Kanidm 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.
Kanidm
Modern, simple and secure identity management server
VS
LemonLDAP::NG
Web single sign-on and access management system
| Feature | Kanidm | LemonLDAP::NG |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 90 · Excellent | 41 · Fair |
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | MPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Rust | Perl |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,404 | ★ 84 |
| First released | 2019 | 2005 |
| Replaces | Active Directory, Okta | Okta, PingFederate |
What are Kanidm and LemonLDAP::NG?
Kanidm
Kanidm is an identity management platform written in Rust, focused on simplicity, security and correctness. It provides authentication for web applications, Unix systems and LDAP-aware services.
- OAuth2 and OpenID Connect provider
- Passkey-first authentication
- Unix and LDAP integration
- Strong security defaults
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
Kanidm vs LemonLDAP::NG: key differences
Kanidm is written in Rust, while LemonLDAP::NG is built with Perl. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for Kanidm versus GPL-2.0 for LemonLDAP::NG. Kanidm is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for LemonLDAP::NG. LemonLDAP::NG is the more established project (first released 2005), while Kanidm arrived in 2019. Kanidm has the considerably larger community, at 5,404 GitHub stars versus 84.
Why pick each one
Choose Kanidm if…
- Memory safe and lightweight
- Excellent passwordless support
Watch out for
- Smaller ecosystem and tooling
Choose LemonLDAP::NG if…
- Mature and full-featured
- Many protocol options
Watch out for
- Complex configuration
- Perl stack is uncommon
Frequently asked questions
Is Kanidm or LemonLDAP::NG better?
Kanidm is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider LemonLDAP::NG if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Kanidm and LemonLDAP::NG free and open-source?
Yes. Kanidm is licensed under MPL-2.0 and LemonLDAP::NG under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kanidm and LemonLDAP::NG with Docker?
Kanidm: yes. LemonLDAP::NG: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Kanidm or LemonLDAP::NG?
Kanidm has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for LemonLDAP::NG. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.