head to head · open source
Sa-Token vs SuperTokens
Sa-Token has 19,051 GitHub stars, 2,914 forks, 111 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. SuperTokens has 15,315 stars, 842 forks, 155 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Sa-Token leads on adoption by 24% (19,051 vs 15,315 stars). Sa-Token is written in Java under Apache-2.0; SuperTokens is written in Java under a custom or non-standard licence. Sa-Token has attracted 15% as many forks as stars, SuperTokens 5%. SuperTokens was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (java), 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
| Sa-Token | SuperTokens | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 19K | ★ 15K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | Java | Java |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.9K | ⑂ 842 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Sa-Token if
- You weight community size — 19K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick SuperTokens if
- You want the SuperTokens feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You evaluated both and SuperTokens fits your workflow better
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 →
About SuperTokens
SuperTokens is an open source authentication and session management platform for applications that need login, sign up, sign out, and user data control. It sits in the identity and access management ecosystem and is described as an alternative to Auth0, Firebase Auth, and AWS Cognito. It separates work into a frontend SDK, a backend SDK, and a Java based SuperTokens Core service that handles authentication logic and database operations.
read the full SuperTokens overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Sa-Token or SuperTokens more popular?
Sa-Token has 19,051 GitHub stars and SuperTokens has 15,315. Sa-Token has the larger community by that measure.
Are Sa-Token and SuperTokens free?
Both are open source. Sa-Token is licensed under Apache-2.0, and SuperTokens has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Sa-Token and SuperTokens?
Sa-Token is written in Java and SuperTokens 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, Sa-Token or SuperTokens?
Choose Sa-Token if you want the larger community (19,051 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose SuperTokens if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.