1. Cost: One key difference between Suse Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) and openSUSE is the cost. SLES is a commercial product that requires a license fee to use, whereas openSUSE is a community-driven project that is available free of charge. While SLES provides enterprise-level support and additional features that may justify the cost for some organizations, openSUSE is a more budget-friendly option for individuals and smaller businesses.

2. Support and Maintenance: Another important difference is the level of support and maintenance provided. SLES offers long-term support (LTS) with up to 13 years of extended support available, making it suitable for mission-critical applications. On the other hand, openSUSE follows a regular release cycle with shorter support periods, typically 3-4 years, which may be sufficient for non-critical workloads but may require more frequent updates and upgrades.

3. Package Management: SLES and openSUSE also differ in terms of their package management systems. SLES uses the Zypper package manager, which is based on the RPM package format. It is designed for stability, predictability, and compatibility with enterprise software. In contrast, openSUSE uses the YaST package manager, which provides a graphical interface and additional features for managing packages, dependencies, and repositories.

4. Software Repository: Both SLES and openSUSE maintain their own software repositories. However, SLES focuses on providing a more limited and curated collection of packages, prioritizing stability and compatibility with enterprise applications. openSUSE, being a community-driven project, offers a broader range of software packages and allows more frequent updates, including bleeding-edge software versions.

5. Release Cycle: The release cycle is another distinguishing factor between SLES and openSUSE. SLES follows a relatively slower release cycle, with major releases occurring every three to four years. This longer release cycle ensures stability and compatibility for enterprise applications that require long-term support. In contrast, openSUSE has a shorter release cycle, typically every eight months, allowing for more frequent updates and integration of new features and improvements.

In Summary, SLES is a commercial product with a cost associated with it, provides long-term support with extended maintenance periods, employs the Zypper package manager for stable and compatible software management, offers a limited software repository, and follows a slower release cycle. openSUSE, on the other hand, is a community-driven project available free of charge, has shorter support periods, utilizes the YaST package manager with additional management features, offers a broader software repository, and follows a more frequent release cycle.