RHCSA vs LFCS: Which Linux Certification Should You Choose in 2025?

Objective

With the increasing need for professional Linux administrators in the IT job market, a certification can provide you with a competitive edge in the IT employment market. Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) and Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator (LFCSA) are two of the well-known certifications for those intending to construct or develop their career in Linux system administration. But often students and IT professionals who want to upgrade in their career get confused about which one to choose.

In this blog, we will discuss in detail about both the certificates to help you determine the best certificate for your career growth in 2025.

Why Linux Certifications Matter in 2025

First of all, let’s try to understand why Linux certifications matter. A simple answer to this question is that as businesses continue to migrate to Linux-based environments, companies seek professionals who can efficiently manage, configure, and troubleshoot Linux systems.

Whether you're an aspiring system administrator, a DevOps engineer, or a cloud computing specialist, a Linux certification can validate your skills and make you stand out in a competitive job market.

RHCSA and LFCS are two of the most sought-after Linux certifications, each catering to different career paths and IT environments. Just by understanding the differences between these two certifications, you will be able to choose the one that aligns best with your career aspirations.

What is RHCSA?

The Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) certification is offered by Red Hat to validate your proficiency in Linux system administration, especially in RHEL-based environments. This credential focuses on hands-on skills and practical knowledge, making it highly valued by employers in the IT industry. With RHCSA, you’ll be equipped to handle day-to-day administration tasks with ease.

What Does RHCSA Cover?

The RHCSA certification focuses on practical, hands-on skills such as:

• Basic command-line operations

• User and group management

• File system and storage configuration

• Service management (starting/stopping services)

• Firewall and SELinux management

• Software installation and updates

• Managing processes and scheduling tasks

• Boot process and troubleshooting

• Networking basics

Features of RHCSA (Red Hat Certified System Administrator)

The Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) certification is designed to validate core system administration skills in Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments. Here are five standout features that make this certification highly valuable:

• Performance-Based Practical Exam: RHCSA is a hands-on exam that tests your ability to perform real-world administrative tasks. Rather than answering multiple-choice questions, candidates complete actual operations on a live RHEL system, ensuring the certification reflects true job readiness.

• Industry-Relevant Skill Set: The certification covers essential Linux administration tasks such as user and group management, networking, firewalls, SELinux, storage, and system services. These are the same tasks system administrators manage in production environments.

• Based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL): The exam is centered around RHEL 9, Red Hat’s enterprise-grade Linux distribution. This ensures your training and certification are aligned with what’s used in real-world enterprise environments.

• Clear and Structured Exam Objectives: Red Hat provides a detailed list of exam objectives, allowing candidates to focus their preparation on specific topics. This transparency helps learners build a strong and targeted study plan.

• Foundation for Advanced Certifications: RHCSA is a prerequisite for the Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) and other advanced Red Hat certifications. Earning RHCSA sets the stage for deeper specialization in Linux systems, automation, and security.

RHCSA Exam Details

Are you preparing for the RHCSA certification? RHCSA.GURU  provides a comprehensive platform where you can learn and practice hands-on with real-world labs tailored to each RHCSA exam objective. Our guided labs help you build confidence and master every topic, so you’re fully prepared for the real exam.

What is LFCS?

LFCS (Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator) is a vendor-neutral certification. This certification is designed for individuals who want to prove their skills in Linux system administration across various distributions, such as Ubuntu, Debian, and CentOS.

Key Features of LFCS:

• Vendor-Neutral: Unlike RHCSA which focuses on RHEL, LFCS allows candidates to choose between different distributions, making it ideal for professionals who work in diverse Linux environments.

• Performance-Based Exam: Similar to RHCSA, the LFCS exam is hands-on, requiring candidates to perform real-world administrative tasks.

• Ideal for Open-Source and Cloud Environments: Many organizations using open-source and cloud-based technologies prefer vendor-neutral certifications like LFCS.

• Flexible Learning Path: Covers essential Linux administration topics including system startup, networking, storage management, and troubleshooting.

Exam Details:

RHCSA vs LFCS: Key Differences

Which One Should You Choose?

Your career goals and target job environment should guide your choice:

Choose RHCSA if:

• You aim to work in enterprise environments using Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

• You plan to pursue advanced Red Hat certifications like RHCE or RHCA.

• You want a certification with strong recognition in government, finance, and healthcare sectors.

Choose LFCS if:

• You prefer working in diverse or cloud-native environments.

• You need a budget-friendly certification.

• You plan to pursue further vendor-neutral or Kubernetes certifications.

• You're targeting startups or companies with a mix of Linux distributions.

Career Opportunities

 

Conclusion

Both RHCSA and LFCS are outstanding choices for anyone looking to build a career in Linux system administration. If you aim for a Red Hat-specific career, RHCSA is the best choice.  If you want a broader, vendor-neutral certification, LFCS might be the better option. While deciding, consider your career goals, job market demand, and the preferred Linux environment by your target employers.

No matter which path you choose, getting a Linux certification in 2025 will enhance your skills and open up new job opportunities.