Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Webmin VS Samba

Compare Webmin VS Samba and see what are their differences

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Webmin logo Webmin

Webmin is a web-based interface for system administration for Unix.

Samba logo Samba

Samba serves as an open source alternative to the traditional domain controller offered by Microsoft.
  • Webmin Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-08
  • Samba Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-29

Webmin features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Webmin provides a user-friendly web interface that simplifies the management of Unix-based systems. It allows administrators to perform complex configurations without needing to use the command line.
  • Comprehensive Management
    It supports a wide range of modules for managing various services and servers, including Apache, MySQL, DNS, and many more. This makes it a versatile tool for system administration.
  • Remote Management
    Webmin facilitates remote management of servers, which means administrators can manage systems from anywhere with internet access, enhancing flexibility and convenience.
  • Extensibility
    Webmin's modular architecture allows for easy extension and customization. Administrators can add or remove modules as needed, tailoring the tool to fit specific requirements.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source tool, Webmin is free to use, and its source code is accessible for modification, contributing to a large community and continuous improvements.

Possible disadvantages of Webmin

  • Security Concerns
    As Webmin is accessible via a web interface, it can be a target for web-based attacks if not properly secured. Administrators must ensure proper security measures are in place.
  • Performance Overhead
    Running Webmin adds an additional layer on top of the usual system processes, which can potentially introduce some performance overhead, especially on resource-constrained systems.
  • Complex Configuration
    While it simplifies many tasks, Webmin can still be complex to set up initially, especially for less experienced administrators who may find the multitude of options overwhelming.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Certain Webmin features may not be fully compatible with all Linux distributions or versions, which can lead to inconsistencies and potential bugs in functionality.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its user-friendly interface, there is still a learning curve associated with effectively using all of Webmin's features and understanding the implications of configurations made through it.

Samba features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Samba allows file and print sharing between computers running Windows and Unix-like systems such as Linux, enhancing interoperability across different platforms.
  • Active Directory Support
    Samba provides Active Directory support, enabling Linux servers to seamlessly join and participate in Windows network domains, including authentication and directory services.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, Samba is cost-effective and provides the flexibility to modify and utilize the software according to organizational needs, with a supportive user and developer community.
  • Wide Adoption
    Samba is widely adopted and trusted in enterprise environments for providing reliable file and print services across various operating systems.
  • Comprehensive Documentation
    Samba has extensive documentation and community-contributed resources that help users effectively set up and troubleshoot issues.

Possible disadvantages of Samba

  • Complex Configuration
    Samba configuration can be complex and may require a thorough understanding of both Windows and Linux networking concepts to set up and maintain correctly.
  • Performance Overhead
    Due to protocol translation between different systems, there may be performance overheads in certain environments, impacting speed and efficiency.
  • Security Risks
    As with any network service, misconfiguration or lack of updates can expose Samba to security vulnerabilities, requiring careful management and regular updates.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running Samba services can be resource-intensive, requiring sufficient hardware resources to maintain optimal performance, especially in larger network environments.
  • Occasional Compatibility Issues
    While Samba strives for compatibility, there may occasionally be issues with newer Windows features or complex Active Directory environments.

Analysis of Webmin

Overall verdict

  • Webmin is generally considered a good tool for managing Unix-like servers due to its user-friendly design and comprehensive feature set. However, users should be aware of the potential security risks associated with using a web-based administration tool and ensure it is properly secured.

Why this product is good

  • Webmin is a web-based interface for system administration on Unix-like systems. It allows users to manage server configurations, such as user accounts, DNS settings, and file sharing, all from a web browser. Its many modules and easy-to-use interface make it a popular choice for managing Linux servers efficiently.

Recommended for

  • System administrators needing a graphical interface for Linux server management.
  • Users who prefer web-based interfaces over command-line tools.
  • Small to medium-sized businesses looking for an easy-to-use server management solution.
  • Educational institutions teaching server management and Linux administration.

