Authelia vs OAuth2 Proxy
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted reverse proxy & gateways options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Authelia
Authentication and authorization server for reverse proxies
VS
OAuth2 Proxy
Reverse proxy that adds authentication to any web app
| Feature | Authelia | OAuth2 Proxy |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 98 · Excellent | 95 · Excellent |
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 29,069 | ★ 14,998 |
| First released | 2017 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Okta, Cloudflare Access | Cloudflare Access |
What are Authelia and OAuth2 Proxy?
Authelia
Authelia is an open-source authentication and authorization server providing single sign-on and two-factor authentication via a companion to reverse proxies. It protects applications behind the proxy.
- SSO and 2FA portal
- Works with major reverse proxies
- Fine-grained access rules
- LDAP and file backends
OAuth2 Proxy
OAuth2 Proxy is a reverse proxy and static file server that adds OAuth and OIDC authentication in front of upstream applications. It protects services that lack their own login.
- Adds OAuth/OIDC to any app
- Many identity providers
- Forward-auth mode
- Lightweight Go binary
Authelia vs OAuth2 Proxy: key differences
Both projects are written in Go. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Authelia versus MIT for OAuth2 Proxy. OAuth2 Proxy is the more established project (first released 2015), while Authelia arrived in 2017.
Why pick each one
Choose Authelia if…
- Strong 2FA options
- Lightweight Go binary
- Fine-grained access rules
Watch out for
- Extensive YAML configuration
- Needs reverse proxy integration
Choose OAuth2 Proxy if…
- Works with any upstream
- Broad provider support
- Kubernetes friendly
Watch out for
- Many flags to learn
- Limited authorization rules
Frequently asked questions
Is Authelia or OAuth2 Proxy better?
Neither is universally better. Authelia has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Authelia and OAuth2 Proxy free and open-source?
Yes. Authelia is licensed under Apache-2.0 and OAuth2 Proxy under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Authelia and OAuth2 Proxy with Docker?
Authelia: yes. OAuth2 Proxy: yes.