Softwr

Operating Systems · head to head

Red Hat Enterprise Linux vs Manjaro

Red Hat Enterprise Linux logo

Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Operating Systems

Commercial Linux distribution with long-term support

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Manjaro logo

Manjaro

Operating Systems

Arch-based Linux distribution with an installer and sane defaults

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Manjaro has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Red Hat Enterprise Linux subscription cost per system is significant and scales with fleet size; Manjaro holding packages back from Arch can break AUR packages built against current Arch, which is its best-known complaint
  • They diverge on capability: Red Hat Enterprise Linux covers Ten-year lifecycle, Manjaro covers Graphical installer.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Manjaro actually diverge.

Attributes where Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Manjaro differ
AttributeRed Hat Enterprise LinuxManjaro
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelPer-system annual subscription; developer subscriptions available at no costOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsLinux, Server, CloudLinux, Desktop

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Operating Systems).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Red Hat Enterprise Linux

  • Ten-year lifecycle
  • Certified ecosystem
  • Commercial support
  • SELinux and compliance tooling

Only in Manjaro

  • Graphical installer
  • Delayed updates
  • Hardware detection
  • Multiple desktops

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux

  • Regulated industries needing a contracted party accountable for security fixesnot Manjaro
  • Applications certified against a specific OS that must not move for yearsnot Manjaro
  • Enterprises procuring against hardware and ISV certification listsnot Manjaro

Manjaro

  • Wanting Arch and the AUR without the manual installnot Red Hat Enterprise Linux
  • Desktops needing current package versions with some stability buffernot Red Hat Enterprise Linux
  • Hardware that benefits from automatic proprietary driver handlingnot Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux

  • Subscription cost per system is significant and scales with fleet size
  • Packages are deliberately older than current upstream, which frustrates developers wanting recent toolchains
  • The 2023 source availability changes strained relations with downstream rebuilds and remain contentious
  • Considerable overkill for workloads with no compliance or support requirement

Manjaro

  • Holding packages back from Arch can break AUR packages built against current Arch, which is its best-known complaint
  • Still a rolling release, so updates can require intervention and are not fit-and-forget
  • The project has had public incidents around expired certificates and governance that dented confidence
  • Not as current as Arch nor as stable as a fixed-release distribution, which is the cost of sitting between them

Pricing, plan by plan

Red Hat Enterprise Linux

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Red Hat Enterprise Linux review.

Manjaro

Free
  • ManjaroFree
    • Full functionality
    • Commercial use permitted
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

Choose Red Hat Enterprise Linux if

  • You need ten-year lifecycle.
  • You work on Linux, Server, Cloud.
  • You also want certified ecosystem.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux review

Choose Manjaro if

  • You need graphical installer.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Desktop.
  • You also want delayed updates.
Manjaro review

Questions people ask

Is Red Hat Enterprise Linux or Manjaro better?
Neither clearly leads. Red Hat Enterprise Linux starts at On request and Manjaro at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Red Hat Enterprise Linux or Manjaro?
Manjaro has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Free for Manjaro.
Does Red Hat Enterprise Linux or Manjaro run on more platforms?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux runs on Linux, Server, Cloud. Manjaro runs on Linux, Desktop.
Can I use Manjaro for free?
Yes. Manjaro has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Red Hat Enterprise Linux starts at On request.
What is Red Hat Enterprise Linux best used for?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux is most often used for regulated industries needing a contracted party accountable for security fixes, applications certified against a specific os that must not move for years, enterprises procuring against hardware and isv certification lists. Of those, regulated industries needing a contracted party accountable for security fixes and applications certified against a specific os that must not move for years are not what Manjaro is typically brought in for.
What can Red Hat Enterprise Linux do that Manjaro cannot?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux covers Ten-year lifecycle, Certified ecosystem, Commercial support, SELinux and compliance tooling. Manjaro covers Graphical installer, Delayed updates, Hardware detection, Multiple desktops.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Red Hat Enterprise Linux: Is Red Hat Enterprise Linux free?

The software is open source but the product is sold as a per-system subscription. Red Hat offers no-cost developer subscriptions for individual development use.

Manjaro: Is Manjaro free?

Yes, entirely free and open source.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux: What does the subscription actually buy?

Support, security backports over a ten-year lifecycle, and hardware and software certifications. Not the code, which is open.

Manjaro: Is Manjaro the same as Arch?

It is based on Arch and uses pacman and the AUR, but holds packages back for testing and ships a graphical installer, so it is not identical.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux: Why do enterprises pay for Linux?

Accountability and lifecycle. A contracted vendor answering for a CVE, and an OS that stays supported long enough to avoid re-certifying applications every two years.

Manjaro: Why can AUR packages break on Manjaro?

AUR packages are built against current Arch. Manjaro delays packages, so an AUR build can expect a library version Manjaro has not shipped yet.

Share

Related pages

More on Red Hat Enterprise Linux

More on Manjaro

Keep looking

Other head to heads