node-oidc-provider vs SuperTokens
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | node-oidc-provider | SuperTokens |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 95 · Excellent |
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | source, docker | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,816 | ★ 15,320 |
| First released | 2016 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Auth0, Okta | Auth0, Firebase Auth |
What are node-oidc-provider and SuperTokens?
node-oidc-provider
node-oidc-provider is an open-source, certified OpenID Connect and OAuth 2.0 provider implementation for Node.js. It can be self-hosted to issue tokens and act as an identity provider for applications.
- Certified OIDC provider
- OAuth 2.0 support
- Embeddable in Node apps
- Standards compliant
SuperTokens
SuperTokens is an open-source authentication solution that handles login, sessions, social login and more. It can be self-hosted and offers SDKs and prebuilt UI components for rapid integration.
- Email/password and passwordless login
- Social and enterprise SSO
- Secure session management
- Prebuilt frontend components
node-oidc-provider vs SuperTokens: key differences
Node-oidc-provider is written in JavaScript, while SuperTokens is built with Java. Licensing differs — MIT for node-oidc-provider versus Apache-2.0 for SuperTokens. Node-oidc-provider is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for SuperTokens. Node-oidc-provider is the more established project (first released 2016), while SuperTokens arrived in 2020. SuperTokens has the considerably larger community, at 15,320 GitHub stars versus 3,816.
Why pick each one
Choose node-oidc-provider if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Choose SuperTokens if…
- Easy framework integration
- Good free self-hosted tier
Watch out for
- Some advanced features are paid
Frequently asked questions
Is node-oidc-provider or SuperTokens better?
SuperTokens is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider node-oidc-provider if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are node-oidc-provider and SuperTokens free and open-source?
Yes. node-oidc-provider is licensed under MIT and SuperTokens under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run node-oidc-provider and SuperTokens with Docker?
node-oidc-provider: yes. SuperTokens: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, node-oidc-provider or SuperTokens?
node-oidc-provider has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for SuperTokens. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.