LLDAP vs OpenLDAP
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
LLDAP
Lightweight LDAP server with a simple web interface
VS
OpenLDAP
The classic open-source Lightweight Directory Access Protocol server
| Feature | LLDAP | OpenLDAP |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | GPL-3.0 | OLDAP-2.8 |
| Language | Rust | C |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,512 | ★ 400 |
| First released | 2021 | 1998 |
| Replaces | Active Directory, OpenLDAP | Active Directory |
What are LLDAP and OpenLDAP?
LLDAP
LLDAP is a lightweight authentication server providing a simplified, opinionated LDAP interface. It is designed to be easy to set up and manage, with a clean web UI for users and groups.
- Minimal LDAP for self-hosters
- Friendly web UI for user management
- Tiny memory and CPU footprint
- Works with many self-hosted apps
OpenLDAP
OpenLDAP is a free, open-source implementation of the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. It is widely used as a directory backend for authentication, address books and centralized user management.
- Industry-standard LDAP directory
- High performance and scalability
- Replication and clustering support
- Extensible schema system
LLDAP vs OpenLDAP: key differences
LLDAP is written in Rust, while OpenLDAP is built with C. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for LLDAP versus OLDAP-2.8 for OpenLDAP. LLDAP is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for OpenLDAP. OpenLDAP is the more established project (first released 1998), while LLDAP arrived in 2021. LLDAP has the considerably larger community, at 6,512 GitHub stars versus 400.
Why pick each one
Choose LLDAP if…
- Very easy to deploy
- Lightweight Rust binary
Watch out for
- Not a full LDAP implementation
Choose OpenLDAP if…
- Extremely mature and stable
- Universally compatible
Watch out for
- Notoriously complex configuration
Frequently asked questions
Is LLDAP or OpenLDAP better?
LLDAP is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider OpenLDAP if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are LLDAP and OpenLDAP free and open-source?
Yes. LLDAP is licensed under GPL-3.0 and OpenLDAP under OLDAP-2.8. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run LLDAP and OpenLDAP with Docker?
LLDAP: yes. OpenLDAP: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, LLDAP or OpenLDAP?
LLDAP has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for OpenLDAP. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.