Alternatives to Ory
Open-source identity infrastructure (Kratos, Hydra, Keto) for login, OAuth2, and permissio
Ory ranks #2 of 12 in Authentication & identity providers, with an Alt Score of 93. It is licensed under Apache-2.0, open source with paid hosting from $770/yr and available on Linux, macOS and Windows. 12 of 12 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Ory is an open-source identity platform composed of modular services — Kratos for identity/authentication, Hydra for OAuth2/OIDC, and Keto for permissions — that can be self-hosted or consumed as a managed cloud product (Ory Network). It's used by engineering teams that want API-first, protocol-compliant identity infrastructure they can run themselves. It distinguishes itself from all-in-one platforms like Auth0 by offering composable, independently deployable building blocks.
Ory is for engineering teams building login, registration, and access-control infrastructure for their own applications or B2B/SaaS products, ranging from individual developers self-hosting the open-source core to enterprises needing SSO, SCIM, and multi-tenant organization support.
Ory provides API-first identity and access management: social login, passwordless (one-time codes) and passkey/WebAuthn authentication, MFA, enterprise SSO (SAML/OIDC), SCIM directory sync, B2B organizations, fine-grained permissions/RBAC, and pre-built React UI components (Ory Elements). The core services (Kratos, Hydra, Keto, Oathkeeper) are Apache-2.0 licensed and self-hostable.
Applications integrate with Ory's APIs to run identity, OAuth2/OIDC, and permissions flows instead of building them in-house, either by self-hosting the open-source components (optionally layering the commercial Ory Enterprise License) or by using Ory Network, a managed cloud service configured through a web console and billed on a per-plan base fee plus usage (active daily users, M2M tokens, permission checks).
Where Ory stands out
Verified capabilities most alternatives don't have.
Why people leave Ory
Dashed reasons are sourced facts; the rest are opinions. Vendors can dispute.
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Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
FusionAuth is a developer-focused authentication and user management platform that can be self-hosted for free (Community Edition) or run as a managed cloud service.
Zitadel is an open-source identity and access management platform, written in Go, offering OIDC/OAuth2/SAML, MFA, passwordless, and a native multi-tenant 'organizations' concept designed for SaaS prod.
Auth0 (an Okta company) is a developer-focused identity platform providing authentication, authorization, social and enterprise SSO, MFA, and user management via drop-in SDKs and a hosted login, for w.
Clerk is a developer-first authentication and user-management platform with pre-built React/Next.js UI components, social and passwordless login, passkeys, MFA, and B2B organizations, designed to add.
Frontegg is a B2B-focused identity platform that bundles authentication, tenant/org management, roles and entitlements, and a pre-built admin portal for end customers.
Stytch is a developer platform for authentication and fraud prevention, offering passwordless and passkey login, social and enterprise SSO, B2B multi-tenant auth, and device fingerprinting through API.
Descope is a customer identity and access management (CIAM) platform that lets developers build authentication journeys (social login, passwordless, MFA, passkeys) with a visual no-code/low-code flow.
WorkOS is a platform of enterprise-readiness APIs — SAML/OIDC single sign-on, SCIM directory sync, audit logs, and its AuthKit user management — that lets B2B SaaS apps add the features enterprise cus.
Keycloak is an open-source identity and access management server (a CNCF project) offering single sign-on, social and enterprise SSO, user federation, MFA, and fine-grained authorization, self-hosted.
Amazon Cognito is AWS's managed customer identity and access management service, providing user pools for sign-up/sign-in, social and enterprise SSO federation, MFA, and native passkey support, plus f.
