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389 Directory Server vs Samba: catalog facts
389 Directory Server	Samba
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source under the GNU GPL.
Linux, Self-hosted	Linux, Self-hosted
Multi-supplier replication for scaling and fail-over Proven in very large deployments	Serves files and printers to Windows, macOS and Linux clients Can run as an Active Directory domain controller
Linux only Requires LDAP knowledge to run well	Configuration can be complex, especially for AD roles Runs on Linux and Unix-like systems only
Downloadable app, Self-hosted	Downloadable app, Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: GPL-3.0
No account needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.