Janssen Project 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 | Janssen Project | SimpleSAMLphp |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 80 · Excellent | 83 · Excellent |
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | LGPL-2.1 |
| Language | Java | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | kubernetes, helm | bare-metal, source, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 649 | ★ 1,142 |
| First released | 2020 | 2007 |
| Replaces | Okta, Auth0 | Okta, PingFederate |
What are Janssen Project and SimpleSAMLphp?
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
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
Janssen Project vs SimpleSAMLphp: key differences
Janssen Project is written in Java, while SimpleSAMLphp is built with PHP. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Janssen Project versus LGPL-2.1 for SimpleSAMLphp. SimpleSAMLphp is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for Janssen Project. SimpleSAMLphp is the more established project (first released 2007), while Janssen Project arrived in 2020. SimpleSAMLphp 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 SimpleSAMLphp if…
- Proven and widely deployed
- Flexible modules
Watch out for
- Configuration is intricate
- PHP performance limits
Frequently asked questions
Is Janssen Project or SimpleSAMLphp better?
SimpleSAMLphp is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Janssen Project if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Janssen Project and SimpleSAMLphp free and open-source?
Yes. Janssen Project is licensed under Apache-2.0 and SimpleSAMLphp under LGPL-2.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Janssen Project and SimpleSAMLphp with Docker?
Janssen Project: check the project docs for container support. SimpleSAMLphp: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Janssen Project or SimpleSAMLphp?
SimpleSAMLphp has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for Janssen Project. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.