution
• You're building a traditional web hosting server
• You plan to use cPanel & WHM in a supported configuration
• Your administrators already have extensive Red Hat ecosystem experience
• Your applications are designed or certified for RHEL-compatible environments
• You value the conventions of enterprise Linux

Ubuntu Server May Be Better If...

Ubuntu Server may be the better fit when:

• Your development team already works with Ubuntu
• You're deploying cloud-based infrastructure
• You're building containerized applications
• Your environment relies heavily on DevOps and automation tools
• Your application vendor recommends or requires Ubuntu
• Your existing infrastructure is primarily Debian based

What About Rocky Linux and Red Hat Enterprise Linux?

AlmaLinux and Ubuntu aren't your only choices.

Rocky Linux is another enterprise Linux distribution commonly considered by organizations looking for a RHEL-compatible environment.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux itself remains an important option for organizations that want the commercial support, certifications, and ecosystem provided directly by Red Hat.

Debian is another excellent server operating system and forms the foundation upon which Ubuntu is built.

The Linux ecosystem provides businesses with several strong choices. That's one of Linux's advantages, but it also makes understanding your requirements before deployment more important.

Don't Choose a Linux Distribution Based on Popularity Alone

It's easy to search for the "best Linux server operating system" and choose whichever distribution appears most frequently in recommendations.

We recommend taking a different approach.

Before choosing an operating system, answer these questions:

1. What applications will run on the server?
2. Which operating systems do those applications officially support?
3. Will you use a hosting control panel?
4. What Linux distributions does your team already know?
5. How long do you expect the server to remain in production?
6. What are your security and compliance requirements?
7. Where will the server be hosted?
8. Who will be responsible for maintaining it?

Once those questions are answered, the right distribution is often much easier to identify.

Which Should Your Business Choose?

For traditional hosting environments and organizations already invested in the Red Hat ecosystem, AlmaLinux is an excellent choice. It provides a stable enterprise-oriented platform and is particularly well suited to many cPanel and web hosting environments.

For cloud infrastructure, modern application development, containerized workloads, and teams already familiar with Debian-based systems, Ubuntu Server is equally compelling.

We regularly work with different Linux distributions because the operating system should fit the workload, not the other way around.

The more important question isn't simply whether you choose AlmaLinux or Ubuntu. It's whether the server is properly designed, secured, monitored, backed up, updated, and maintained after it's deployed.

More Than 25 Years of Linux Server Administration

At AcuNett, Linux server administration has been our primary focus for more than 25 years. We've managed Linux infrastructure through generations of operating systems, from the earlier days of Red Hat and CentOS to today's AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, Ubuntu, Debian, and RHEL environments.

Our Linux administrators can help you choose the right operating system for a new server, migrate an existing environment, harden and optimize your server, configure monitoring and backups, and provide ongoing administration after deployment.

Whether AlmaLinux, Ubuntu, or another Linux distribution is the right choice depends on what you're trying to accomplish. Our job is to help make sure the infrastructure underneath it is reliable, secure, and properly managed.