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NethServer vs Windows Server comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 29, 2026

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

NethServer
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
33rd
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Windows Server
Ranking in Operating Systems (OS) for Business
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
197
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category, the mindshare of NethServer is 0.5%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Windows Server is 6.6%, down from 10.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Operating Systems (OS) for Business Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Windows Server6.6%
NethServer0.5%
Other92.9%
Operating Systems (OS) for Business
 

Featured Reviews

Raj Ashish - PeerSpot reviewer
Founder - Director (Technology Business) at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Use of NethServer as DNS and DHCP along with Domain controller and multiple NIC cards
Few of the pointers marked below on the products improvement(s).. - A separate documentation section should be there for custom/DIY application installations and how to make it a part of hosted menu. - More work needs to be done on UI. - Some work would be required to allow systems integrators to configure LVMs and RAID with ease. - Preparing the HDD/SSD to ready to be used and to create Partition takes hell-lot-of time, this needs more work to be done. - NethServer 7.9.xxx is EOL, 8 is already in making, hope for the best! - CAPTCHA security code - capabilities should be added.
reviewer2848875 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT at a retailer with 11-50 employees
Centralized controls have improved security and simplify user management across our environment
One area where Windows Server could be improved is in simplifying administration and troubleshooting. While Windows Server is powerful, diagnosing issues related to group policy, DNS, replication, and authentication can sometimes be complex and time-consuming. I would prefer to see more intuitive management dashboards, better built-in monitoring and reporting tools, and integration with cloud service-enhanced automation features for routine administrative tasks. This would further reduce manual effort and improve efficiency. Overall, Windows Server is a reliable platform, but making management and troubleshooting more streamlined would help IT teams save time and improve productivity. Another area for improvement is documentation and update management. While Microsoft provides extensive documentation, finding the most relevant troubleshooting information can sometimes be challenging for complex issues involving Active Directory, DNS, or group policy. Updates are important for security, but some updates require careful testing and planning to avoid unexpected impacts on production environments. More detailed pre-update impact analysis and simplified rollback options would be beneficial. Overall, Windows Server is a robust platform, but improvements in documentation, troubleshooting guidance, update management, and administrative automation would further enhance the experience for IT professionals.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Most important advantage of NethServer is - it gives "one-stop-solution" for SMB's, MsMe's and Startup businesses all-at-one place with virtually no cost other than the setup cost and the quality of the product is appreciable and acceptable with no vendor-lock-in."
"The solution is very stable."
"The solution is straightforward to install and took approximately 30 minutes."
"The product integrates well with Sophos."
"The deployment can be done with rapidity and much ease."
"The performance is very good."
"The solution is extremely stable and the performance has been great."
"The product is very good for those that are integrating a lot of Microsoft products."
"The most valuable features of this solution are its performance, security, and that it is easy to use."
 

Cons

"Preparing the HDD/SSD to ready to be used and to create Partition takes hell-lot-of time, this needs more work to be done."
"The solution should improve its stability."
"The solution could have better security features."
"The Entra ID Connect syncing tool could be improved. Though they moved the service to Azure and use an agent instead of having a dedicated server, it remains cumbersome to set up due to the differences between Entra ID and Active Directory."
"The optimization of the scalability could improve."
"The price of the solution should be less expensive."
"The security is not good. Windows Server has never been secure."
"Intrusive 'You have updates' notification can be annoying -- as it blocks the middle of the screen, but this can be turned off."
"We are finding some of the configurations inside the group policy not very straightforward. We had some difficulties, for example, just trying to figure out how to configure and how to block the usage of MP3 files, and so on."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"We have an enterprise agreement with Microsoft and the price for the license is bundled together. The solution is expensive but for the bank that is using it, the price is fine. We pay for a license every three years."
"The Windows Server standard edition is affordable."
"Windows Server's whole licensing model is complex because if you have, for example, Microsoft Office and end-user applications installed on a server with a remote desktop, then the licensing can be complex. If the model could be simplified it would be better."
"We pay yearly for a license. If you ask any vendor they will tell you that it could be cheaper."
"There is a licensing fee."
"There is a license for Windows Server, but we have got the license from a local supplier, Black Neuron Technology. They also provide tech support locally."
"We pay these on an annual basis."
"In our case, we primarily use Microsoft, so the cost is a lot less. But some of our customers have spent approximately $12,000 a year on the operating system license."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Comms Service Provider
11%
Construction Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business79
Midsize Enterprise41
Large Enterprise89
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NethServer?
Very important! This you need to connect with us :), as it is highly depended on complexity of business needs, availability of associated Hardware's and how scalable you want the solution would be ...
What needs improvement with NethServer?
Few of the pointers marked below on the products improvement(s).. - A separate documentation section should be there for custom/DIY application installations and how to make it a part of hosted men...
What is your primary use case for NethServer?
Since last four years we have used NethServer 7.9.xxxx { by Nethesis SRL} (community editions...). Which is basically based on Rocky Linux. A well architected with web user interface and also suppo...
What needs improvement with Windows Server?
One area where Windows Server could be improved is in simplifying administration and troubleshooting. While Windows Server is powerful, diagnosing issues related to group policy, DNS, replication, ...
What is your primary use case for Windows Server?
Windows Server serves the primary use case of Active Directory administrator, user and groups management, file and print service, management service, maintenance, and IT infrastructure support.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Windows Server?
I think the licensing model of Microsoft products, including Windows Server, is not cheap. Microsoft has been guiding us for all the products toward a subscription model instead of a buying model. ...
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Rakuten, Rackspace, Tyco
Find out what your peers are saying about Red Hat, Canonical, Rocky Linux and others in Operating Systems (OS) for Business. Updated: October 2026.
919,341 professionals have used our research since 2012.