Amazon Linux vs Qubes OS
| Amazon Linux | Qubes OS | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | No | No |
| Paid from | — | — |
| Open source | No | No |
| Platforms | Linux | Linux |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Device types | EC2 instances; Docker container workloads | Computers with compatible 64-bit Intel or AMD CPUs and required virtualization features |
| CPU architectures | x86-64 (x86-64v2); 64-bit ARM (aarch64, ARMv8.2+crypto; Graviton2 or later on EC2) | x86_64 (64-bit Intel or AMD; Intel 64/AMD64) |
| Support lifecycle | AL2023 supported until June 30, 2029; standard support through June 30, 2027, then maintenance support. Individual LTS kernels are supported for four years. | Qubes OS releases are supported for six months after each subsequent major or minor release |
| Built-in management | DNF package manager; versioned repositories; AWS Systems Manager for fleet kernel update management | Qubes Update tool; Qube Manager; Qubes Template Manager; qvm-template; command-line qube tools |
| App compatibility | RPM packages from AL2023 repositories; Docker-compatible container image; 32-bit userspace compatibility retained but deprecated | App qubes based on Fedora and Debian templates; community templates include Whonix, Ubuntu, Arch Linux, and Gentoo; Windows qubes supported |
| Deployment models | Amazon EC2 AMIs; Docker/container images usable in any environment, including local development | Installed on compatible physical computers; may also be installed on a USB flash drive or external disk |
Both are listed in Best Operating Systems. On Samsung Mobile US Press, Amazon Linux scores higher on our published basis.