Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

ClearOS VS OpenSSH

Compare ClearOS VS OpenSSH and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

ClearOS logo ClearOS

A very good alternative for Windows Server, for free

OpenSSH logo OpenSSH

OpenSSH is a free version of the SSH connectivity tools that technical users rely on.
  • ClearOS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-24
  • OpenSSH Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-29

ClearOS features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    ClearOS offers a web-based graphical user interface that simplifies management tasks, making it accessible for users who are not well-versed in Linux.
  • Integrated Marketplace
    It has an integrated marketplace with various apps and services that can be easily installed to extend the functionality of the system.
  • Community Support
    The ClearOS Community version benefits from robust community support, including forums and user-generated documentation.
  • Versatile Deployment Options
    ClearOS can function as a gateway, server, or network management tool, providing flexibility in deployment.
  • Cost-Effective
    The Community edition is free, making it an economical choice for small businesses or personal use.

Possible disadvantages of ClearOS

  • Community Edition Limitations
    The Community edition may lack some features and support options available in the paid versions.
  • Hardware Compatibility
    Hardware compatibility can be an issue, especially with newer hardware, requiring manual driver installations.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its user-friendly interface, there may still be a learning curve for users completely new to server management.
  • Resource Intensive
    ClearOS can be somewhat resource-intensive compared to other lightweight Linux distributions, potentially requiring more robust hardware.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    For enterprises requiring highly advanced or specialized features, the Community version may fall short, necessitating a move to paid editions.

OpenSSH features and specs

  • Security
    OpenSSH provides secure encrypted communications between two untrusted hosts over an insecure network, offering strong encryption standards and authentication mechanisms.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source project, OpenSSH is free to use and benefits from contributions and transparency from a wide community of developers and users.
  • Portability
    OpenSSH is highly portable and available across many operating systems, including Linux, macOS, and Windows, making it a versatile tool for different environments.
  • Rich Feature Set
    In addition to basic SSH functionality, OpenSSH includes features like secure file transfer (SFTP and SCP), tunneling, forwarding, and key management.
  • Strong Community Support
    OpenSSH benefits from extensive community and developer support, ensuring regular updates, patches, and a wealth of documentation and user discussions.

Possible disadvantages of OpenSSH

  • Complexity
    Configuring and managing OpenSSH can be complex, especially for beginners, and requires a good understanding of security principles and SSH protocols.
  • Performance Overhead
    Encryption and decryption processes can introduce performance overhead, which can be a concern in environments with high traffic or limited resources.
  • Dependency on Proper Configuration
    The security of OpenSSH heavily depends on proper configuration; misconfigurations can lead to vulnerabilities, defeating the purpose of using a secure protocol.
  • Limited GUI Tools
    OpenSSH primarily operates via command-line interface (CLI), which may not be as user-friendly as graphical user interface (GUI) tools for some users.
  • Compatibility Issues
    While OpenSSH is highly portable, there can be compatibility issues with certain legacy systems or non-standard SSH implementations.

Analysis of ClearOS

Overall verdict

  • ClearOS is generally considered a good choice for users and businesses looking for an open-source server OS with a low cost of entry and substantial community support. However, it's important to note that, like any open-source software, the quality of support and documentation can vary, and it's often dependent on community engagement.

Why this product is good

  • ClearOS is an open-source operating system designed to be a cost-effective replacement for Windows Small Business Server and other SMB products. Itโ€™s based on CentOS and is optimized for servers with an easy-to-use web-based interface. ClearOS offers robust features such as network management, firewall, VPN, content filtering, intrusion detection, and more. It also integrates with a variety of services through its marketplace where users can find additional applications to expand its capabilities. This makes it appealing for small to medium-sized businesses looking for a flexible and affordable server solution.

Recommended for

    ClearOS is recommended for small and medium-sized businesses, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations that need a flexible and cost-effective server solution. It is especially suited for environments that require an easy-to-manage interface, comprehensive network applications, and are looking for an alternative to more expensive proprietary server solutions.

