Janssen Project vs LemonLDAP::NG
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Janssen Project | LemonLDAP::NG |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 80 · Excellent | 41 · Fair |
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Java | Perl |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | kubernetes, helm | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 649 | ★ 84 |
| First released | 2020 | 2005 |
| Replaces | Okta, Auth0 | Okta, PingFederate |
What are Janssen Project and LemonLDAP::NG?
Janssen Project
The Janssen Project is a Linux Foundation effort delivering a scalable, cloud-native identity and access management platform. It implements OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0, and FIDO standards for authentication and authorization.
- OpenID Connect provider
- OAuth 2.0 server
- FIDO2 and passkeys
- Cloud-native deployment
LemonLDAP::NG
LemonLDAP::NG is an open-source Web SSO, access management, and identity federation product. It supports SAML, OpenID Connect, and CAS, and protects web applications behind a configurable portal.
- Web SSO portal
- SAML and OIDC support
- CAS protocol
- Fine-grained access rules
Janssen Project vs LemonLDAP::NG: key differences
Janssen Project is written in Java, while LemonLDAP::NG is built with Perl. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Janssen Project versus GPL-2.0 for LemonLDAP::NG. LemonLDAP::NG is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for Janssen Project. LemonLDAP::NG is the more established project (first released 2005), while Janssen Project arrived in 2020. Janssen Project has the considerably larger community, at 649 GitHub stars versus 84. LemonLDAP::NG lists first-class Docker deployment; Janssen Project does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Janssen Project if…
- Standards complete
- Built for scale
Watch out for
- Complex to operate
- Heavy resource needs
Choose LemonLDAP::NG if…
- Mature and full-featured
- Many protocol options
Watch out for
- Complex configuration
- Perl stack is uncommon
Frequently asked questions
Is Janssen Project or LemonLDAP::NG better?
Neither is universally better. Janssen Project has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Janssen Project and LemonLDAP::NG free and open-source?
Yes. Janssen Project is licensed under Apache-2.0 and LemonLDAP::NG under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Janssen Project and LemonLDAP::NG with Docker?
Janssen Project: check the project docs for container support. LemonLDAP::NG: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Janssen Project or LemonLDAP::NG?
LemonLDAP::NG has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for Janssen Project. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.