Tinyauth vs Traefik Forward Auth
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Tinyauth
Simplest way to protect your apps with a login screen
VS
Traefik Forward Auth
Minimal forward authentication service for Traefik
| Feature | Tinyauth | Traefik Forward Auth |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Identity & SSO |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,092 | ★ 2,390 |
| First released | 2024 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Cloudflare Access | Cloudflare Access |
Why pick each one
Choose Tinyauth if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 8.1k GitHub stars
Choose Traefik Forward Auth if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.4k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Tinyauth or Traefik Forward Auth better?
Neither is universally better. Tinyauth has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Tinyauth and Traefik Forward Auth free and open-source?
Yes. Tinyauth is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Traefik Forward Auth under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Tinyauth and Traefik Forward Auth with Docker?
Tinyauth: yes. Traefik Forward Auth: yes.