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authentik vs WorkOS
WorkOS provides APIs for enterprise SSO and directory sync, not a full self-hosted provider.
Which to pick
Pick authentik if you want…
- Self-hosted SSO and identity management
- Open-source code (goauthentik/authentik on GitHub)
- Integrations with Kubernetes, Terraform or Docker Compose (on authentik's list, not WorkOS's)
Pick WorkOS if you want…
- Enterprise-ready auth and user provisioning
- Enterprise SSO APIs
- Integrations with Node.js, Ruby or Python (on WorkOS's list, not authentik's)
Side by side
- What it is
- authentik:authentik is an open-source, self-hosted identity provider offering SSO, MFA and access management.
- WorkOS:WorkOS provides APIs and SDKs for enterprise authentication, SSO, directory sync, audit logs and related features.
- Best for
- authentik:Self-hosted SSO and identity management
- WorkOS:Enterprise-ready auth and user provisioning
- Who it’s for
- authentik:DevOps teams, security engineers and organizations needing self-hosted auth.
- WorkOS:Developers building SaaS apps that need enterprise-grade auth and user management.
- Pricing
- authentik:Freemium
- WorkOS:Freemium
- Plans
- authentik:Open Source Free · Enterprise $5 / user / month per month (billed annually) · Enterprise Plus Starting at $20k annually per year
- WorkOS:Free $0
- Open source
- authentik:Yes, 25,875 GitHub stars
- WorkOS:—
- Works with
- authentik:Kubernetes, Terraform, Docker Compose, OIDC, SAML, OAuth2, LDAP, SCIM
- WorkOS:Node.js, Ruby, Python, Go, PHP, Java, .NET, cURL
authentik features
- Protocol Support. Provides OIDC, SAML, OAuth2, LDAP, SCIM, RADIUS, Kerberos and more.
- Conditional Access & MFA. Enforces multi-factor authentication and policy-based access controls.
- Customizable Workflows. Templates, IaC (Terraform, Docker Compose) and APIs let you tailor authentication flows.
- Privileged Access Management. Enterprise tier adds PAM for non-human identities and agent accounts.
- Audit & Compliance. Audit logging, FIPS compliance and exportable reports for GDPR, HIPAA, FedRAMP.
- Application Proxy & Remote Access. Web-based RDP/SSH, VNC and proxy support for legacy apps.
WorkOS features
- Single Sign-On. Add SAML or OIDC SSO with a single integration for any identity provider.
- Directory Sync. Sync user lifecycle via SCIM provisioning and HRIS integrations.
- AuthKit UI. Customizable authentication UI with social login, MFA, RBAC and more.
- Magic Auth. Passwordless login using a six-digit email code.
- Audit Logs. Capture, query and export compliance events from your app.
- Admin Portal. Hosted interface for IT admins to configure SSO and directory sync themselves.
authentik vs WorkOS FAQ
Is authentik or WorkOS free?+
authentik has a free plan (Open Source); paid plans start at $5/month per user (Enterprise). WorkOS has a free plan and paid plans.
Is authentik or WorkOS open source?+
authentik is open source (goauthentik/authentik on GitHub). DevHunt has no public source repository on record for WorkOS.
Do authentik and WorkOS integrate with the same tools?+
Their integration lists don't overlap: authentik lists Kubernetes, Terraform, Docker Compose, OIDC and 9 more; WorkOS lists Node.js, Ruby, Python, Go and 4 more.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.