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Pocket ID alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Pocket ID: no password, LDAP or SAML support, and users without passkey-capable devices are left out. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Pocket ID, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Authelia currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Authelia logoAutheliaOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted4 of 466.5
2authentik logoauthentikOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted4 of 462.6
3Kanidm logoKanidmOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Linux4 of 459.6
4Keycloak logoKeycloakOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Linux, macOS +14 of 457.2
  1. Authelia logo

    1. AutheliaTop pick

    Best for: Homelab and small-server users who want SSO and 2FA in front of self-hosted apps

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Pocket ID

    Adds password plus 2FA and reverse-proxy protection for apps without OIDC.

    Pros

    • Tiny container and low memory use
    • Works with common reverse proxies for apps without their own login
    • OpenID Certified OIDC provider

    Cons

    • Configured through files, with no admin web UI
    • No built-in user self-registration
    • Fewer protocols than full identity platforms (no SAML)
    Visit Authelia Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    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 Authelia a good Pocket ID alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    Apache-2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    OIDC certification
    OpenID Certified
    Checked Oct 25, 2026authelia.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Container size
    Under 20 MB compressed
    Checked Oct 25, 2026authelia.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Deployment
    Companion to reverse proxies
    Checked Oct 25, 2026authelia.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. authentik logo

    2. authentik

    Best for: Self-hosters and IT teams who want one identity provider for web apps, LDAP and VPNs

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Pocket ID

    Much broader feature set, including LDAP, SAML and RADIUS.

    Pros

    • Covers OIDC, SAML, LDAP, RADIUS and proxy auth in one tool
    • Visual flows and Python policies for custom logic
    • Free open-source edition with no user limits

    Cons

    • Flow and stage concepts take time to learn
    • No managed cloud; you operate it yourself
    • Some enterprise features need a paid licence
    Visit authentik Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    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 authentik a good Pocket ID alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    Open-source edition, free
    Checked Oct 25, 2026goauthentik.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Protocols
    OIDC, SAML, LDAP, SCIM, RADIUS, Kerberos
    Checked Oct 25, 2026goauthentik.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Enterprise price
    $5 per user/month, billed annually
    Checked Oct 25, 2026goauthentik.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026goauthentik.io(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Kanidm logo

    3. Kanidm

    Best for: Technical teams that want one identity source for Linux servers, Wi-Fi and web SSO

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Linux

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Pocket ID

    Passkeys plus Linux login, SSH keys and RADIUS in one server.

    Pros

    • Covers Linux login, SSH keys, RADIUS and OIDC together
    • Passkeys supported as a first-class method
    • Memory-safe Rust codebase, free and open source

    Cons

    • Administration is mainly through the CLI
    • No SAML support
    • Volunteer-run with no commercial support
    Visit Kanidm Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    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 Kanidm a good Pocket ID alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    MPL-2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Language
    Rust
    Checked Oct 25, 2026kanidm.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Network auth
    RADIUS for Wi-Fi and VPN
    Checked Oct 25, 2026kanidm.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Linux integration
    Login with offline auth and SSH keys
    Checked Oct 25, 2026kanidm.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Keycloak logo

    4. Keycloak

    Best for: Organisations that want standards-based SSO on their own infrastructure at no licence cost

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Linux, macOS, Windows

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Pocket ID

    Full-featured identity server when you need passwords and federation too.

    Pros

    • Free and open source under Apache 2.0
    • Supports OIDC, OAuth 2.0 and SAML with LDAP and AD federation
    • Mature, widely deployed and well understood

    Cons

    • You run, scale and upgrade it yourself
    • Admin concepts and theming have a steep learning curve
    • Login pages look dated without custom themes
    Visit Keycloak 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 Keycloak a good Pocket ID alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    Apache-2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Protocols
    OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0, SAML
    Checked Oct 25, 2026keycloak.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Directory federation
    LDAP and Active Directory
    Checked Oct 25, 2026keycloak.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Deployment
    Container image for Docker, Podman, Kubernetes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026keycloak.org(opens source in a new tab)

The best Pocket ID alternative for…

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

Authelia logo

Best Pocket ID alternative for most people

Authelia

Adds password plus 2FA and reverse-proxy protection for apps without OIDC.

authentik logo

Best Pocket ID alternative for a free option

authentik

Much broader feature set, including LDAP, SAML and RADIUS.

Kanidm logo

Best Pocket ID alternative for open source

Kanidm

Passkeys plus Linux login, SSH keys and RADIUS in one server.

Keycloak logo

Best Pocket ID alternative for self-hosting

Keycloak

Full-featured identity server when you need passwords and federation too.

Keycloak logo

Best Pocket ID alternative for Mac

Keycloak

Full-featured identity server when you need passwords and federation too.

Keycloak logo

Best Pocket ID alternative for Windows

Keycloak

Full-featured identity server when you need passwords and federation too.

Kanidm logo

Best Pocket ID alternative for Linux

Kanidm

Passkeys plus Linux login, SSH keys and RADIUS in one server.

Pocket ID alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Pocket ID?

Authelia ranks first right now. Adds password plus 2FA and reverse-proxy protection for apps without OIDC. authentik and Kanidm follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Pocket ID?

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

Is there an open-source alternative to Pocket ID?

Yes: Authelia, authentik, Kanidm and Keycloak. Authelia, authentik and Kanidm can also be self-hosted.

Which Pocket ID alternatives work on Linux?

Kanidm and Keycloak run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Pocket ID?

The complaints we hear most: no password, LDAP or SAML support; users without passkey-capable devices are left out; community project without commercial support.

How is this list ranked?

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