Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Zentyal VS NethServer

Compare Zentyal VS NethServer and see what are their differences

Zentyal logo Zentyal

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

NethServer logo NethServer

NethServer is an operating system for Linux enthusiasts, designed for small offices and medium...
  • Zentyal Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-06-16
  • NethServer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-19

Zentyal features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Zentyal is designed to be user-friendly, providing a GUI for managing its features which makes it accessible even for those with limited Linux experience.
  • Integrated Services
    Zentyal integrates multiple services (LDAP, DNS, DHCP, VPN, etc.) within a single platform, simplifying network management.
  • Active Directory Integration
    Zentyal offers seamless integration with Microsoft Active Directory, making it a viable option for organizations looking to manage Windows clients.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source product, Zentyal provides transparency, customization, and cost-effectiveness compared to proprietary solutions.
  • Regular Updates
    Zentyal offers regular updates and improvements, ensuring that the system remains secure and up-to-date with current standards.
  • Community Support
    A strong community backing provides forums and resources that can help troubleshoot and solve problems that users might encounter.

Possible disadvantages of Zentyal

  • Limited Advanced Features
    While easy to use, Zentyal may lack some advanced features and flexibility needed by more complex or specialized IT environments.
  • Performance Overhead
    The integrated services and graphical interface can introduce a performance overhead compared to more streamlined and specialized solutions.
  • Support Costs
    Although the software itself is free, professional support and certain advanced features may require a paid subscription.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Configurations
    While basic setups are straightforward, more advanced or customized configurations may still require a deep understanding of the underlying technologies.
  • Hardware Compatibility
    Being a Linux-based system, Zentyal may have compatibility issues with certain hardware, necessitating careful planning and potentially additional troubleshooting.
  • Update Management
    Sometimes updates can introduce bugs or issues, necessitating rigorous testing before deployment in a production environment.

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.

Analysis of Zentyal

Overall verdict

  • Zentyal is generally a good option for those seeking an all-in-one server solution with an emphasis on simplicity and integration. However, like any software, its effectiveness largely depends on the specific requirements of the user. Those with complex, highly customized environments might find Zentyal limiting.

Why this product is good

  • Zentyal is considered good by many users due to its ease of use, especially for those who are not deeply familiar with Linux server environments. It provides a web-based interface for managing various server functionalities like email, Active Directory, DNS, and others, making it accessible for small businesses and IT admins. It combines the robustness of Ubuntu with specific adaptations that cater to network administrators’ needs.

Recommended for

    Zentyal is recommended for small to medium-sized businesses, educational institutions, and IT departments looking for a straightforward, integrated server solution. It is particularly useful for those needing a manageable learning curve while implementing features like directory services, mail servers, and network management.

Zentyal videos

Product Review - Zentyal Server 5.1 (Development Version)

More videos:

  • Review - Zentyal 6.0 Linux based Small Business Server Install & base Config
  • Review - Zentyal Domain Controller - Basically Free Active Directory!

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]

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Zentyal and NethServer)
Cloud Computing
61 61%
39% 39
Cloud Storage
54 54%
46% 46
Storage
51 51%
49% 49
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 Zentyal and NethServer

Zentyal Reviews

15 Best iRedMail Alternatives 2021
Zentyal supports CardDAV and CalDAV protocols which enable calendar and contact synchronization in a similar manner as iRedMail. Like its counterpart, Zentyal also provides built-in antispam and antivirus filters, as well as integrated TSL/SSL support.

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.

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.

Zentyal mentions (0)

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

NethServer mentions (1)

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

What are some alternatives?

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

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

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

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.

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

pfSense - pfSense is a free and open source firewall and router that also features unified threat management, load balancing, multi WAN, and more

Thinstation - Thinstation is a basic and small, yet very powerful, open source thin client operating system...