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FreeIPA vs Samba: catalog facts
FreeIPA	Samba
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source under the GNU GPL.
Linux, Web, Self-hosted, Command line	Linux, Self-hosted
Integrates LDAP, Kerberos, DNS and certificates in one system Trusts with Microsoft Active Directory	Serves files and printers to Windows, macOS and Linux clients Can run as an Active Directory domain controller
Linux-centric; built around Fedora and related distributions Many integrated components make it heavy to deploy and operate	Configuration can be complex, especially for AD roles Runs on Linux and Unix-like systems only
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 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

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