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FreeBSD VS openSUSE

Compare FreeBSD VS openSUSE and see what are their differences

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FreeBSD logo FreeBSD

FreeBSD is an advanced operating system for x86 compatible (including Pentium® and Athlon™)...

openSUSE logo openSUSE

openSUSE is a free and Linux-based operating system for your PC, Laptop or Server.
  • FreeBSD Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-29
  • openSUSE Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-12

FreeBSD features and specs

  • Stability
    FreeBSD is known for its robustness and reliability, making it a preferred choice for servers and critical applications that require high uptime.
  • Advanced Networking
    It offers advanced networking features and performance, suitable for heavy network-related usage such as routers, firewalls, and servers.
  • ZFS File System
    FreeBSD includes support for the ZFS file system, which provides high data integrity, advanced snapshot capabilities, and efficient data management.
  • Ports Collection
    The FreeBSD Ports Collection offers a vast selection of pre-packaged software that eases the installation of applications and their dependencies.
  • Security Features
    FreeBSD is known for its strong security features, such as jails for process separation and Capsicum, a capability-based security framework.

Possible disadvantages of FreeBSD

  • Hardware Compatibility
    FreeBSD may have limited support for certain hardware devices compared to other operating systems like Windows or Linux.
  • Learning Curve
    The system can be complex for new users, requiring a significant amount of time and effort to become proficient, especially if they are accustomed to more user-friendly environments.
  • Smaller Community
    Compared to Linux, FreeBSD has a smaller user and developer community, which might result in less community-driven support and fewer available resources.
  • Limited Desktop Support
    While FreeBSD can be used on desktop systems, it is primarily optimized for servers and might not offer the same level of convenience or support for desktop applications and environments as Linux distros.
  • Software Availability
    Although it has a vast Ports Collection, some software might not be available or can be more challenging to compile and maintain than on Linux.

openSUSE features and specs

  • YaST
    Yet another Setup Tool (YaST) is a comprehensive system configuration and administration tool that makes managing the OS easy for users of all experience levels.
  • Consistency and Stability
    openSUSE is known for its reliability and stability, making it a great choice for production environments and critical systems.
  • Rolling and Fixed Releases
    openSUSE offers both a rolling release (Tumbleweed) and a fixed release (Leap), allowing users to choose between cutting-edge updates and long-term stability.
  • Strong Security
    The distribution emphasizes security with features like AppArmor, a security module that restricts programs' capabilities, and frequent updates to address security vulnerabilities.
  • Wide Range of Software
    openSUSE has access to a vast collection of software packages thanks to its integration with the openSUSE Build Service (OBS) and other repositories.
  • Community Support
    There is an active and helpful community that offers support through forums, mailing lists, and IRC, making it easier for new users to get help.

Possible disadvantages of openSUSE

  • Learning Curve
    openSUSE's powerful tools and customization options can present a steep learning curve for beginners who are not familiar with Linux environments.
  • Software Delays
    Users on the Leap version may find that some software packages are not as up-to-date as those in other leading distributions, due to the emphasis on stability.
  • Hardware Compatibility
    openSUSE might not support some newer or less common hardware out-of-the-box, requiring users to manually install drivers or make additional configurations.
  • System Resource Usage
    The default installation can be resource-heavy, which might be less ideal for older or lower-end hardware.
  • Complexity for Basic Needs
    For users who need a simple and straightforward desktop environment, openSUSE's numerous features and configurations might feel overwhelming.

Analysis of FreeBSD

Overall verdict

  • Yes, FreeBSD is considered a good operating system, particularly for users seeking stability, security, and high performance. It is highly respected in the open-source community and widely used in various applications, from web hosting to advanced networking solutions.

Why this product is good

  • FreeBSD is well-regarded for its advanced networking, performance, and security features. It offers a robust and flexible system that is ideal for building servers, embedded systems, and desktops. The operating system is known for its strong adherence to UNIX principles, its permissive licensing, and its extensive documentation. Additionally, FreeBSD provides a Ports collection with thousands of applications and a supportive community.