ClearOS videos

Taking a Look at ClearOS 7.3

More videos:

  • Review - Product Review - ClearOS 7 Server Community Edition
  • Review - ClearOS Revisited: Upgrading the homelab to a faster firewall/gateway.
  • Review - ClearOS Review
  • Review - Deploy Free ClearOS Home Version As Home Server and Firewall

OpenSSH videos

Ubuntu Server 18.04 Administration Guide Part 02 - Securing OpenSSH

More videos:

  • Review - Linux Commands for Beginners 22 - Remote Management with OpenSSH

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to ClearOS and OpenSSH)
Cloud Computing
100 100%
0% 0
SSH
0 0%
100% 100
Perimeter Security And Firewalls
Server Management
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare ClearOS and OpenSSH

ClearOS Reviews

Best pfSense Software Alternatives and Competitors
When it comes to router operating systems, ClearOS is a good choice since it is based on CentOS. It consists of various operating systems that are based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux source packages. ClearOS provides both a free, community-supported version and paid, professional version. This makes it an ideal IT management instrument for both small and large businesses, as...
11 Best pfsense Alternativesย To Secure Your Network
ClearOS is regarded as the Next-Gen Small Business Server because it has essential Gateway and Networking features. It provides a robust IT solution with a beautiful user experience that is entirely web-based. Simply said, ClearOS is a new approach to IT delivery.
Top 7 pfSense Alternatives
ClearOS is a CentOS-based router OS. They offer a community-supported version free of cost as well as commercial options. The interface has lots of help built right in, making this a good choice for those new to rolling their own router.
10 Best pfSense Alternatives and Similar Firewalls
This pfSense replacement is a collection of operating systems for the corporate, small company, and household. There are three versions to pick from, based on your requirements and ability. ClearOS Enterprise, ClearOS Home, and ClearOS Core are the three options.
5 Router OS Turns Old PC Into High Performance Router And Enterprise Network Switch
ClearOS is agile and versatile. Designed primarily for deployment on server and network devices, it can also be deployed virtually, or can be deployed as the host OS to other virtual machines. ClearOS features Marketplace, which provides a turn-key app installation engine for quickly scaling the functionality of your server. ClearOS delivers a simple & beautiful...

OpenSSH Reviews

Top 10 Best MobaXterm Alternatives for Windows, macOS & Linux In 2021
OpenSSH is a safe and secure alternative to tools like MobaXterm (for which the password flows in clear on the network), however it is much more than that considering that it likewise permits to release remote commands (like rsh, or remsh), but also to transfer whole files or directories (like rcp). OpenSSH is available in the form of a daemon and a customer, the daemon...
30 best PuTTY alternatives for SSH clients for 2020
OpenSSH is a widely-used open source free emulator for Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and iOS. It is protected by SSH and incorporates SCP and SFTP for file transfers.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OpenSSH seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1 time since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

ClearOS mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of ClearOS yet. Tracking of ClearOS recommendations started around Mar 2021.

OpenSSH mentions (1)

  • is ssh (OpenSSH) impacted by CVE-2022-3786 and CVE-2022-3602
    I haven't found a clear answer to this. After checking openssh.com I haven't found any mention. Source: over 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing ClearOS and OpenSSH, you can also consider the following products

pfSense - pfSense is a free and open source firewall and router that also features unified threat management, load balancing, multi WAN, and more

Symantec Data Loss Prevention - Fully protect your data with the comprehensive detection technologies and unified policies of Symantec's industry leading Data Loss Prevention (DLP).

Zentyal - Linux directory, domain, mail, gateway and infrastructure server for SMBs.

Microsoft BitLocker - BitLocker is a full disk encryption feature included with Windows Vista and later.

NethServer - NethServer is an operating system for Linux enthusiasts, designed for small offices and medium...

Paubox - Paubox provides HIPAA compliant email encryption without the hassle of extra steps.