FusionAuth vs SAML Jackson
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?
FusionAuth
Complete authentication and authorization platform
VS
SAML Jackson
SAML and OIDC SSO service bridging enterprise providers
| Feature | FusionAuth | SAML Jackson |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Dockerfile | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 241 | ★ 2,257 |
| First released | 2018 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Auth0, Okta | Auth0, WorkOS |
Why pick each one
Choose FusionAuth if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Written in Dockerfile
Choose SAML Jackson if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.3k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is FusionAuth or SAML Jackson better?
Neither is universally better. SAML Jackson has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are FusionAuth and SAML Jackson free and open-source?
Yes. FusionAuth is licensed under Apache-2.0 and SAML Jackson under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run FusionAuth and SAML Jackson with Docker?
FusionAuth: yes. SAML Jackson: yes.