LLDAP vs step-ca
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?
LLDAP
Lightweight LDAP server with a simple web interface
VS
step-ca
Private online certificate authority for internal PKI
| Feature | LLDAP | step-ca |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Rust | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,421 | ★ 8,734 |
| First released | 2021 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Active Directory, OpenLDAP | DigiCert |
Why pick each one
Choose step-ca if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 8.7k GitHub stars
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is LLDAP or step-ca better?
Neither is universally better. step-ca has the larger community, while LLDAP is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are LLDAP and step-ca free and open-source?
Yes. LLDAP is licensed under GPL-3.0 and step-ca under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run LLDAP and step-ca with Docker?
LLDAP: yes. step-ca: yes.