Ipsilon vs SimpleSAMLphp
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Ipsilon | SimpleSAMLphp |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | GPL-3.0 | LGPL-2.1 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 80 | ★ 1,142 |
| First released | 2014 | 2007 |
| Replaces | Okta, PingFederate | Okta, PingFederate |
What are Ipsilon and SimpleSAMLphp?
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
SimpleSAMLphp
SimpleSAMLphp is a widely used PHP application for implementing SAML 2.0 identity and service providers. It enables web single sign-on and federation for PHP environments and beyond.
- SAML 2.0 IdP and SP
- Identity federation
- Many auth backends
- Module ecosystem
Ipsilon vs SimpleSAMLphp: key differences
Ipsilon is written in Python, while SimpleSAMLphp is built with PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Ipsilon versus LGPL-2.1 for SimpleSAMLphp. SimpleSAMLphp is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Ipsilon. SimpleSAMLphp is the more established project (first released 2007), while Ipsilon arrived in 2014. SimpleSAMLphp has the considerably larger community, at 1,142 GitHub stars versus 80. SimpleSAMLphp 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 SimpleSAMLphp if…
- Proven and widely deployed
- Flexible modules
Watch out for
- Configuration is intricate
- PHP performance limits
Frequently asked questions
Is Ipsilon or SimpleSAMLphp better?
SimpleSAMLphp 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 SimpleSAMLphp free and open-source?
Yes. Ipsilon is licensed under GPL-3.0 and SimpleSAMLphp under LGPL-2.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ipsilon and SimpleSAMLphp with Docker?
Ipsilon: check the project docs for container support. SimpleSAMLphp: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Ipsilon or SimpleSAMLphp?
SimpleSAMLphp 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.