Apache Syncope vs Open Policy Agent
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Apache Syncope
Open-source system for managing digital identities
VS
Open Policy Agent
General-purpose policy engine for cloud-native stacks
| Feature | Apache Syncope | Open Policy Agent |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Java | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 336 | ★ 12,086 |
| First released | 2012 | 2016 |
| Replaces | SailPoint, Okta | AWS IAM policies |
Why pick each one
Choose Open Policy Agent if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 12.1k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache Syncope or Open Policy Agent better?
Open Policy Agent is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Apache Syncope if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Apache Syncope and Open Policy Agent free and open-source?
Yes. Apache Syncope is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Open Policy Agent under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Apache Syncope and Open Policy Agent with Docker?
Apache Syncope: yes. Open Policy Agent: yes.