Authgear vs Pocket ID
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
Pocket ID
Simple OIDC provider that uses only passkeys
| Feature | Authgear | Pocket ID |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | BSD-2-Clause |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,951 | ★ 8,737 |
| First released | 2021 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Auth0, Firebase Auth | Auth0, Authelia |
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 Pocket ID if…
- Released under the BSD-2-Clause license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 8.7k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Authgear or Pocket ID better?
Pocket ID is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Authgear if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Authgear and Pocket ID free and open-source?
Yes. Authgear is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Pocket ID under BSD-2-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Authgear and Pocket ID with Docker?
Authgear: yes. Pocket ID: yes.