Casdoor vs LemonLDAP::NG
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Casdoor | LemonLDAP::NG |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 94 · Excellent | 41 · Fair |
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Perl |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 14,465 | ★ 84 |
| First released | 2021 | 2005 |
| Replaces | Auth0, Okta | Okta, PingFederate |
What are Casdoor and LemonLDAP::NG?
Casdoor
Casdoor is an open-source identity and access management platform with a strong focus on a friendly user interface. It supports OAuth2, OIDC, SAML, CAS, LDAP and many social login providers.
- Supports OAuth, SAML, CAS and LDAP
- Dozens of built-in social login providers
- Multi-tenant organization support
- Web-based admin and login UI
LemonLDAP::NG
LemonLDAP::NG is an open-source Web SSO, access management, and identity federation product. It supports SAML, OpenID Connect, and CAS, and protects web applications behind a configurable portal.
- Web SSO portal
- SAML and OIDC support
- CAS protocol
- Fine-grained access rules
Casdoor vs LemonLDAP::NG: key differences
Casdoor is written in Go, while LemonLDAP::NG is built with Perl. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Casdoor versus GPL-2.0 for LemonLDAP::NG. Casdoor is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for LemonLDAP::NG. LemonLDAP::NG is the more established project (first released 2005), while Casdoor arrived in 2021. Casdoor has the considerably larger community, at 14,465 GitHub stars versus 84.
Why pick each one
Choose Casdoor if…
- Polished out-of-the-box UI
- Broad protocol support
Watch out for
- Documentation can be uneven
Choose LemonLDAP::NG if…
- Mature and full-featured
- Many protocol options
Watch out for
- Complex configuration
- Perl stack is uncommon
Frequently asked questions
Is Casdoor or LemonLDAP::NG better?
Casdoor is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider LemonLDAP::NG if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Casdoor and LemonLDAP::NG free and open-source?
Yes. Casdoor is licensed under Apache-2.0 and LemonLDAP::NG under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Casdoor and LemonLDAP::NG with Docker?
Casdoor: yes. LemonLDAP::NG: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Casdoor or LemonLDAP::NG?
Casdoor has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for LemonLDAP::NG. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.