Casdoor vs Shibboleth Identity Provider
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Casdoor | Shibboleth Identity Provider |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | bare-metal, docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 14,465 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2021 | 2003 |
| Replaces | Auth0, Okta | Okta, Ping Identity |
What are Casdoor and Shibboleth Identity Provider?
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
Shibboleth Identity Provider
The Shibboleth Identity Provider is an open-source SAML identity provider widely used in research and education federations. It enables secure single sign-on and attribute release across organizations.
- SAML 2.0 identity provider
- Attribute resolution and release policies
- Federation metadata support
- Used by academic federations worldwide
Casdoor vs Shibboleth Identity Provider: key differences
Casdoor is written in Go, while Shibboleth Identity Provider is built with Java. Casdoor is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Shibboleth Identity Provider. Shibboleth Identity Provider is the more established project (first released 2003), while Casdoor arrived in 2021. Casdoor has the considerably larger community, at 14,465 GitHub stars versus 200.
Why pick each one
Choose Casdoor if…
- Polished out-of-the-box UI
- Broad protocol support
Watch out for
- Documentation can be uneven
Choose Shibboleth Identity Provider if…
- Gold standard for SAML federations
- Highly configurable
Watch out for
- Complex setup
- SAML-centric
Frequently asked questions
Is Casdoor or Shibboleth Identity Provider better?
Casdoor is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Shibboleth Identity Provider if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Casdoor and Shibboleth Identity Provider free and open-source?
Yes. Casdoor is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Shibboleth Identity Provider under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Casdoor and Shibboleth Identity Provider with Docker?
Casdoor: yes. Shibboleth Identity Provider: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Casdoor or Shibboleth Identity Provider?
Casdoor has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Shibboleth Identity Provider. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.