Authorizer vs Dex
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?
Authorizer
Open-source auth solution with a ready-made UI
VS
Dex
OpenID Connect identity provider with pluggable connectors
| Feature | Authorizer | Dex |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,977 | ★ 11,019 |
| First released | 2021 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Auth0, Firebase Authentication | Okta, Auth0 |
Why pick each one
Choose Authorizer if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Authorizer or Dex better?
Neither is universally better. Dex has the larger community, while Authorizer is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Authorizer and Dex free and open-source?
Yes. Authorizer is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Dex under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Authorizer and Dex with Docker?
Authorizer: yes. Dex: yes.