Businesses require reliability, stability and compatibility. It's no wonder business owners prefer to stick with the status quo: It's what works for them. Those entrepreneurs who take the time to research the possibilities outside that status quo find a treasure trove of free and low-cost alternatives. When it comes to software, Linux is at the top of that list. With more than 100 complete distributions from which to choose, Linux is far from a single entity.

Linux powers the majority of the world's websites, data centers, and development efforts. Consider this list of 10 business-oriented Linux distributions an all-in-one-place collection of information on those possibilities. The list is in no particular order.