Hanko vs Pocket ID
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Hanko
Passkey-first authentication for modern applications
VS
Pocket ID
Simple OIDC provider that uses only passkeys
| Feature | Hanko | Pocket ID |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | ≈5-minute setup |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 92 · Excellent |
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | BSD-2-Clause |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,036 | ★ 9,266 |
| First released | 2022 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Auth0, Clerk | Auth0, Authelia |
What are Hanko and Pocket ID?
Hanko
Hanko is an open-source authentication solution built around passkeys and passwordless login. It can be self-hosted to provide modern, phishing-resistant authentication to web and mobile applications.
- Passkey-first login
- Passwordless flows
- Embeddable web component
- Self-hosted API
Pocket ID
Pocket ID is an open-source, simple OpenID Connect provider that authenticates users exclusively with passkeys. It is self-hosted to add passwordless SSO to applications with minimal configuration.
- Passkey-only authentication
- Simple OIDC provider
- Minimal configuration
- Lightweight
Hanko vs Pocket ID: key differences
Both projects are written in Go. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Hanko versus BSD-2-Clause for Pocket ID. Pocket ID is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Hanko. Hanko is the more established project (first released 2022), while Pocket ID arrived in 2024.
Why pick each one
Choose Hanko if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 9k GitHub stars
- Written in Go
Choose Pocket ID if…
- Released under the BSD-2-Clause license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 9.3k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Hanko or Pocket ID better?
Pocket ID is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Hanko if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Hanko and Pocket ID free and open-source?
Yes. Hanko is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Pocket ID under BSD-2-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hanko and Pocket ID with Docker?
Hanko: yes. Pocket ID: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Hanko or Pocket ID?
Pocket ID has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Hanko. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.