SAML Jackson 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.
Pocket ID
Simple OIDC provider that uses only passkeys
| Feature | SAML Jackson | Pocket ID |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | ≈5-minute setup |
| Health score | 80 · Excellent | 92 · Excellent |
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | BSD-2-Clause |
| Language | TypeScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,266 | ★ 9,266 |
| First released | 2022 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Auth0, WorkOS | Auth0, Authelia |
What are SAML Jackson and Pocket ID?
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
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
SAML Jackson vs Pocket ID: key differences
SAML Jackson is written in TypeScript, while Pocket ID is built with Go. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for SAML Jackson versus BSD-2-Clause for Pocket ID. Pocket ID is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for SAML Jackson. SAML Jackson is the more established project (first released 2022), while Pocket ID arrived in 2024. Pocket ID has the considerably larger community, at 9,266 GitHub stars versus 2,266.
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 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 SAML Jackson or Pocket ID better?
Pocket ID is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider SAML Jackson if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are SAML Jackson and Pocket ID free and open-source?
Yes. SAML Jackson is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Pocket ID under BSD-2-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run SAML Jackson and Pocket ID with Docker?
SAML Jackson: yes. Pocket ID: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, SAML Jackson or Pocket ID?
Pocket ID has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for SAML Jackson. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.