Ory Keto 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?
Ory Keto
Permission and authorization server based on Zanzibar
VS
step-ca
Private online certificate authority for internal PKI
| Feature | Ory Keto | step-ca |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,383 | ★ 8,734 |
| First released | 2018 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Auth0 FGA, OpenFGA | DigiCert |
Why pick each one
Choose Ory Keto if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 5.4k GitHub stars
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 Ory Keto or step-ca better?
Neither is universally better. step-ca has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Ory Keto and step-ca free and open-source?
Yes. Ory Keto is licensed under Apache-2.0 and step-ca under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ory Keto and step-ca with Docker?
Ory Keto: yes. step-ca: yes.