OpenUnison vs SimpleSAMLphp
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | OpenUnison | SimpleSAMLphp |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 67 · Good | 83 · Excellent |
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | LGPL-2.1 |
| Language | Less | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | kubernetes, helm | bare-metal, source, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 136 | ★ 1,142 |
| First released | 2018 | 2007 |
| Replaces | Okta | Okta, PingFederate |
What are OpenUnison and SimpleSAMLphp?
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
SimpleSAMLphp
SimpleSAMLphp is a widely used PHP application for implementing SAML 2.0 identity and service providers. It enables web single sign-on and federation for PHP environments and beyond.
- SAML 2.0 IdP and SP
- Identity federation
- Many auth backends
- Module ecosystem
OpenUnison vs SimpleSAMLphp: key differences
OpenUnison is written in Less, while SimpleSAMLphp is built with PHP. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for OpenUnison versus LGPL-2.1 for SimpleSAMLphp. SimpleSAMLphp is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for OpenUnison. SimpleSAMLphp is the more established project (first released 2007), while OpenUnison arrived in 2018. SimpleSAMLphp has the considerably larger community, at 1,142 GitHub stars versus 136. SimpleSAMLphp lists first-class Docker deployment; OpenUnison does not.
Why pick each one
Choose OpenUnison if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Written in Less
Choose SimpleSAMLphp if…
- Proven and widely deployed
- Flexible modules
Watch out for
- Configuration is intricate
- PHP performance limits
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenUnison or SimpleSAMLphp better?
SimpleSAMLphp 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 OpenUnison and SimpleSAMLphp free and open-source?
Yes. OpenUnison is licensed under Apache-2.0 and SimpleSAMLphp under LGPL-2.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenUnison and SimpleSAMLphp with Docker?
OpenUnison: check the project docs for container support. SimpleSAMLphp: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, OpenUnison or SimpleSAMLphp?
SimpleSAMLphp 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.