Dex 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 | Dex | 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 | 128 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | bare-metal, docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,120 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2016 | 2003 |
| Replaces | Okta, Auth0 | Okta, Ping Identity |
What are Dex and Shibboleth Identity Provider?
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
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
Dex vs Shibboleth Identity Provider: key differences
Dex is written in Go, while Shibboleth Identity Provider is built with Java. Dex is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Shibboleth Identity Provider. Shibboleth Identity Provider is the more established project (first released 2003), while Dex arrived in 2016. Dex has the considerably larger community, at 11,120 GitHub stars versus 200.
Why pick each one
Choose Dex if…
- Great Kubernetes integration
- Simple and reliable
Watch out for
- No user management of its own
Choose Shibboleth Identity Provider if…
- Gold standard for SAML federations
- Highly configurable
Watch out for
- Complex setup
- SAML-centric
Frequently asked questions
Is Dex or Shibboleth Identity Provider better?
Dex 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 Dex and Shibboleth Identity Provider free and open-source?
Yes. Dex 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 Dex and Shibboleth Identity Provider with Docker?
Dex: yes. Shibboleth Identity Provider: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Dex or Shibboleth Identity Provider?
Dex has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 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.