Authorizer vs Hanko
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
Hanko
Passkey-first authentication for modern applications
| Feature | Authorizer | Hanko |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,977 | ★ 9,002 |
| First released | 2021 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Auth0, Firebase Authentication | Auth0, Clerk |
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)
Choose Hanko if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 9k GitHub stars
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is Authorizer or Hanko better?
Neither is universally better. Hanko 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 Hanko free and open-source?
Yes. Authorizer is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Hanko under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Authorizer and Hanko with Docker?
Authorizer: yes. Hanko: yes.