Ipsilon vs Kanidm
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Kanidm
Modern, simple and secure identity management server
| Feature | Ipsilon | Kanidm |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 80 | ★ 5,404 |
| First released | 2014 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Okta, PingFederate | Active Directory, Okta |
What are Ipsilon and Kanidm?
Ipsilon
Ipsilon is an identity provider service that supports SAML and OpenID for federated single sign-on. It plugs into existing authentication backends like FreeIPA to centralize login for web applications.
- SAML identity provider
- OpenID support
- FreeIPA integration
- Pluggable backends
Kanidm
Kanidm is an identity management platform written in Rust, focused on simplicity, security and correctness. It provides authentication for web applications, Unix systems and LDAP-aware services.
- OAuth2 and OpenID Connect provider
- Passkey-first authentication
- Unix and LDAP integration
- Strong security defaults
Ipsilon vs Kanidm: key differences
Ipsilon is written in Python, while Kanidm is built with Rust. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Ipsilon versus MPL-2.0 for Kanidm. Kanidm is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Ipsilon. Ipsilon is the more established project (first released 2014), while Kanidm arrived in 2019. Kanidm has the considerably larger community, at 5,404 GitHub stars versus 80. Kanidm lists first-class Docker deployment; Ipsilon does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Ipsilon if…
- Good FreeIPA companion
- Federation focused
Watch out for
- Small community
- Limited recent activity
Choose Kanidm if…
- Memory safe and lightweight
- Excellent passwordless support
Watch out for
- Smaller ecosystem and tooling
Frequently asked questions
Is Ipsilon or Kanidm better?
Kanidm is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Ipsilon if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Ipsilon and Kanidm free and open-source?
Yes. Ipsilon is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Kanidm under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ipsilon and Kanidm with Docker?
Ipsilon: check the project docs for container support. Kanidm: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Ipsilon or Kanidm?
Kanidm has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Ipsilon. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.