Pocket ID vs SuperTokens
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Pocket ID
Simple OIDC provider that uses only passkeys
VS
SuperTokens
Open-source user authentication you can self-host
| Feature | Pocket ID | SuperTokens |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | ≈5-minute setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 95 · Excellent |
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | BSD-2-Clause | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,266 | ★ 15,320 |
| First released | 2024 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Auth0, Authelia | Auth0, Firebase Auth |
What are Pocket ID and SuperTokens?
Pocket ID
Pocket ID is an open-source, simple OpenID Connect provider that authenticates users exclusively with passkeys. It is self-hosted to add passwordless SSO to applications with minimal configuration.
- Passkey-only authentication
- Simple OIDC provider
- Minimal configuration
- Lightweight
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
Pocket ID vs SuperTokens: key differences
Pocket ID is written in Go, while SuperTokens is built with Java. Licensing differs — BSD-2-Clause for Pocket ID versus Apache-2.0 for SuperTokens. Pocket ID is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for SuperTokens. SuperTokens is the more established project (first released 2020), while Pocket ID arrived in 2024.
Why pick each one
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 9.3k GitHub stars
Choose SuperTokens if…
- Easy framework integration
- Good free self-hosted tier
Watch out for
- Some advanced features are paid
Frequently asked questions
Is Pocket ID or SuperTokens better?
Neither is universally better. SuperTokens has the larger community, while Pocket ID is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Pocket ID and SuperTokens free and open-source?
Yes. Pocket ID is licensed under BSD-2-Clause and SuperTokens under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Pocket ID and SuperTokens with Docker?
Pocket ID: yes. SuperTokens: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Pocket ID or SuperTokens?
Pocket ID has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for SuperTokens. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.