Windows Server Essentials vs SME Server

Struggling to choose between Windows Server Essentials and SME Server? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Windows Server Essentials is a Network & Admin solution with tags like windows, microsoft, small-business, file-sharing, print-sharing, backup, remote-access, centralized-management.

It boasts features such as File and printer sharing, Remote desktop access, PC backup, Shared folders, Email server, VPN access, Centralized device management and pros including Easy to set up and manage, Good for small businesses, Integrates with Office 365, Remote access capabilities, Automatic PC backup.

On the other hand, SME Server is a Network & Admin product tagged with linux, centos, email, web-hosting, firewall.

Its standout features include Web server (Apache), Mail server (Postfix), Firewall, VPN, File sharing, Intrusion detection, Antivirus, Antispam, Webmail (Horde), Groupware (Kolab), Monitoring tools, and it shines with pros like Easy to install and configure, Good selection of preconfigured services, Active community support, Free and open source.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Windows Server Essentials

Windows Server Essentials

Windows Server Essentials is a simplified server operating system from Microsoft aimed at small businesses. It provides core server features like file and printer sharing, backup, remote access, and centralized management.

Categories:
windows microsoft small-business file-sharing print-sharing backup remote-access centralized-management

Windows Server Essentials Features

  1. File and printer sharing
  2. Remote desktop access
  3. PC backup
  4. Shared folders
  5. Email server
  6. VPN access
  7. Centralized device management

Pricing

  • Subscription-Based

Pros

Easy to set up and manage

Good for small businesses

Integrates with Office 365

Remote access capabilities

Automatic PC backup

Cons

Limited to 25 users and 50 devices

Less features than full Windows Server

Requires separate CALs for remote access

No hypervisors included

Limited expandability


SME Server

SME Server

SME Server is an open source Linux distribution based on CentOS designed for easy deployment of servers for small and medium businesses. It includes pre-configured applications like email, web hosting, firewall, etc.

Categories:
linux centos email web-hosting firewall

SME Server Features

  1. Web server (Apache)
  2. Mail server (Postfix)
  3. Firewall
  4. VPN
  5. File sharing
  6. Intrusion detection
  7. Antivirus
  8. Antispam
  9. Webmail (Horde)
  10. Groupware (Kolab)
  11. Monitoring tools

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Easy to install and configure

Good selection of preconfigured services

Active community support

Free and open source

Cons

Limited scalability for large deployments

Relies on older versions of some software components

Limited selection of supported hardware