GLAuth vs Univention Corporate Server
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Univention Corporate Server
Integrated identity and infrastructure management platform
| Feature | GLAuth | Univention Corporate Server |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | ≈5-minute setup |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 72 · Good |
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | bare-metal, one-click |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,852 | ★ 307 |
| First released | 2017 | 2004 |
| Replaces | Microsoft Active Directory, OpenLDAP | Microsoft Active Directory |
What are GLAuth and Univention Corporate Server?
GLAuth
GLAuth is a secure, easy-to-use LDAP server that reads users and groups from simple config files or backends. It provides LDAP authentication for applications without the complexity of OpenLDAP.
- Config-file driven LDAP
- Pluggable backends
- Tiny footprint
- Easy to deploy
Univention Corporate Server
Univention Corporate Server is a Linux-based platform with a built-in identity management system that can act as an Active Directory-compatible domain controller. It centralizes users, groups, and policies through a web management UI.
- AD-compatible domain controller
- Central identity management
- App center
- Policy management
GLAuth vs Univention Corporate Server: key differences
GLAuth is written in Go, while Univention Corporate Server is built with Python. Licensing differs — MIT for GLAuth versus AGPL-3.0 for Univention Corporate Server. GLAuth is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Univention Corporate Server. Univention Corporate Server is the more established project (first released 2004), while GLAuth arrived in 2017. GLAuth has the considerably larger community, at 2,852 GitHub stars versus 307. GLAuth lists first-class Docker deployment; Univention Corporate Server does not.
Why pick each one
Choose GLAuth if…
- Very simple to run
- Great for homelabs
Watch out for
- Not a full directory
- Limited write support
Choose Univention Corporate Server if…
- Comprehensive platform
- Web-based administration
Watch out for
- Heavy to operate
- Steep learning curve
Frequently asked questions
Is GLAuth or Univention Corporate Server better?
GLAuth is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Univention Corporate Server if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are GLAuth and Univention Corporate Server free and open-source?
Yes. GLAuth is licensed under MIT and Univention Corporate Server under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GLAuth and Univention Corporate Server with Docker?
GLAuth: yes. Univention Corporate Server: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, GLAuth or Univention Corporate Server?
GLAuth has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Univention Corporate Server. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.