Ory Hydra vs SuperTokens
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?
Ory Hydra
Certified OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect server
VS
SuperTokens
Open-source user authentication you can self-host
| Feature | Ory Hydra | SuperTokens |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 17,462 | ★ 15,250 |
| First released | 2015 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Okta, Auth0 | Auth0, Firebase Auth |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Ory Hydra or SuperTokens better?
Neither is universally better. Ory Hydra has the larger community, while SuperTokens is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Ory Hydra and SuperTokens free and open-source?
Yes. Ory Hydra is licensed under Apache-2.0 and SuperTokens under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ory Hydra and SuperTokens with Docker?
Ory Hydra: yes. SuperTokens: yes.