Compare software

Samba vs FreeIPA: catalog facts
Samba	FreeIPA
Free Free and open source under the GNU GPL.	Free Free and open source.
Linux, Self-hosted	Linux, Web, Self-hosted, Command line
Serves files and printers to Windows, macOS and Linux clients Can run as an Active Directory domain controller	Integrates LDAP, Kerberos, DNS and certificates in one system Trusts with Microsoft Active Directory
Configuration can be complex, especially for AD roles Runs on Linux and Unix-like systems only	Linux-centric; built around Fedora and related distributions Many integrated components make it heavy to deploy and operate
Downloadable app, Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-3.0	License not stated
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.