Recommended for

  • System administrators interested in building reliable and secure servers
  • Developers and users who appreciate a UNIX-like environment
  • Organizations seeking customizable and high-performance networking solutions
  • Anyone interested in contributing to or learning from a well-documented open-source project
  • Users who prefer permissive licensing for software redistribution

Analysis of openSUSE

Overall verdict

  • openSUSE is a reliable and versatile Linux distribution that is suitable for a variety of use cases, from everyday desktop use to complex server environments. Its flexibility and powerful management tools make it a good choice for both beginners and experienced users.

Why this product is good

  • openSUSE is known for its robust, open-source nature and offers two major distributions: Tumbleweed and Leap. Tumbleweed is a rolling release, providing the latest software updates, while Leap offers a more stable, fixed-release cycle ideal for users who prioritize stability. openSUSE is equipped with powerful tools like YaST for system management, zypper for package management, and offers exceptional support for developers and sysadmins. It's also known for its active community and comprehensive documentation.

Recommended for

  • Developers looking for a robust development environment
  • System administrators who need advanced management tools
  • Users who appreciate stability and security in their operating system
  • Open-source enthusiasts who enjoy contributing to and using community-driven projects
  • Those who want to explore a rolling release (Tumbleweed) or a stable release (Leap) distribution

FreeBSD videos

+ Add

FreeBSD 12 Review - Used as my daily OS

More videos:

  • Review - A Look and brief introduction to FreeBSD 12.1
  • Review - I tried FreeBSD! - here's what I think of it

openSUSE videos

+ Add

openSUSE Leap 15 In-Depth Review - Linux Distro Reviews

More videos:

  • Review - openSUSE Tumbleweed w/KDE Overview | Distro Delves S2:Ep17
  • Review - openSUSE Leap 15.2 | Review and Final Thoughts

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to FreeBSD and openSUSE)

FreeBSD

openSUSE

Linux
37 37%
Linux
63% 63
Operating Systems
36 36%
Operating Systems
64% 64
Linux Distribution
35 35%
Linux Distribution
65% 65
Open Source
100 100%
Open Source
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

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

FreeBSD Reviews

Best free Linux router and firewall distributions of 2023
OpenBSD and FreeBSD are actively developed and are very capable, but these systems require a high level of understanding of operating system internals and low-level networking to be used as routers.
Source: teklager.se
Avoid The Hack: 11 Best Privacy Friendly Operating Systems (Desktops)
With "Linuxulator," FreeBSD has compatibility with Linux binaries. Linuxulator can run unmodified Linux binaries without using virtual machines or emulation. Additionally, FreeBSD has tens of thousands ported libraries and applications.
Source: avoidthehack.com

openSUSE Reviews

10 Most Popular Linux Distros of the Year 2023
openSUSE is a versatile Linux distribution that offers both openSUSE Leap (a stable release) and openSUSE Tumbleweed (a rolling-release version). Known for its YaST configuration tool, openSUSE simplifies system administration. It provides a choice of desktop environments, including KDE and GNOME.
Source: linux.how2shout.com
Finding the Best Linux Distro for Your Organization
OpenSUSE Leap is the regular release edition of the open source OpenSUSE Linux distro. It combines the stability of a fixed-release model with the availability of up-to-date software packages. It aims to provide a reliable and user-friendly operating system for both desktop and server environments. OpenSUSE is generally considered to be stable for production use, and those...
Source: www.openlogic.com
The best Linux distributions (operating systems)
openSUSE operating systems are well-optimized for businesses and characterized by user-friendliness and stability. While openSUSE Tumbleweed and its spinoff openSUSE Leap are used for workstations, openSUSE MicroOS is primarily used for edge computing and openSUSE Kubic for container solutions.
Source: www.ionos.com
Best Top 20 Ubuntu Linux Alternatives (Pros and Cons)
OpenSUSE is recognized for its Linux distributions, particularly Tumbleweed and Leap. MicroOS and Kubic are new transactional self-contained desktop and container distributions. The community project started with a beta of SUSE Linux 10. OpenSUSE Leap 15.3 is the current fixed release.
Source: cloudinfrastructureservices.co.uk
Avoid The Hack: 11 Best Privacy Friendly Operating Systems (Desktops)
It's important to note that openSUSE is Linux beginner friendly (like Fedora), however it doesn't necessarily cater to new or transitioning users via ease-of-use. Generally, for brand new users, some brief documentation reading may be required post-install due to the learning curve.
Source: avoidthehack.com

Social recommendations and mentions

FreeBSD might be a bit more popular than openSUSE. We know about 21 links to it since March 2021 and only 18 links to openSUSE. 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.

