Boundary 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?
Boundary
Identity-based secure access to systems and services
VS
Pocket ID
Simple OIDC provider that uses only passkeys
| Feature | Boundary | Pocket ID |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | BUSL-1.1 | BSD-2-Clause |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,055 | ★ 8,737 |
| First released | 2020 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Teleport, StrongDM | Auth0, Authelia |
Why pick each one
Choose Boundary if…
- Released under the BUSL-1.1 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (4.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
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 Boundary or Pocket ID better?
Pocket ID is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Boundary if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Boundary and Pocket ID free and open-source?
Yes. Boundary is licensed under BUSL-1.1 and Pocket ID under BSD-2-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Boundary and Pocket ID with Docker?
Boundary: yes. Pocket ID: yes.