SHSelfHostIndex

FreeIPA vs SuperTokens

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?
FR FreeIPA Integrated identity management for Linux and Unix environments VS SU SuperTokens Open-source user authentication you can self-host
FeatureFreeIPASuperTokens
CategoryIdentity & SSOIdentity & SSO
LicenseGPL-3.0Apache-2.0
LanguagePythonJava
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM2,048 MB512 MB
Deploymentbare-metal, sourcedocker, binary
GitHub stars★ 1,252★ 15,250
First released20082020
ReplacesActive DirectoryAuth0, Firebase Auth

Why pick each one

Choose FreeIPA if…

  • All-in-one identity stack
  • Strong Linux integration
FreeIPA details

Choose SuperTokens if…

  • Easy framework integration
  • Good free self-hosted tier
SuperTokens details

Frequently asked questions

Is FreeIPA or SuperTokens better?

SuperTokens is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider FreeIPA if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are FreeIPA and SuperTokens free and open-source?

Yes. FreeIPA is licensed under GPL-3.0 and SuperTokens under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run FreeIPA and SuperTokens with Docker?

FreeIPA: check the project docs for container support. SuperTokens: yes.

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