FreeBSD mentions (21)

  • I've never used FreeBSD and have some questions
    Aside from being UNIX based, what similarities does it share with Linux? Both have monolithic kernels. Source based build systems are offered (ports, which are like the portage system on Gentoo) as well as binary build systems (pkg, which is like apt, yum, pacman, etc.) Both offer a lot of free software, though more licenses are compatible with FreeBSD like CDDL, which is not compatible Linux. Both let you... Source: over 1 year ago
  • FreeBSD turns 30 today!
    There's no mention of a birthday on their site, and its footer says 1995-2023. That must be just the site, because Wikipedia tells me FreeBSD's initial release was indeed, but not quite, 30 years ago, November 1st 1993. Still no birthday. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Computer
    I'm not the right person to ask this -- I just run it on whatever I happen to have. But I think sleep and wifi (for example) have issues with different hardware, so you'd have to do your homework. The FreeBSD handbook on freebsd.org is always very helpful to me. You can try it out with a live cd / thumbdrive to see how much supported hardware you've got. My Lenovo X1 from a couple years ago works for what I... Source: about 2 years ago
  • Can SGI’s Enthusiast Community Bring IRIX Back to Life?
    People are still actively working on Illumos. The last change was yesterday morning. * https://illumos.org People are still actively working on MirBSD. There's a CVS commit account that can be followed on the FediVerse. * http://www.mirbsd.org It's DragonFly BSD, not Dragon BSD, and the irony of that is that you missed FreeBSD, which is of course still going. * https://dragonflybsd.org * https://freebsd.org As... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • X220 and beer. A lovely combo, especially with FreeBSD.
    A open source free and stable Unix-like operating system. Read more at http://freebsd.org. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

openSUSE mentions (18)

  • Problem with freshly installed Discord on MicroOS
    I don't understand. What is the alternative way to install codecs on a Tumbleweed/Leap system? There are instructions on how to use the Packman repositories for multimedia on opensuse.org so it is easy for one to assume that this is the recommended proper method. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Something wrong with the Opensuse Leap 15.4 repositories?
    That's the problem, The error messages just that. I tried to download libOpenCL.so.1 because Resolve needs that to run, and every repository my system attempts to reach fails to download. The repository (all coming from opensuse.org by the way) links appear to not have any valid metadata on them, then says the repository types can't be determined, and it moves on to the other links, which also get similar... Source: over 2 years ago
  • Update: I notice that they've replaced the leap 15.4 ad with MicroOS now.
    I've noticed on opensuse.org, you will now see a link to download micro os. Source: over 2 years ago
  • I know I sound dumb but legitimately have no idea
    Why not try it out? You might like it! It's not popular amongst desktops but many users who tried (including me) prefers it over Windows. I would recommend trying out OpenSUSE. You could install it on a virtual machine such as virtualbox if you don't want to affect your existing ones. Source: over 2 years ago
  • is it just me or has TW been super buggy lately?
    TW with KDE is runs fine without any issues on my laptop. Have you downloaded the iso from opensuse.org and checked the checksum after download? Maybe your iso was faulty. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing FreeBSD and openSUSE, you can also consider the following products

Ubuntu - Ubuntu is a Debian Linux-based open source operating system for desktop computers.

Linux Mint - Linux Mint is one of the most popular desktop Linux distributions and used by millions of people.

Fedora - Fedora creates an innovative, free, and open source platform for hardware, clouds, and containers that enables software developers and community members to build tailored solutions for their users.

Debian - Debian is a free distribution of the GNU/Linux operating system.

Arch Linux - You've reached the website for Arch Linux, a lightweight and flexible Linux® distribution that tries to Keep It Simple. Currently we have official packages optimized for the x86-64 architecture.

Sublime Text - Sublime Text is a sophisticated text editor for code, html and prose - any kind of text file. You'll love the slick user interface and extraordinary features. Fully customizable with macros, and syntax highlighting for most major languages.

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