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authentik alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave authentik: flow and stage concepts take time to learn, and no managed cloud; you operate it yourself. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces authentik, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Keycloak currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Zitadel logoZitadelOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 457.2
  1. Zitadel logo

    1. ZitadelTop pick

    Best for: B2B SaaS teams that want multi-tenant identity with the option to self-host

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from authentik

    Open-source with a managed cloud option if you want to stop self-hosting.

    Pros

    • Multi-tenancy and delegated admin built into the core
    • Choice of managed cloud or self-hosting the same code
    • Full audit trail from its event-sourced design

    Cons

    • AGPL licence may need legal review for some companies
    • Smaller community than Keycloak
    • Free cloud tier is limited in daily active users
    Visit Zitadel Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Zitadel a good authentik alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    AGPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    $0/month cloud tier
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zitadel.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Pro price
    $100/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zitadel.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Data location
    EU, US, Switzerland or Australia
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zitadel.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best authentik alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Keycloak logo

Best authentik alternative for most people

Keycloak

More widely deployed in enterprises, with a large body of documentation.

Authelia logo

Best authentik alternative for a free option

Authelia

Much lighter option when you mainly need SSO and 2FA in front of a reverse proxy.

Pocket ID logo

Best authentik alternative for open source

Pocket ID

Far simpler passkey-only OIDC provider for small teams and homelabs.

Zitadel logo

Best authentik alternative for self-hosting

Zitadel

Open-source with a managed cloud option if you want to stop self-hosting.

Keycloak logo

Best authentik alternative for Mac

Keycloak

More widely deployed in enterprises, with a large body of documentation.

Keycloak logo

Best authentik alternative for Windows

Keycloak

More widely deployed in enterprises, with a large body of documentation.

Kanidm logo

Best authentik alternative for Linux

Kanidm

Rust-based identity server with Linux login and SSH key distribution built in.

Zitadel logo

Best authentik alternative for working in the browser

Zitadel

Open-source with a managed cloud option if you want to stop self-hosting.

authentik alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to authentik?

Keycloak ranks first right now. More widely deployed in enterprises, with a large body of documentation. Authelia and Pocket ID follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to authentik?

Yes. Keycloak (open source), Authelia (open source), Pocket ID (open source) and Zitadel (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to authentik?

Yes: Keycloak, Authelia, Pocket ID and Zitadel, plus 1 more in the list above. Keycloak, Authelia and Pocket ID can also be self-hosted.

Which authentik alternatives work on Linux?

Keycloak and Kanidm run on Linux.

Why do people switch from authentik?

The complaints we hear most: flow and stage concepts take time to learn; no managed cloud; you operate it yourself; some enterprise features need a paid licence.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces authentik, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.