--- title: Amazon Linux 2 Reviews meta_title: 'Amazon Linux 2 Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2' meta_description: Filter 88 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to find out how Amazon Linux 2 works for a business like yours. aggregate_rating: rating_value: 4.5 review_count: 88 scale: '5' date_modified: '2026-08-13' parent_category: name: IT Infrastructure url: https://www.g2.com/categories/it-infrastructure --- # Amazon Linux 2 Reviews **Vendor:** terracloudx **Category:** [Operating Systems](https://www.g2.com/categories/operating-system) **Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 88 ## About Amazon Linux 2 Amazon Linux 2 is a Linux operating system developed by Amazon Web Services (AWS) to provide a secure, stable, and high-performance environment for cloud and enterprise applications. It is designed to integrate seamlessly with AWS services, offering a robust platform for developers and IT administrators. Amazon Linux 2 is available at no additional charge and includes long-term support with ongoing security and maintenance updates. Key Features and Functionality: - AWS Integration: Pre-installed packages and configurations facilitate tight integration with AWS services, simplifying the deployment and management of applications. - Long-Term Support: Provides five years of support, ensuring stability and predictability for enterprise applications. - Extras Repository: Offers access to the latest software packages through the Amazon Linux Extras repository, allowing users to install newer versions of popular software without compromising system stability. - On-Premises Use: Available as virtual machine images for VMware, Oracle VM VirtualBox, and Microsoft Hyper-V, enabling on-premises development and testing. - Systemd Support: Includes the systemd init system for efficient process management and service control. - Optimized Kernel and Toolchain: Features an LTS Kernel tuned for enhanced performance on Amazon EC2, along with updated compiler and build toolchain components. - Security Features: Implements default security measures such as limiting remote access, disabling remote root login, and reducing non-critical packages to minimize exposure to vulnerabilities. - Kernel Live Patching: Supports live patching of the Linux kernel, allowing critical and important security updates to be applied without rebooting or downtime. Primary Value and User Solutions: Amazon Linux 2 addresses the need for a secure, reliable, and high-performance operating system tailored for cloud environments. Its deep integration with AWS services streamlines application deployment and management, enhancing developer productivity. The long-term support and regular security updates provide peace of mind for enterprises, ensuring system stability and compliance. Additionally, the availability of virtual machine images for on-premises use allows for consistent development and testing environments, bridging the gap between local and cloud-based operations. ## Amazon Linux 2 Pros & Cons **What users like:** - Users value the **long-term support** of Amazon Linux 2, ensuring stability and confidence for production workloads. (3 reviews) - Users appreciate the **regular updates** of Amazon Linux 2, ensuring security and stability for production workloads. (3 reviews) - Users praise the **fast performance** of Amazon Linux 2, enjoying smooth and efficient operation on AWS cloud. (3 reviews) - Users appreciate the **user-friendly experience** of Amazon Linux 2, making setup and application management effortless and efficient. (3 reviews) - Users appreciate the **seamless integration with AWS services** of Amazon Linux 2 for efficient cloud-native application deployment. (2 reviews) - Users highlight the **easy setup** of Amazon Linux 2, making it accessible and efficient for seamless application use. (2 reviews) - Free/No Cost (2 reviews) - Lightweight Size (2 reviews) - Linux/Ubuntu OS (2 reviews) - Reliability (2 reviews) **What users dislike:** - Users experience **vendor lock-in** with Amazon Linux 2, facing limitations in package availability and ecosystem flexibility. (2 reviews) - Users face **limited apps and store options** with Amazon Linux 2, hindering software installation and flexibility. (1 reviews) - Users note that Amazon Linux 2 has **outdated technology** , often lacking newer packages and software versions compared to alternatives. (1 reviews) - Users find the **slow pace of updates** frustrating, as it limits access to the latest features and packages. (1 reviews) ## Amazon Linux 2 Reviews ### 1. Best OS for AWS cloud EC2 instance **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Sivasankaran P. | Senior Software Engineer, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 13, 2025 **What do you like best about Amazon Linux 2?