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.
Not the right match-up?
Dex
OpenID Connect identity provider with pluggable connectors
VS
Shibboleth Identity Provider
Standards-based SAML identity provider for federations
| Feature | Dex | Shibboleth Identity Provider |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ★ 11,019 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2016 | 2003 |
| Replaces | Okta, Auth0 | Okta, Ping Identity |
Why pick each one
Choose Shibboleth Identity Provider if…
- Gold standard for SAML federations
- Highly configurable
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.