Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

NethServer VS FreeIPA

Compare NethServer VS FreeIPA and see what are their differences

NethServer logo NethServer

NethServer is an operating system for Linux enthusiasts, designed for small offices and medium...

FreeIPA logo FreeIPA

FreeIPA is an integrated security information management solution combining Linux (Fedora), 389...
  • NethServer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-19
  • FreeIPA Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-29

NethServer features and specs

  • Ease of use
    NethServer provides an intuitive web-based interface, making it easy for administrators to configure and manage the server without extensive command-line knowledge.
  • Modularity
    The system is highly modular, allowing users to install only the needed modules, which makes it versatile for various business needs.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, NethServer allows users to modify and improve the software according to their needs, with a strong community backing development and support.
  • Comprehensive Features
    It offers a wide range of features, from mail server capabilities to firewall and web proxy functions, providing an all-in-one server solution.
  • Strong Community Support
    An active community provides abundant resources, support, and regular updates, contributing to reliability and security.

Possible disadvantages of NethServer

  • Limited Enterprise Support
    While the community is active, official enterprise-grade support options are limited compared to some commercial alternatives.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    Although the interface is user-friendly for basic tasks, more complex configurations might require learning and familiarity with the system.
  • Dependency on Internet Connection
    Downloading and updating modules requires a stable internet connection, which may be a limitation in some environments.
  • Compatibility Constraints
    Some specialized enterprise applications may not be fully compatible with NethServer, requiring workarounds or compromises.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running multiple services simultaneously can be resource-intensive, potentially necessitating more powerful hardware for optimal performance.

FreeIPA features and specs

  • Open Source
    FreeIPA is open source, allowing users to inspect, modify, and enhance the source code to fit their specific needs without any licensing fees.
  • Integration
    It provides a seamless integration with various enterprise-level services like LDAP, Kerberos, DNS, and more, making it a comprehensive identity management solution.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    FreeIPA offers a web-based interface which simplifies management tasks and reduces the learning curve for new users.
  • Strong Security Features
    It includes robust security measures such as centralized authentication, access control policies, and automated certificate management, enhancing overall security.
  • Extensive Documentation
    Users have access to a wide array of documentation and community support which helps in troubleshooting and learning the system.

Possible disadvantages of FreeIPA

  • Complexity
    The installation and configuration process can be complex and daunting for users unfamiliar with its components and architecture.
  • Scalability Limitations
    FreeIPA may encounter performance issues or limitations when scaling to very large environments, thus it might not be ideal for very large organizations without additional configuration or resources.
  • Linux-Centric
    FreeIPA is primarily designed for Linux environments, and while it can integrate with Windows, the setup and functionality may be limited or require additional effort.
  • Community-Based Support
    While there is community support, it may not be as robust or responsive as professional paid support services offered by other IAM solutions.
  • Learning Curve
    Users may face a steep learning curve due to the composite nature of FreeIPA, which integrates multiple technologies such as Kerberos, LDAP, and DNS.

NethServer videos

Product Reivew - NethServer 7.4

More videos:

  • Review - What is NethServer? and how it can help you!
  • Review - NethServer 7.3 Installation + Review + VMware Tools on VMware Workstation [2017]

FreeIPA videos

An Overview of FreeIPA

More videos:

  • Review - Identity Management with FreeIPA
  • Review - Identity management in Red Hat Enterprise Linux - FreeIPA OTP
  • Review - FreeIPA - Part 2 - Server and Client Install and Setup. An open source Active Directory alternative
  • Review - FreeIPA Part 4 - Installing NextCloud & Docker to use with LDAP through FreeIPA for Authentication.
  • Tutorial - freeIPA on Proxmox VE 7 Home Lab Tutorial

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to NethServer and FreeIPA)
Cloud Computing
48 48%
52% 52
Identity And Access Management
Cloud Storage
65 65%
35% 35
Storage
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using NethServer and FreeIPA. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare NethServer and FreeIPA

NethServer Reviews

11 Best pfsense Alternatives To Secure Your Network
We can acquire security fixes and upgrades from the authorized CentOS repositories on a regular basis. If you are on a Linux operating system, then NethServer is one of the pfSense alternatives to consider
10 Best pfSense Alternatives and Similar Firewalls
NethServer is a free alternative to pfSense. It is an open-source, CentOS-based all-in-one Linux server distribution aimed for small and medium-sized businesses. NethServer has a number of built-in modules that may be used to rapidly transform any machine into a server.
Best Linux distros of 2021 for beginners, mainstream and advanced users
For instance, using NethServer you can set up a web filter, a mail server, file server, web server, firewall, VPN, a Slack-like team chat, and several other services. The best part is that you can deploy and configure just about every aspect of your server through a an intuitive browser-based interface.

FreeIPA Reviews

We have no reviews of FreeIPA yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, NethServer seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1 time since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

NethServer mentions (1)

  • Need some help with setting up Open source AD
    Check out Nethserver - https://nethserver.org/. Source: over 3 years ago

FreeIPA mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of FreeIPA yet. Tracking of FreeIPA recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing NethServer and FreeIPA, you can also consider the following products

Zentyal - Linux directory, domain, mail, gateway and infrastructure server for SMBs.

Keycloak - Open Source Identity and Access Management for modern Applications and Services.

ClearOS - A very good alternative for Windows Server, for free

Univention Corporate Server - Univention Corporate Server UCS with Active Directory functions and App Center is the cost-efficient and popular successor to Microsoft's server solutions.

OpenLDAP - OpenLDAP Software is an open source implementation of the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol.

OpenMediaVault - OpenMediaVault is the next generation network attached storage (NAS) solution based on Debian Linux.