Dex 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 | Dex | LemonLDAP::NG |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 90 · Excellent | 41 · Fair |
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Perl |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,120 | ★ 84 |
| First released | 2016 | 2005 |
| Replaces | Okta, Auth0 | Okta, PingFederate |
What are Dex and LemonLDAP::NG?
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
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
Dex vs LemonLDAP::NG: key differences
Dex is written in Go, while LemonLDAP::NG is built with Perl. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Dex versus GPL-2.0 for LemonLDAP::NG. Dex is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for LemonLDAP::NG. LemonLDAP::NG is the more established project (first released 2005), while Dex arrived in 2016. Dex has the considerably larger community, at 11,120 GitHub stars versus 84.
Why pick each one
Choose Dex if…
- Great Kubernetes integration
- Simple and reliable
Watch out for
- No user management of its own
Choose LemonLDAP::NG if…
- Mature and full-featured
- Many protocol options
Watch out for
- Complex configuration
- Perl stack is uncommon
Frequently asked questions
Is Dex or LemonLDAP::NG better?
Dex 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 Dex and LemonLDAP::NG free and open-source?
Yes. Dex 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 Dex and LemonLDAP::NG with Docker?
Dex: yes. LemonLDAP::NG: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Dex or LemonLDAP::NG?
Dex has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for LemonLDAP::NG. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.