head to head · open source
oauth2-client vs mod_auth_openidc
oauth2-client has 3,819 GitHub stars, 768 forks, 64 open issues and last shipped 17 days ago. mod_auth_openidc has 1,096 stars, 332 forks, 0 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. oauth2-client leads on adoption by 248% (3,819 vs 1,096 stars). oauth2-client is written in PHP under MIT; mod_auth_openidc is written in C under Apache-2.0. oauth2-client has attracted 20% as many forks as stars, mod_auth_openidc 30%. mod_auth_openidc was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (authentication, sso), 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
| oauth2-client | mod_auth_openidc | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 3.8K | ★ 1.1K |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | PHP | C |
| Last push | 2026-09-16 | 2026-10-01 |
| Forks | ⑂ 768 | ⑂ 332 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick oauth2-client if
- You weight community size — 3.8K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches PHP
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick mod_auth_openidc if
- You want the mod_auth_openidc feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C
- You evaluated both and mod_auth_openidc fits your workflow better
About oauth2-client
league/oauth2 client is an MIT licensed PHP library maintained by The PHP League that provides a reusable base for integrating applications with any OAuth 2.0 service provider, aimed at PHP developers who need to add "Connect with Facebook/Google" style login and token flows without implementing RFC 6749 from scratch.
read the full oauth2-client overview →
About mod_auth_openidc
mod auth openidc is an OpenID Certified™ authentication and authorization module for the Apache 2.x HTTP server, aimed at administrators and developers who want to protect web applications with OpenID Connect and FAPI 2 Relying Party support.
read the full mod_auth_openidc overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is oauth2-client or mod_auth_openidc more popular?
oauth2-client has 3,819 GitHub stars and mod_auth_openidc has 1,096. oauth2-client has the larger community by that measure.
Are oauth2-client and mod_auth_openidc free?
Both are open source. oauth2-client is licensed under MIT and mod_auth_openidc under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between oauth2-client and mod_auth_openidc?
oauth2-client is written in PHP and mod_auth_openidc in C. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, oauth2-client or mod_auth_openidc?
Choose oauth2-client if you want the larger community (3,819 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose mod_auth_openidc if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.