Kanidm vs Samba Active Directory DC
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Kanidm
Modern, simple and secure identity management server
VS
Samba Active Directory DC
Open-source Active Directory compatible domain controller
| Feature | Kanidm | Samba Active Directory DC |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | MPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Rust | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,404 | ★ 1,000 |
| First released | 2019 | 1992 |
| Replaces | Active Directory, Okta | Active Directory, Windows Server |
What are Kanidm and Samba Active Directory DC?
Kanidm
Kanidm is an identity management platform written in Rust, focused on simplicity, security and correctness. It provides authentication for web applications, Unix systems and LDAP-aware services.
- OAuth2 and OpenID Connect provider
- Passkey-first authentication
- Unix and LDAP integration
- Strong security defaults
Samba Active Directory DC
Samba can act as an Active Directory domain controller, providing centralized authentication, group policy and directory services for Windows and Linux clients. It is a free alternative to Windows Server domains.
- Active Directory compatible domain controller
- Kerberos and LDAP authentication
- Group policy support
- File and print services included
Kanidm vs Samba Active Directory DC: key differences
Kanidm is written in Rust, while Samba Active Directory DC is built with C. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for Kanidm versus GPL-3.0 for Samba Active Directory DC. Kanidm is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Samba Active Directory DC. Samba Active Directory DC is the more established project (first released 1992), while Kanidm arrived in 2019. Kanidm has the considerably larger community, at 5,404 GitHub stars versus 1,000.
Why pick each one
Choose Kanidm if…
- Memory safe and lightweight
- Excellent passwordless support
Watch out for
- Smaller ecosystem and tooling
Choose Samba Active Directory DC if…
- Drop-in AD replacement
- Mature and widely deployed
Watch out for
- Complex to configure correctly
Frequently asked questions
Is Kanidm or Samba Active Directory DC better?
Kanidm is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Samba Active Directory DC if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Kanidm and Samba Active Directory DC free and open-source?
Yes. Kanidm is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Samba Active Directory DC under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kanidm and Samba Active Directory DC with Docker?
Kanidm: yes. Samba Active Directory DC: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Kanidm or Samba Active Directory DC?
Kanidm has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Samba Active Directory DC. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.