Casdoor vs WSO2 Identity Server
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Casdoor | WSO2 Identity Server |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 94 · Excellent | 80 · Excellent |
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 14,465 | ★ 880 |
| First released | 2021 | 2007 |
| Replaces | Auth0, Okta | Okta, ForgeRock |
What are Casdoor and WSO2 Identity Server?
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
WSO2 Identity Server
WSO2 Identity Server is an open-source IAM product that provides single sign-on, identity federation, and strong authentication. It supports SAML, OpenID Connect, and adaptive authentication policies.
- Single sign-on
- Identity federation
- Adaptive authentication
- Standards support
Casdoor vs WSO2 Identity Server: key differences
Casdoor is written in Go, while WSO2 Identity Server is built with Java. Casdoor is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for WSO2 Identity Server. WSO2 Identity Server is the more established project (first released 2007), while Casdoor arrived in 2021. Casdoor has the considerably larger community, at 14,465 GitHub stars versus 880.
Why pick each one
Choose Casdoor if…
- Polished out-of-the-box UI
- Broad protocol support
Watch out for
- Documentation can be uneven
Choose WSO2 Identity Server if…
- Enterprise feature set
- Strong standards coverage
Watch out for
- Resource heavy
- Complex tuning
Frequently asked questions
Is Casdoor or WSO2 Identity Server better?
Casdoor is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider WSO2 Identity Server if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Casdoor and WSO2 Identity Server free and open-source?
Yes. Casdoor is licensed under Apache-2.0 and WSO2 Identity Server under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Casdoor and WSO2 Identity Server with Docker?
Casdoor: yes. WSO2 Identity Server: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Casdoor or WSO2 Identity Server?
Casdoor has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for WSO2 Identity Server. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.