Software Alternatives & Startups

Compiz VS CloudLinux

Compare Compiz VS CloudLinux and see what are their differences

Compiz

Project information. Maintainer: PS Project Management Team. Driver: Compiz Maintainers. Licence: GNU GPL v2, GNU LGPL v2. 1, MIT / X / Expat Licence.

Rating
0 reviews
CloudLinux

Making Linux secure, stable, and profitable for thousands of hosting providers and data centers worldwide.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
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.

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Compiz
CloudLinux
Website compiz.org cloudlinux.com
Pricing —
Open source
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Compiz 5 features
CloudLinux 5 features
  • Enhanced Aesthetic Appeal
    Compiz provides a variety of visually appealing effects and animations, improving the overall look and feel of the user interface.
  • Customizability
    Users can extensively customize their desktop experience with various plugins and settings to tailor their environment to their personal preferences.
  • Improved Productivity
    Features such as the Exposé-like window overview, workspace switching animations, and enhanced window management help users stay organized and switch between tasks more efficiently.
  • Wide Range of Plugins
    Compiz offers a vast collection of plugins that extend its functionality, allowing users to add new features or enhance existing ones.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source project, Compiz invites community contributions and continuous improvements, fostering innovation and collaboration.

Possible disadvantages

  • Performance Overhead
    Running Compiz may consume considerable system resources, potentially impacting performance on lower-end hardware.
  • Stability Issues
    Some users may encounter instability or crashes, especially when using certain plugins or running it on unsupported hardware configurations.
  • Complexity
    The extensive customization options and numerous plugins can be overwhelming for users unfamiliar with Compiz, making it challenging to set up and manage.
  • Compatibility
    Compiz may not be fully compatible with all desktop environments or applications, potentially leading to graphical glitches or reduced functionality in some cases.
  • Maintenance
    As Compiz is heavily driven by community contributions, the pace of maintenance and updates can vary, sometimes resulting in delayed support for new features or bug fixes.
  • Enhanced Server Stability
    CloudLinux uses its lightweight virtualization technology (LVE) to isolate each tenant on a shared hosting server, preventing any single user from consuming excessive resources and crashing the server for everyone else. This ensures consistent uptime and performance.
  • Improved Security with HardenedPHP and KernelCare
    CloudLinux offers HardenedPHP, which patches old and unsupported PHP versions against known vulnerabilities, and KernelCare, which provides live kernel patching without requiring server reboots. These features significantly enhance server security posture.
  • Resource Limit Management
    Administrators can set granular resource limits (CPU, memory, I/O, number of processes, etc.) per user account using LVE Manager. This makes it easy to manage shared hosting environments and ensure fair resource distribution among tenants.
  • CageFS File System Virtualization
    CageFS creates a virtualized file system for each user, preventing them from seeing other users on the server, viewing sensitive configuration files, or exploiting server vulnerabilities. This adds an important layer of isolation and security.
  • Wide Compatibility with Hosting Panels
    CloudLinux integrates seamlessly with popular hosting control panels such as cPanel, Plesk, and DirectAdmin, making it straightforward for hosting providers to adopt without overhauling their existing infrastructure or workflows.

Possible disadvantages

  • Additional Licensing Cost
    CloudLinux requires a paid monthly or annual license on top of the base server cost. For smaller hosting providers or individual server owners, this additional expense can add up and may not always be justifiable compared to free alternatives.
  • Limited to CentOS/RHEL-Based Systems
    CloudLinux is built on top of RHEL/CentOS and does not support other Linux distributions like Ubuntu or Debian. This limits its adoption for hosting providers who prefer or already run non-RHEL-based environments.
  • Learning Curve for Configuration
    While CloudLinux provides powerful resource management tools, properly configuring LVE limits, CageFS, PHP Selector, and other features requires a solid understanding of the platform. Misconfiguration can lead to users being unnecessarily restricted or resources being poorly allocated.
  • Potential Performance Overhead
    The additional layers of virtualization, resource monitoring, and file system isolation introduced by CloudLinux can impose a slight performance overhead on the server compared to running a bare, unmodified Linux distribution without these controls.
  • Dependency on CloudLinux Ecosystem
    Adopting CloudLinux means relying on their ecosystem for kernel updates, PHP patches, and security fixes. If the company experiences delays in releasing patches or changes its pricing/licensing model, hosting providers may find themselves locked into a dependency that is difficult to migrate away from.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Compiz
CloudLinux

Overall verdict

  • Compiz is considered to be a good choice for those who desire an enriched desktop experience with advanced visual effects. However, it is important to note that it may require a well-configured environment and might not be necessary for everyone, especially those who prefer simplicity over aesthetic enhancements.

Why this product is good

  • Compiz is a compositing window manager for the X Window System that uses 3D graphics hardware to create fast compositing desktop effects for window management. It's known for its visually appealing and smooth animations, which enhance the user interface experience. Users appreciate Compiz for its ability to provide a more dynamic and engaging desktop environment.

Recommended for

  • Users who want an enhanced visual desktop experience.
  • Individuals interested in experimenting with advanced window management effects.
  • Those running older Linux distributions that support Compiz.
  • Developers or enthusiasts looking to customize and tweak their desktop appearance.

Overall verdict

  • CloudLinux is a well-regarded, mature Linux OS distribution and toolset specifically designed for shared hosting and multi-tenant server environments, offering strong isolation, resource management, and security features that make it a solid choice for hosting providers.

Why this product is good

  • Provides LVE (Lightweight Virtual Environment) technology for per-tenant resource isolation, preventing 'bad neighbor' effects on shared servers
  • Enhances server stability and security by isolating users so that one account's issues (crashes, resource spikes) don't affect others
  • Offers extended lifecycle support (longer than standard CentOS/RHEL support windows), which is valuable for legacy systems
  • Includes tools like CloudLinux OS Shield, Imunify360 integration, and hardened kernel options for improved security
  • Compatible with popular control panels like cPanel and Plesk, making it easy to integrate into existing hosting stacks
  • Backed by an established company with a long track record in the hosting industry and responsive support
  • Offers granular control over CPU, memory, I/O, and other resources per user account
  • Provides PHP Selector and multiple PHP version support, useful for hosting providers serving diverse client needs

Recommended for

  • Web hosting companies running shared or reseller hosting environments
  • Hosting providers needing to isolate customer accounts on the same physical server
  • Businesses requiring extended OS support lifecycles beyond standard RHEL/CentOS EOL dates
  • Enterprises using cPanel or Plesk that want tighter security and resource control
  • Hosting companies looking to reduce support tickets caused by noisy-neighbor resource contention
  • IT teams managing multi-tenant infrastructure who need governance and monitoring tools built into the OS layer

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Compiz 3 videos + Add
CloudLinux 3 videos + Add

Fedora 32 mate compiz install and review.

More videos

  • - Linux Ubuntu 11.10 Kernel 3.0.0.12 compiz / review from a Windows guy
  • - VIDEO SATISFACTORIO, REVIEW DE MANJARO XFCE + COMPIZ

When To Use Cloudlinux On Your Virtual Private Server (VPS)

More videos

  • - CloudLinux OS+ in a minute: Explore Features
  • - How CloudLinux Plans to Keep CentOS 6 Alive

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Compiz
CloudLinux
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

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Alternatives to Compiz and CloudLinux

When comparing Compiz and CloudLinux, you can also consider the following products.