Dex vs Janssen Project
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Dex | Janssen Project |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 90 · Excellent | 80 · Excellent |
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | kubernetes, helm |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,120 | ★ 649 |
| First released | 2016 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Okta, Auth0 | Okta, Auth0 |
What are Dex and Janssen Project?
Dex
Dex is an identity service that uses OpenID Connect to drive authentication for other applications. It acts as a portal to other identity providers through connectors such as LDAP, SAML and GitHub.
- OIDC federation broker
- Connectors for LDAP, SAML and GitHub
- Popular in Kubernetes environments
- Lightweight and stateless
Janssen Project
The Janssen Project is a Linux Foundation effort delivering a scalable, cloud-native identity and access management platform. It implements OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0, and FIDO standards for authentication and authorization.
- OpenID Connect provider
- OAuth 2.0 server
- FIDO2 and passkeys
- Cloud-native deployment
Dex vs Janssen Project: key differences
Dex is written in Go, while Janssen Project is built with Java. Dex is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for Janssen Project. Dex is the more established project (first released 2016), while Janssen Project arrived in 2020. Dex has the considerably larger community, at 11,120 GitHub stars versus 649. Dex lists first-class Docker deployment; Janssen Project does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Dex if…
- Great Kubernetes integration
- Simple and reliable
Watch out for
- No user management of its own
Choose Janssen Project if…
- Standards complete
- Built for scale
Watch out for
- Complex to operate
- Heavy resource needs
Frequently asked questions
Is Dex or Janssen Project better?
Dex is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Janssen Project if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Dex and Janssen Project free and open-source?
Yes. Dex is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Janssen Project under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dex and Janssen Project with Docker?
Dex: yes. Janssen Project: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Dex or Janssen Project?
Dex has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for Janssen Project. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.