SAML Jackson vs node-oidc-provider
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | SAML Jackson | node-oidc-provider |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 80 · Excellent | 88 · Excellent |
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | source, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,266 | ★ 3,816 |
| First released | 2022 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Auth0, WorkOS | Auth0, Okta |
What are SAML Jackson and node-oidc-provider?
SAML Jackson
BoxyHQ Jackson (SAML Jackson) is a self-hosted service that abstracts SAML and OIDC enterprise single sign-on behind a simple OAuth 2.0 API. It lets apps add enterprise SSO without per-provider code.
- SAML and OIDC abstraction
- OAuth 2.0 API
- Directory sync (SCIM)
- Self-hostable
node-oidc-provider
node-oidc-provider is an open-source, certified OpenID Connect and OAuth 2.0 provider implementation for Node.js. It can be self-hosted to issue tokens and act as an identity provider for applications.
- Certified OIDC provider
- OAuth 2.0 support
- Embeddable in Node apps
- Standards compliant
SAML Jackson vs node-oidc-provider: key differences
SAML Jackson is written in TypeScript, while node-oidc-provider is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for SAML Jackson versus MIT for node-oidc-provider. Node-oidc-provider is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for SAML Jackson. Node-oidc-provider is the more established project (first released 2016), while SAML Jackson arrived in 2022.
Why pick each one
Choose SAML Jackson if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.3k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Choose node-oidc-provider if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is SAML Jackson or node-oidc-provider better?
Neither is universally better. node-oidc-provider has the larger community, while SAML Jackson is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are SAML Jackson and node-oidc-provider free and open-source?
Yes. SAML Jackson is licensed under Apache-2.0 and node-oidc-provider under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run SAML Jackson and node-oidc-provider with Docker?
SAML Jackson: yes. node-oidc-provider: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, SAML Jackson or node-oidc-provider?
node-oidc-provider has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for SAML Jackson. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.