Authgear vs Casbin
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?
Authgear
Open-source authentication and user management server
VS
Casbin
Authorization library supporting many access control models
| Feature | Authgear | Casbin |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,951 | ★ 20,311 |
| First released | 2021 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Auth0, Firebase Auth | Auth0 RBAC |
Why pick each one
Choose Authgear if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Active community (2k GitHub stars)
Choose Casbin if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Mature project with 20.3k GitHub stars
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Authgear or Casbin better?
Casbin is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Authgear if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Authgear and Casbin free and open-source?
Yes. Authgear is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Casbin under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Authgear and Casbin with Docker?
Authgear: yes. Casbin: check the project docs for container support.