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Samba vs Netatalk: catalog facts
Samba	Netatalk
Free Free and open source under the GNU GPL.	Free Free and open source under GPL-2.0.
Linux, Self-hosted	macOS, Linux
Serves files and printers to Windows, macOS and Linux clients Can run as an Active Directory domain controller	Shares files with AFP clients on Unix-like hosts Supports Bonjour discovery, Time Machine backups, and Spotlight
Configuration can be complex, especially for AD roles Runs on Linux and Unix-like systems only	Requires basic system administration to install and configure Clients need AFP support
Downloadable app, Self-hosted	Downloadable app, Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-3.0	License: GPL-2.0
No account needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 8, 2026

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