SHSelfHostIndex

LemonLDAP::NG vs WSO2 Identity Server

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
LE LemonLDAP::NG Web single sign-on and access management system VS WS WSO2 Identity Server Open-source identity and access management server
FeatureLemonLDAP::NGWSO2 Identity Server
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score41 · Fair80 · Excellent
CategoryIdentity & SSOIdentity & SSO
LicenseGPL-2.0Apache-2.0
LanguagePerlJava
Setup difficultyHardHard
Min. RAM1,024 MB4,096 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metaldocker, kubernetes, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 84★ 880
First released20052007
ReplacesOkta, PingFederateOkta, ForgeRock

What are LemonLDAP::NG and WSO2 Identity Server?

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

WSO2 Identity Server

WSO2 Identity Server is an open-source IAM product that provides single sign-on, identity federation, and strong authentication. It supports SAML, OpenID Connect, and adaptive authentication policies.

  • Single sign-on
  • Identity federation
  • Adaptive authentication
  • Standards support

LemonLDAP::NG vs WSO2 Identity Server: key differences

LemonLDAP::NG is written in Perl, while WSO2 Identity Server is built with Java. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for LemonLDAP::NG versus Apache-2.0 for WSO2 Identity Server. LemonLDAP::NG is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for WSO2 Identity Server. LemonLDAP::NG is the more established project (first released 2005), while WSO2 Identity Server arrived in 2007. WSO2 Identity Server has the considerably larger community, at 880 GitHub stars versus 84.

Why pick each one

Choose LemonLDAP::NG if…

  • Mature and full-featured
  • Many protocol options

Watch out for

  • Complex configuration
  • Perl stack is uncommon
LemonLDAP::NG details

Choose WSO2 Identity Server if…

  • Enterprise feature set
  • Strong standards coverage

Watch out for

  • Resource heavy
  • Complex tuning
WSO2 Identity Server details

Frequently asked questions

Is LemonLDAP::NG or WSO2 Identity Server better?

Neither is universally better. WSO2 Identity Server has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are LemonLDAP::NG and WSO2 Identity Server free and open-source?

Yes. LemonLDAP::NG is licensed under GPL-2.0 and WSO2 Identity Server under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run LemonLDAP::NG and WSO2 Identity Server with Docker?

LemonLDAP::NG: yes. WSO2 Identity Server: yes.

Which is lighter on resources, LemonLDAP::NG or WSO2 Identity Server?

LemonLDAP::NG has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for WSO2 Identity Server. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.

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