head to head · open source
Authentik vs Sa-Token
Authentik has 25,647 GitHub stars, 2,029 forks, 1,074 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Sa-Token has 19,051 stars, 2,914 forks, 111 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Authentik leads on adoption by 35% (25,647 vs 19,051 stars). Authentik is written in Python under a custom or non-standard licence; Sa-Token is written in Java under Apache-2.0. Authentik has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, Sa-Token 15%. Authentik was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (authorization), 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 | Sa-Token | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 26K | ★ 19K |
| License | Custom / other | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | Java |
| Last push | 2026-09-19 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.0K | ⑂ 2.9K |
| 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 Sa-Token if
- You want the Sa-Token feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You evaluated both and Sa-Token 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 Sa-Token
Sa Token is a free, open source, one stop Java authentication and authorization framework, licensed under Apache 2.0, that gives Java and Spring Boot developers login authentication, permission checks, distributed sessions, single sign on, OAuth2.0, gateway authentication, JWT integration, API key authorization and API parameter signing from a single dependency.
read the full Sa-Token overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Authentik or Sa-Token more popular?
Authentik has 25,647 GitHub stars and Sa-Token has 19,051. Authentik has the larger community by that measure.
Are Authentik and Sa-Token free?
Both are open source. Authentik has no licence declared in this registry, and Sa-Token is licensed under Apache-2.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Authentik and Sa-Token?
Authentik is written in Python and Sa-Token in Java. 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 Sa-Token?
Choose Authentik if you want the larger community (25,647 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Sa-Token if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.