Authentik vs Ory: which one to choose in 2026?
Both are open source alternatives to Auth0. We compare license, tech stack and features to help you decide which fits your team best.
| Authentik | Ory | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Auth & Identity | Auth & Identity |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| GitHub stars | ~25.3k | ~13.9k |
| Tech stack | Python, Go, PostgreSQL | Go, PostgreSQL |
| Replaces | Okta, Auth0 | Auth0, Cognito |
Authentik has more GitHub stars, which usually indicates a larger community (not necessarily that it's the best option for your use case).
Authentik
Flexible identity platform, a modern alternative to Okta/Auth0.
Pros
- Visual authentication flow editor and an application proxy with no code changes
Things to consider
- Requires Postgres and Redis in addition to the server itself
Ory
API-first identity suite, an alternative to Auth0/Cognito.
Pros
- Maximum flexibility to build your own login frontend
Things to consider
- Steeper learning curve since it ships with no ready-made UI
Key features
Authentik
- Visual authentication flow editor
- Application proxy with no code changes
- MFA and conditional access policies
Ory
- 100% API-first, no imposed UI
- Kratos (users) + Hydra (OAuth2/OIDC) separately
- Scales horizontally with a stateless app
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