Is Zentyal really compatible with Active Directory?

Yes. Zentyal implements Active Directory natively, so Windows clients join the domain, authenticate and receive Group Policy exactly as they would against Windows Server — no third-party client agents required.

Do I need client access licenses (CALs)?

No. Every Zentyal Server edition covers unlimited users and devices. You pay per server, per year — or once, with a lifetime license.

Can I migrate an existing Windows Server domain?

Yes. Zentyal speaks the same protocols, so users, groups, shares and mailboxes can be moved over gradually. The migration guide and Zentyal support walk you through each step.

Where can I install it?

On your own hardware or in a virtual machine (VMware, Proxmox, Hyper-V, KVM) — and on a cloud instance if you prefer. Zentyal 8.1 is built on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.

What support do I get?

Commercial editions include security updates, version upgrades and access to the Zentyal support portal, with response times that depend on your edition.

Single on-premise server rack with rack-mounted Zentyal servers in an office utility room

Linux server · since 2004

Built for Windows environments

The easy Linux server your Windows network won't notice.

Zentyal Server drops into an existing Microsoft environment with native Active Directory compatibility, mail and network services — without client access licenses.

Start a free 15-day trial See pricing

No credit card required · Deploy in minutes

20+ years: of Linux server development
Unlimited: users and devices per license
Ubuntu LTS: base, with security updates and vendor support included

Current release: Zentyal 8.1 · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

What you get

Everything a small or mid-sized office server has to do.

Directory & domain

Native Active Directory implementation — join Windows clients, apply GPOs and manage users exactly as your admins already do.

Mail & groupware

A full SMTP/IMAP mail stack with webmail, shared calendars and contacts, ActiveSync and antispam built in.

Network & gateway

DNS, DHCP, firewall, VPN, HTTP proxy and CA — the infrastructure layer of the office in one interface.

One license, no CALs

Unlimited users and devices on every edition. Predictable yearly pricing, or a lifetime license if you prefer to own it.

Explore all features →

Migration

Leave Windows Server without leaving your users behind.

Zentyal speaks the same protocols your network already uses, so migration can become a weekend project rather than a re-platforming programme.

Read the migration guide

01
Download the trial
Grab the 15-day evaluation ISO and install on hardware or a VM in under 30 minutes.
02
Join your clients
Point Windows and Linux workstations at the new domain — no schema surprises.
03
Migrate and go live
Move mailboxes, shares and policies with guided documentation or Zentyal support.

Use cases

In production across councils, schools and SMBs.

All use cases →

Featured customer

“We opt for open source solutions because of the transparency and scalability they offer. Zentyal allows us to provide municipalities a complete office server that is easy to manage and adapts to their needs regardless of their size.”

Rafael Alonso — Head of ICT, Provincial Council of Toledo, Spain

Read the Toledo use case →

200: municipalities served
176: Zentyal servers deployed
100%: upgraded to commercial support

Advans Group

Engineering services · France

Advans Group chooses Zentyal to simplify and centralize their user management

“Thanks to Zentyal we can centralize the management of Users, Computers and Policies. As we can do this remotely, on-site service requests have dropped dramatically. This reduces…

Multi-siteCentralized users

Bartle & Gibson

Wholesale distribution · Canada

Bartle & Gibson deploy Zentyal for a fully integrated mail solution

“The Zentyal integrated LDAP server simplifies things in a few innocuous but very time saving ways. Honestly, that is my favourite feature. I hate having to do repetitive things…

500 employeesMail & groupware

Boreal Cobertura de Salud

Health insurance · Argentina

Boreal Cobertura de Salud uses Zentyal to manage all its network infrastructure simply and quickly

“The main function of Zentyal is Domain and Directory Server and File Server. Our favourite Zentyal feature is File Sharing. It provides us an easy and orderly manner to share one…

File sharingDirectory

From the Zentyal blog

All articles →

July 15, 2026

The five questions we get most.

See all questions →Zentyal vs Windows Server →Zentyal vs Samba AD →

Is Zentyal really compatible with Active Directory?: Yes. Zentyal implements Active Directory natively, so Windows clients join the domain, authenticate and receive Group Policy exactly as they would against Windows Server — no third-party client agents required.
Do I need client access licenses (CALs)?: No. Every Zentyal Server edition covers unlimited users and devices. You pay per server, per year — or once, with a lifetime license.
Can I migrate an existing Windows Server domain?: Yes. Zentyal speaks the same protocols, so users, groups, shares and mailboxes can be moved over gradually. The migration guide and Zentyal support walk you through each step.
Where can I install it?: On your own hardware or in a virtual machine (VMware, Proxmox, Hyper-V, KVM) — and on a cloud instance if you prefer. Zentyal 8.1 is built on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.
What support do I get?: Commercial editions include security updates, version upgrades and access to the Zentyal support portal, with response times that depend on your edition.

Try Zentyal Server free for 15 days.

Full commercial edition, no CALs, no obligation. Talk to us if you would rather see it running first.

Get the trial Contact sales