GLAuth 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?
GLAuth
Lightweight LDAP server for developers and small setups
VS
SuperTokens
Open-source user authentication you can self-host
| Feature | GLAuth | SuperTokens |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,834 | ★ 15,250 |
| First released | 2017 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Microsoft Active Directory, OpenLDAP | Auth0, Firebase Auth |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is GLAuth or SuperTokens better?
Neither is universally better. SuperTokens has the larger community, while GLAuth is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are GLAuth and SuperTokens free and open-source?
Yes. GLAuth is licensed under MIT and SuperTokens under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GLAuth and SuperTokens with Docker?
GLAuth: yes. SuperTokens: yes.