Ipsilon vs WSO2 Identity Server
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Ipsilon | WSO2 Identity Server |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 80 | ★ 880 |
| First released | 2014 | 2007 |
| Replaces | Okta, PingFederate | Okta, ForgeRock |
What are Ipsilon and WSO2 Identity Server?
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
WSO2 Identity Server
WSO2 Identity Server is an open-source IAM product that provides single sign-on, identity federation, and strong authentication. It supports SAML, OpenID Connect, and adaptive authentication policies.
- Single sign-on
- Identity federation
- Adaptive authentication
- Standards support
Ipsilon vs WSO2 Identity Server: key differences
Ipsilon is written in Python, while WSO2 Identity Server is built with Java. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Ipsilon versus Apache-2.0 for WSO2 Identity Server. Ipsilon is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for WSO2 Identity Server. WSO2 Identity Server is the more established project (first released 2007), while Ipsilon arrived in 2014. WSO2 Identity Server has the considerably larger community, at 880 GitHub stars versus 80. WSO2 Identity Server 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 WSO2 Identity Server if…
- Enterprise feature set
- Strong standards coverage
Watch out for
- Resource heavy
- Complex tuning
Frequently asked questions
Is Ipsilon or WSO2 Identity Server better?
Neither is universally better. WSO2 Identity Server has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Ipsilon and WSO2 Identity Server free and open-source?
Yes. Ipsilon is licensed under GPL-3.0 and WSO2 Identity Server under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ipsilon and WSO2 Identity Server with Docker?
Ipsilon: check the project docs for container support. WSO2 Identity Server: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Ipsilon or WSO2 Identity Server?
Ipsilon has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for WSO2 Identity Server. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.