** What I like best about Amazon Linux 2 is its seamless integration with AWS services, making it an ideal choice for deploying and managing cloud-native applications. It’s optimized for performance on AWS infrastructure, with long-term support and regular security updates, which adds stability for production environments. The inclusion of systemd, updated compiler toolchains, and a wide range of development tools makes it both modern and developer-friendly, while still being lightweight and secure. **What do you dislike about Amazon Linux 2?** One downside of Amazon Linux 2 is its limited package availability compared to more mainstream distributions like Ubuntu or CentOS. This can make it harder to install some software without manually building from source or using third-party repositories. Additionally, while it's great for AWS, it's not as well-suited for use outside of that ecosystem, limiting flexibility in hybrid or multi-cloud environments. The slower pace of major updates can also be a drawback for users who want access to the latest features and packages. **What problems is Amazon Linux 2 solving and how is that benefiting you?** As a Senior Software Engineer working extensively with AWS, I've primarily used Amazon Linux 2 (AL2), and it's solved several key challenges in my day-to-day operations. AL2 provides a stable, secure, and performance-optimized environment tailored for AWS, which has made it easier to deploy and manage applications at scale. Its deep integration with AWS services like EC2, CloudFormation, and Systems Manager has streamlined automation and infrastructure management for me. The long-term support and regular security updates reduce the operational burden, allowing me to focus more on innovation rather than maintenance. Overall, AL2 has been a reliable foundation for my cloud projects. ## Amazon Linux 2 Discussions - [What are the differences between Amazon Linux 2 and Amazon Linux 2022](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-are-the-differences-between-amazon-linux-2-and-amazon-linux-2022) - 1 upvote - [sdasd](https://www.g2.com/discussions/sdasd) - [View Amazon Linux 2 pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-linux-2/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1917088&qs=pros-and-cons§ion=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-08-13+16%3A04%3A58+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=b0dd3ae8-c947-46df-921c-c3dfd8775197&secure%5Btoken%5D=b3228a943725d25d9c861062e505c27973b44f27812d840812b2c5b115b40bce&format=llm_user) ## Amazon Linux 2 Integrations - [Amazon EC2](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-ec2/reviews) - [Amazon Elastic Container Service (Amazon ECS)](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-elastic-container-service-amazon-ecs/reviews) - [Amazon S3 Glacier](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-s3-glacier/reviews) - [Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (Amazon VPC)](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-virtual-private-cloud-amazon-vpc/reviews) - [Apache HTTP Server Project](https://www.g2.com/products/apache-http-server-project/reviews) - [AWS Cloud Development Kit (AWS CDK)](https://www.g2.com/products/aws-cloud-development-kit-aws-cdk/reviews) - [AWS CloudFormation](https://www.g2.com/products/aws-aws-cloudformation/reviews) - [AWS Lambda](https://www.g2.com/products/aws-lambda/reviews) - [Docker](https://www.g2.com/products/docker-inc-docker/reviews) - [F5 NGINX](https://www.g2.com/products/f5-nginx/reviews) - [F5 NGINX Management Suite](https://www.g2.com/products/f5-nginx-management-suite/reviews) - [NodeJS Web Stack](https://www.g2.com/products/nodejs-web-stack/reviews) - [PostgreSQL](https://www.g2.com/products/postgresql/reviews) - [Prometheus](https://www.g2.com/products/prometheus/reviews) ## Amazon Linux 2 Features **Memory Management - Operating System** - RAM management - App Management - File Management **Device Management - Operating System** - I/O management **Backup and Recovery - Operating System** - Data backup **Error Detection - Operating System** - System operations monitoring **Additional Functionality** - Generative AI - Data Security - User Interface - Resource Allocation - System Updates - For Developers - AI Copilot - Desktop Interface ## Top Amazon Linux 2 Alternatives - [Red Hat Enterprise Linux](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-enterprise-linux/reviews) - 4.6/5.0 (933 reviews) - [Oracle Linux](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-linux/reviews) - 4.4/5.0 (330 reviews) - [Debian](https://www.g2.com/products/debian/reviews) - 4.6/5.0 (221 reviews)