Webmin videos

How to Use and Install Webmin to Control Linux

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Webmin Install, Setup, & Tutorial and a brief comparison to Cockpit at the end
  • Review - Webmin | Manage Your Linux Server from the Web

Samba videos

Samba OG 3 Month Review | Uncomfortable?

More videos:

  • Review - (Best Value Indoor Shoe) Adidas Samba Classic - Review + On Feet
  • Review - Adidas Samba Classic Indoor - Unboxing + On Feet

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Webmin and Samba)
Control Panels
100 100%
0% 0
Cloud Computing
0 0%
100% 100
Hosting
100 100%
0% 0
Identity And Access Management

User comments

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Reviews

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

Webmin Reviews

Top 12 Best VPS Control Panels for 2025
Webmin VPS also offers a variety of other features that are useful for web hosting. Its dashboard shows CPU and RAM statistics, which allow you to see your server’s performance. You can also manage firewall rules, schedule cron jobs, and manage users.
Explore Top VestaCP Alternative: Find the Perfect Control Panel for Your Hosting Needs
Webmin is a resilient web-based control panel, offering an array of meticulously designed tools to manage diverse functionalities within Linux-based servers. Primarily geared towards Unix-like systems, Webmin provides a notable substitute for Plesk. Through the ease of a web browser, users gain the ability to perform a multitude of tasks – ranging from user account setup to...
Source: cyberpanel.net
10 Most Popular Free Web Hosting Control Panels You Need To Know
Webmin is also a open-source and free software utility, and it is available for Unix-like operating systems, and including Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, and Fedora. Webmin also provide virtualmin module to manage virtual hosts through Graphical single user interface like cpanel ,plesk or cwp panel. It also support LEMP or LAMP based host and It also support all other features like...
Top cPanel Alternatives worth trying in 2022
Webmin is good and all, but it doesn’t work for everyone so unexpectedly. Therefore, we have a CentOS Web Panel that absolutely fills in the shoes of Webmin especially when you have VPS, the private virtual server. CentOS is good at distribution and administrating Apache Web Servers, Firewalls, Nginx reverse proxy, and much more. All the great features about this one are...
6 cPanel Alternatives
You’ll only be able to install and fully manage certain system services from the terminal. For those reasons Webmin may be best suited for staging environments. If you choose Webmin, be sure to prioritize system hardening methods beforehand.

Samba Reviews

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

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Webmin seems to be a lot more popular than Samba. While we know about 16 links to Webmin, we've tracked only 1 mention of Samba. 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.

Webmin mentions (16)

  • Cockpit: Web-based graphical interface for servers
    What about webmin? I used it in the past, it has plenty of modules and parse config, so you can edit them by hand too. https://webmin.com/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Cockpit: Web-based graphical interface for servers
    Why use this when Webmin has done the job for decades? https://webmin.com/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Total beginner here, trying to find an alternative to something like windows “storage spaces”
    Https://webmin.com/ can be used as a GUI for mdadm if you're not comfortable with a console. Source: about 2 years ago
  • ESXI on old desktop
    If you want to roll your own virtualisation box, I would suggest either Debian or OpenSUSE TW with one of these tools, for everything else, I suggest Webmin. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Cant figure out how my disk pace is spread
    You could also just install webmin https://webmin.com and use the web-interface to resize your logical volumes and volume groups... Source: over 2 years ago
View more

Samba mentions (1)

  • Samba 4.16 broken?
    Well, it's the first Samba release in the ports since 4.13, and it isn't marked as broken. I'm not sure why you'd look on the samba.org site to see if the FreeBSD port has defects, or why you'd give me a link link to the Samba wiki for 4.13 when I'm very clearly asking about 4.16. Source: over 2 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Webmin and Samba, you can also consider the following products

cPanel - With its first-class support and rich feature set, cPanel & WHM has been the web hosting industry's most reliable, intuitive control panel since 1997.

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

CyberPanel - CyberPanel is web hosting control which is based on OpenLiteSpeed.

FreeIPA - FreeIPA is an integrated security information management solution combining Linux (Fedora), 389...

Control Web Panel - (Former CentOS Web Panel) Free & PRO Linux Web Hosting Control Panel

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