Ory Oathkeeper vs Pocket ID
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
VS
Pocket ID
Simple OIDC provider that uses only passkeys
| Feature | Ory Oathkeeper | Pocket ID |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | BSD-2-Clause |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,590 | ★ 8,737 |
| First released | 2017 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Cloudflare Access | Auth0, Authelia |
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 Pocket ID if…
- Released under the BSD-2-Clause license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 8.7k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Ory Oathkeeper or Pocket ID better?
Pocket ID is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Ory Oathkeeper if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Ory Oathkeeper and Pocket ID free and open-source?
Yes. Ory Oathkeeper is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Pocket ID under BSD-2-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ory Oathkeeper and Pocket ID with Docker?
Ory Oathkeeper: yes. Pocket ID: yes.