Kanidm vs OpenUnison
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
OpenUnison
Identity management and SSO portal for Kubernetes
| Feature | Kanidm | OpenUnison |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 90 · Excellent | 67 · Good |
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | MPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Rust | Less |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | kubernetes, helm |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,404 | ★ 136 |
| First released | 2019 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Active Directory, Okta | Okta |
What are Kanidm and OpenUnison?
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
OpenUnison
OpenUnison is an open-source identity manager and single sign-on portal that integrates Kubernetes and applications with enterprise identity providers. It is self-hosted in the cluster.
- Kubernetes SSO portal
- Identity provisioning
- LDAP and SAML integration
- Self-service workflows
Kanidm vs OpenUnison: key differences
Kanidm is written in Rust, while OpenUnison is built with Less. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for Kanidm versus Apache-2.0 for OpenUnison. Kanidm is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for OpenUnison. Kanidm has the considerably larger community, at 5,404 GitHub stars versus 136. Kanidm lists first-class Docker deployment; OpenUnison does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Kanidm if…
- Memory safe and lightweight
- Excellent passwordless support
Watch out for
- Smaller ecosystem and tooling
Choose OpenUnison if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Written in Less
Frequently asked questions
Is Kanidm or OpenUnison better?
Kanidm is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider OpenUnison if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Kanidm and OpenUnison free and open-source?
Yes. Kanidm is licensed under MPL-2.0 and OpenUnison under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kanidm and OpenUnison with Docker?
Kanidm: yes. OpenUnison: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Kanidm or OpenUnison?
Kanidm has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for OpenUnison. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.