Dex vs SuperTokens
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Dex | SuperTokens |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 90 · Excellent | 95 · Excellent |
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,120 | ★ 15,320 |
| First released | 2016 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Okta, Auth0 | Auth0, Firebase Auth |
What are Dex and SuperTokens?
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
SuperTokens
SuperTokens is an open-source authentication solution that handles login, sessions, social login and more. It can be self-hosted and offers SDKs and prebuilt UI components for rapid integration.
- Email/password and passwordless login
- Social and enterprise SSO
- Secure session management
- Prebuilt frontend components
Dex vs SuperTokens: key differences
Dex is written in Go, while SuperTokens is built with Java. Dex is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for SuperTokens. Dex is the more established project (first released 2016), while SuperTokens arrived in 2020.
Why pick each one
Choose Dex if…
- Great Kubernetes integration
- Simple and reliable
Watch out for
- No user management of its own
Choose SuperTokens if…
- Easy framework integration
- Good free self-hosted tier
Watch out for
- Some advanced features are paid
Frequently asked questions
Is Dex or SuperTokens better?
Neither is universally better. SuperTokens has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Dex and SuperTokens free and open-source?
Yes. Dex is licensed under Apache-2.0 and SuperTokens under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dex and SuperTokens with Docker?
Dex: yes. SuperTokens: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Dex or SuperTokens?
Dex has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for SuperTokens. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.