SHSelfHostIndex

Apache Syncope vs Shibboleth Identity Provider

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?
AP Apache Syncope Open-source system for managing digital identities VS SH Shibboleth Identity Provider Standards-based SAML identity provider for federations
FeatureApache SyncopeShibboleth Identity Provider
CategoryIdentity & SSOIdentity & SSO
LicenseApache-2.0Apache-2.0
LanguageJavaJava
Setup difficultyHardHard
Min. RAM2,048 MB1,024 MB
Deploymentdocker, kubernetes, bare-metalbare-metal, docker, source
GitHub stars★ 336★ 200
First released20122003
ReplacesSailPoint, OktaOkta, Ping Identity

Why pick each one

Choose Apache Syncope if…

  • Strong identity governance features
  • Standards based
Apache Syncope details

Choose Shibboleth Identity Provider if…

  • Gold standard for SAML federations
  • Highly configurable
Shibboleth Identity Provider details

Frequently asked questions

Is Apache Syncope or Shibboleth Identity Provider better?

Neither is universally better. Apache Syncope has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Apache Syncope and Shibboleth Identity Provider free and open-source?

Yes. Apache Syncope is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Shibboleth Identity Provider under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Apache Syncope and Shibboleth Identity Provider with Docker?

Apache Syncope: yes. Shibboleth Identity Provider: yes.

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