authentik vs Nginx Proxy Manager
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted reverse proxy & gateways options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
authentik
Open-source identity provider with proxy outpost
VS
Nginx Proxy Manager
Easy reverse proxy management with a web UI and free SSL
| Feature | authentik | Nginx Proxy Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, helm | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 23,666 | ★ 33,804 |
| First released | 2020 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Okta, Auth0 | Cloudflare |
Why pick each one
Choose authentik if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 23.7k GitHub stars
Choose Nginx Proxy Manager if…
- Beginner-friendly
- Free certificates built in
Frequently asked questions
Is authentik or Nginx Proxy Manager better?
Nginx Proxy Manager is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider authentik if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are authentik and Nginx Proxy Manager free and open-source?
Yes. authentik is licensed under MIT and Nginx Proxy Manager under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run authentik and Nginx Proxy Manager with Docker?
authentik: yes. Nginx Proxy Manager: yes.