# authentik vs Authelia

> Pick authentik for a full identity provider with user management UI, SAML and LDAP; pick Authelia for a lightweight Go forward-auth portal that adds 2FA in front of your reverse proxy.

## Verdict

authentik is a full identity provider: users, groups, enrollment flows, SAML, OIDC and LDAP in one admin UI. Authelia is lighter and config-file driven, sitting behind Traefik, Caddy or NGINX to add single sign-on and two-factor authentication, with users stored in a YAML file or an LDAP directory.

- Best for authentik: Teams that need a full IdP with SAML, LDAP and self-service enrollment
- Best for Authelia: Homelabs that want lightweight 2FA and SSO in front of a reverse proxy

## Key differences

| Aspect | authentik | Authelia |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT, except the authentik/enterprise directory, which uses the authentik Enterprise license | Apache-2.0 |
| Language/stack | Python (Django) core with Go outposts | Go, single binary |
| User management | Built-in users, groups and self-service enrollment in the admin UI | Users in a YAML file or an external LDAP directory; no admin UI |
| Protocols | OIDC, OAuth2, SAML, LDAP, RADIUS and proxy forward auth | Forward auth for reverse proxies and an OpenID Certified OIDC provider |
| Hardware needs | Heavier: server, worker and PostgreSQL containers | Light: one Go binary with SQLite, MySQL or PostgreSQL storage |

## GitHub numbers

| Metric | authentik | Authelia |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 25,859 | 29,182 |
| Forks | 2,058 | 1,501 |
| Commits, last 12 months | 5,375 | 2,474 |
| Last commit | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
| Latest release | version/2026.8.3 | v4.39.28 |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| License type | Open source | Open source |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| Repository | https://github.com/goauthentik/authentik | https://github.com/authelia/authelia |

App pages: [authentik](https://appsgit.com/apps/authentik), [Authelia](https://appsgit.com/apps/authelia)

## FAQ

### Does Authelia have a user management UI?

No. Users are defined in a YAML file or come from LDAP, and configuration is done in a YAML file. authentik manages users in its web UI.

### Can Authelia be an OpenID Connect provider?

Yes. Authelia is OpenID Certified for several OpenID Connect provider profiles, though the project still lists the feature as beta on its roadmap.

### Which works with Traefik forward auth?

Both. Authelia is designed around forward auth, and authentik provides it through its proxy outpost.

---

Canonical page: https://appsgit.com/compare/authentik-vs-authelia
Source: appsgit (https://appsgit.com), the app store for github. Data from the GitHub API, refreshed nightly.
Machine access: JSON API https://appsgit.com/api/v1/apps (OpenAPI: https://appsgit.com/openapi.json), MCP server https://mcp.appsgit.com/mcp, full index https://appsgit.com/llms-full.txt.