Janssen Project vs Kanidm
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?
Janssen Project
Cloud-native identity and access management platform
VS
Kanidm
Modern, simple and secure identity management server
| Feature | Janssen Project | Kanidm |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | Java | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | kubernetes, helm | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 646 | ★ 5,214 |
| First released | 2020 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Okta, Auth0 | Active Directory, Okta |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Janssen Project or Kanidm better?
Kanidm is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Janssen Project if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Janssen Project and Kanidm free and open-source?
Yes. Janssen Project is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Kanidm under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Janssen Project and Kanidm with Docker?
Janssen Project: check the project docs for container support. Kanidm: yes.