head to head · open source
JumpServer vs Authentik
JumpServer has 31,549 GitHub stars, 5,791 forks, 97 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Authentik has 25,600 stars, 2,019 forks, 1,074 open issues and last shipped yesterday. JumpServer leads on adoption by 23% (31,549 vs 25,600 stars). JumpServer is written in Python under GPL-3.0; Authentik is written in Python under a custom or non-standard licence. JumpServer has attracted 18% as many forks as stars, Authentik 8%. Authentik was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| JumpServer | Authentik | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 32K | ★ 26K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.8K | ⑂ 2.0K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick JumpServer if
- You weight community size — 32K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Authentik if
- You want the Authentik feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and Authentik fits your workflow better
About JumpServer
JumpServer is an open source Privileged Access Management (PAM) platform built for DevOps and IT teams. It functions as a bastion host, enabling secure, on demand access to SSH, RDP, Kubernetes, databases, and RemoteApp endpoints via a web browser. The project lives in the Python/Django ecosystem and is licensed under GPL 3.0, with active community contributions and integrations.
read the full JumpServer overview →
About Authentik
Authentik is an open source Identity Provider (IdP) built for modern single sign on (SSO) workflows. It operates in the identity and access management (IAM) ecosystem, offering a self hosted alternative to commercial solutions like Auth0, Okta, and Entra ID. The project is written in Python and distributed under a mixed MIT/CC BY SA/enterprise license model, with a core open source offering and an enterprise tier for advanced features and support.
read the full Authentik overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is JumpServer or Authentik more popular?
JumpServer has 31,549 GitHub stars and Authentik has 25,600. JumpServer has the larger community by that measure.
Are JumpServer and Authentik free?
Both are open source. JumpServer is licensed under GPL-3.0, and Authentik has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between JumpServer and Authentik?
JumpServer is written in Python and Authentik in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, JumpServer or Authentik?
Choose JumpServer if you want the larger community (31,549 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Authentik if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.