Ory Kratos 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 | Ory Kratos | SuperTokens |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 95 · Excellent |
| 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 | ★ 13,888 | ★ 15,320 |
| First released | 2020 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Auth0, Firebase Auth | Auth0, Firebase Auth |
What are Ory Kratos and SuperTokens?
Ory Kratos
Ory Kratos is an API-first identity and user management system. It handles login, registration, profile management, account recovery and multi-factor authentication without prescribing a user interface.
- Headless API for full UI control
- Self-service flows for login and recovery
- Pluggable MFA including TOTP and WebAuthn
- Cloud-native and stateless design
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
Ory Kratos vs SuperTokens: key differences
Ory Kratos is written in Go, while SuperTokens is built with Java. Ory Kratos is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for SuperTokens.
Why pick each one
Choose Ory Kratos if…
- Extremely flexible architecture
- Excellent for custom frontends
Watch out for
- Requires building your own UI
- Complex initial setup
Choose SuperTokens if…
- Easy framework integration
- Good free self-hosted tier
Watch out for
- Some advanced features are paid
Frequently asked questions
Is Ory Kratos or SuperTokens better?
SuperTokens is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Ory Kratos if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Ory Kratos and SuperTokens free and open-source?
Yes. Ory Kratos 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 Kratos and SuperTokens with Docker?
Ory Kratos: yes. SuperTokens: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Ory Kratos or SuperTokens?
Ory Kratos 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.