Samba AD for small business: what it does and what it can't

Samba can act as an Active Directory domain controller that Windows PCs join. It is not a full copy of Windows Server. Here is what it does, what Samba's own documentation says is missing, and how a NetYard plan works around each gap.

What it does for a small shop

Windows 10 and 11 PCs join the domain and each person signs in with one password
Shared drives by team and a home folder per person
Group Policy, edited from a Windows PC with Microsoft's free RSAT tools
DNS for the office network
No client access licenses. Samba and Debian are free and open source

What Samba's own documentation says (checked October 19, 2026)

The Samba wiki FAQ says Samba AD is stable for production and that AD domain controller support arrived in version 4.0, released in December 2012.
The same FAQ says some features are unimplemented, such as Sysvol replication: Samba does not support the DFS-R protocol Windows uses to copy Sysvol between domain controllers.
It also says the Samba AD DC file service does not support network browsing, so Network Neighbourhood can look empty.
Samba's security documentation says password changes on a Samba read-only domain controller are rejected rather than passed on to a writable one.

How NetYard plans around each gap

Gap	What NetYard does
On-premises Exchange	Email stays in Google Workspace or Microsoft 365
Microsoft Enterprise CA	Not planned. We raise it on the call if a program needs one
Read-only domain controllers	Not planned for a single small office
Sysvol replication between DCs	Raised on the call if you need a second domain controller
Network browsing	Shares are mapped by group, so nobody has to browse for them
Windows-only server programs	Listed on the free call, before anything is bought

What NetYard does

NetYard writes the plan for free: addressing, a Samba Active Directory on Debian that Windows PCs join, shared drives by team, guest Wi-Fi on its own network, a WireGuard VPN stub, a shopping list, install scripts, a user CSV, and a runbook. If you would rather not run it yourself, First Deploy AI builds it from that same written plan for $1,750 setup ($875 to start), then $250/mo. Hardware is bought separately.

Stay on Windows Server if

You need on-premises Exchange or a Microsoft Enterprise CA
You run several sites that need read-only domain controllers
A line-of-business program only runs on a Windows server

A Samba plan fits if

One office, Windows PCs, shared drives, and printers
Email already lives in Google Workspace or Microsoft 365
You want to stop buying CALs

Get the free plan Book the free 30 Call +1 320-335-6186 Pay on Stripe

Questions

Is Samba AD stable enough for a small business?

The Samba wiki FAQ says Samba AD is stable for production environments, with AD DC support since version 4.0 in December 2012. Checked October 19, 2026.

What can Samba not do?

NetYard does not plan on-premises Exchange, a Microsoft Enterprise CA, or read-only domain controllers on Samba. Samba's docs also list Sysvol replication and network browsing as unimplemented. Email stays in Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.

Can Windows PCs still get Group Policy?

Yes. Windows PCs joined to a Samba domain receive Group Policy, and you edit policies from a Windows PC with Microsoft's free RSAT tools.

Sources

Plain-text sources, no outbound links. Each was read on the date shown. Prices change, so check before you buy.

Samba: Samba wiki FAQ (production stability, version 4.0 in December 2012, Sysvol/DFS-R, browsing), checked October 19, 2026.
Samba: Samba wiki, Samba Security Documentation (read-only domain controller password changes), checked October 19, 2026.
NetYard: this site's home page, pricing card, and FAQ ($1,750 setup ($875 to start), then $250/mo; the plan, shopping list, and scripts are free with no account), checked October 19, 2026.