head to head · open source
Authentik vs polis
Authentik has 25,713 GitHub stars, 2,043 forks, 1,074 open issues and last shipped today. polis has 2,266 stars, 234 forks, 35 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. Authentik leads on adoption by 1,035% (25,713 vs 2,266 stars). Authentik is written in Python under a custom or non-standard licence; polis is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. Authentik has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, polis 10%. Authentik was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (oidc), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
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
| Authentik | polis | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 26K | ★ 2.3K |
| License | Custom / other | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-25 | 2026-07-27 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.0K | ⑂ 234 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Authentik if
- You weight community size — 26K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick polis if
- You want the polis feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and polis fits your workflow better
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 →
About polis
Ory Polis is an open source, Apache 2.0 licensed single sign on service that bridges SAML login flows to OAuth 2.0 or OpenID Connect and adds SCIM 2.0 directory sync, aimed at developers and platform teams that need enterprise authentication and automated user provisioning in web applications without implementing those protocols themselves.
read the full polis overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Authentik or polis more popular?
Authentik has 25,713 GitHub stars and polis has 2,266. Authentik has the larger community by that measure.
Are Authentik and polis free?
Both are open source. Authentik has no licence declared in this registry, and polis is licensed under Apache-2.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Authentik and polis?
Authentik is written in Python and polis in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Authentik or polis?
Choose Authentik if you want the larger community (25,713 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose polis if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.