Open Source Microsoft Active Directory Alternatives
The best open source alternative to Microsoft Active Directory is Zentyal. It's not free, so if you're looking for a free alternative, you could try Samba or Univention Corporate Server. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 10 alternatives to Microsoft Active Directory and 12 is open source so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source alternatives to Microsoft Active Directory are FreeIPA, OpenLDAP, 389 Directory Server and GLAuth.
Microsoft Active Directory alternatives are mainly Identity Management Tools but may also be Linux Distros or Operating Systems. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Microsoft Active Directory.Zentyal
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo27 Zentyal alternatives- Paid • Open Source
- Mail Server
- Linux Distro
- Linux
Zentyal is a native Microsoft Active Directory implementation on Linux incorporating all the network services required in a small and medium business environment: Directory & Domain Server, Mail Server, Gateway and Infrastructure Server.
- - Zentyal is the most popular Linux alternative to Microsoft Active Directory.
- - Zentyal is the most popular Open Source & commercial alternative to Microsoft Active Directory.
Zentyal Features
Comments about Zentyal as a Alternative to Microsoft Active Directory
100% drop-in replacement, tried and tested by yours truely.
0It's free and easy to use.
-2Samba is the standard Windows interoperability suite of programs for Linux and Unix. Since 1992, Samba has provided secure, stable and fast file and print services for all clients using the SMB/CIFS protocol, such as all versions of DOS and Windows, OS/2, Linux and many others.
- - Samba is the most popular Mac alternative to Microsoft Active Directory.
- - Samba is the most popular free alternative to Microsoft Active Directory.
Samba Features
Comments about Samba as a Alternative to Microsoft Active Directory
It's literally a reimplementation of AD on Linux. Samba has been around for many years and is trusted by thousands of admins to provide seamless Windows interoperability.
1Univention Corporate Server
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Linux Distro
- Operating System
92 Univention Corporate Server alternatives- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
Univention Corporate Server is a pre-configured platform to operate and manage server applications and complete IT infrastructures free of charge. It is optimal to provide Microsoft Server-like services on the cloud or on premises, to run and operate corporate IT environments...
- - Univention Corporate Server is the most popular Windows alternative to Microsoft Active Directory.
Univention Corporate Server Features
Comments about Univention Corporate Server as a Alternative to Microsoft Active Directory
it works flawless and it's free as long you don't need commercial support. Companies can get professional support from UCS or UCS Partners. It is the most complete alternative to MS ADS.
0FreeIPA is an integrated security information management solution combining Linux (Fedora), 389 Directory Server, MIT Kerberos, NTP, DNS, Dogtag (Certificate System). It consists of a web interface and command-line administration tools.
FreeIPA Features
Comments about FreeIPA as a Alternative to Microsoft Active Directory
not only completely free its the only one i implimented and joined linux hosts to it. all the rest failed to deliver.
0OpenLDAP Software is an open source implementation of the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol.
389 Directory Server
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo8 389 Directory Server alternatives- Free • Open Source
- Linux
- CentOS
- Fedora
Enterprise-class open source Linux LDAP server. Hardened by real-world use, full-featured, supports multi-master replication. 389 DS can be downloaded for free and set up in less than an hour using the graphical console.
Go-lang LDAP Authentication (GLAuth) is a secure, easy-to-use, LDAP server with configurable backends.
It's an active directory replacement built on CentOS + Samaba4. Includes support for Directory, DNS, DCHP, and NTP type services.
OpenDJ
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo10 OpenDJ alternatives- Free • Open Source
- Windows
- Linux
- Self-Hosted
OpenDJ is a directory server which implements a wide range of Lightweight Directory Access Protocol and related standards, including full compliance with LDAPv3 but also support for Directory Service Markup Language (DSMLv2).
OpenDJ Features
ApacheDS
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo10 ApacheDS alternatives- Free • Open Source
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
ApacheDS™ is an extensible and embeddable directory server entirely written in Java, which has been certified LDAPv3 compatible by the Open Group. Besides LDAP it supports Kerberos 5 and the Change Password Protocol.