Ory Oathkeeper vs Permify
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 Oathkeeper
Identity and access proxy for zero-trust networks
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Permify
Open-source authorization service for fine-grained access
| Feature | Ory Oathkeeper | Permify |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,590 | ★ 5,933 |
| First released | 2017 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Cloudflare Access | Auth0 FGA, OpenFGA |
Why pick each one
Choose Ory Oathkeeper if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Active community (3.6k GitHub stars)
Choose Permify if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 5.9k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Ory Oathkeeper or Permify better?
Neither is universally better. Permify has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Ory Oathkeeper and Permify free and open-source?
Yes. Ory Oathkeeper is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Permify under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ory Oathkeeper and Permify with Docker?
Ory Oathkeeper: yes. Permify: yes.