Feature comparison
Rows come from the Authentication & identity providers checklist (16 rows). Human-verified cells only. ? means the value has not been verified.
| Authentication & identity providers checklist | Ory | FusionAuth | Zitadel | Auth0 | Clerk | Frontegg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
| Starts at | ||||||
| License | ||||||
| Platforms | ||||||
| Social login | ||||||
| Passwordless / magic links | ||||||
| Passkeys / WebAuthn | ||||||
| MFA | ||||||
| Enterprise SSO (SAML / OIDC) | ||||||
| SCIM provisioning | ||||||
| B2B org / multi-tenant | ||||||
| Self-hostable | ||||||
| Pre-built UI components | ||||||
| RBAC / permissions | ||||||
| Open source | ||||||
| Generous free tier (MAUs) |
Every fact and feature listed for Ory is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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License Apache-2.0 verified 2026-07-30
Core components (Kratos, Hydra, Keto, Oathkeeper) are Apache-2.0. Enterprise-only features require the separate Ory Enterprise License (OEL), a commercial license layered on top.
Apache License Version 2.0, January 2004
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ory/kratos/master/LICENSE -
Pricing model OSS + paid hosting verified 2026-07-30
Self-host the Apache-2.0 core for free; Ory Network (hosted) bills usage-based per aDAU/M2M token/permission check on top of a plan base fee.
Open source software, supercharged. Enterprise-grade features all accessible through our visual console. All that plus hosting, operations, and maintenance, too.
https://www.ory.com/network -
Starts at $770/yr verified 2026-07-30
Cheapest paid Ory Network plan is 'Production' at $770/year (annual billing), plus $0.14/aDAU/month usage. Growth is $9,350/year. The 'Developer' plan is $0 but has 0 production environments (dev/stag
Total invoice $770 /year
https://www.ory.com/pricing -
Platforms Linux, macOS, Windows verified 2026-07-30
Self-hosted binaries/Docker run on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Ory Network is additionally usable via the browser-based Ory Console (console.ory.com).
Install Kratos on Linux, macOS, Windows, and Docker
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ory/kratos/master/README.md -
Status active verified 2026-07-30
Latest Kratos release v26.2.0 was published 2026-03-20; blog and docs show ongoing 2026 activity.
v26.2.0
https://github.com/ory/kratos/releases -
Social login Yes verified 2026-07-30
With social SSO, visitors can register for an account in seconds using the websites they already know, like GitHub, Google, Apple, Facebook, Discord, and many more.
https://www.ory.com/social-signin -
Passwordless / magic links Yes verified 2026-07-30
Ory implements email/SMS passwordless via one-time codes rather than clickable magic links, plus passkeys — same category of passwordless login.
One-time codes (OTC) provide a secure authentication method where codes are sent directly to the user's email.
https://www.ory.com/docs/identities/get-started/passwordless -
Passkeys / WebAuthn Yes verified 2026-07-30
Passkeys are the easiest and most secure way to sign in to apps and websites. Phishing-resistant by design, and based on public key cryptography.
https://www.ory.com/passkeys -
MFA Yes verified 2026-07-30
This guide shows you how to enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for your Ory project.
https://www.ory.com/docs/identities/get-started/mfa -
Enterprise SSO (SAML / OIDC) Yes verified 2026-07-30
Effortlessly integrate Enterprise Single Sign-On (SSO) into your SaaS app with Ory. Our solution supports SAML & OIDC, enhancing security and user experience while reducing development time and cost.
https://www.ory.com/enterprise-sso -
SCIM provisioning Yes verified 2026-07-30
Page title: 'System for Cross-domain Identity Management'. Includes Okta/Entra/Google Workspace SCIM connectors.
SCIM in Ory Network is always scoped to an organization
https://www.ory.com/docs/kratos/manage-identities/scim -
B2B org / multi-tenant Yes verified 2026-07-30
Ory Oathkeeper — enforces tenant isolation at the API layer, ensuring users only access their organization's data.
https://www.ory.com/docs/solutions/solution-B2B -
Self-hostable Yes verified 2026-07-30
You can run Ory Kratos yourself for full control over infrastructure, deployment, and customization.
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ory/kratos/master/README.md -
Pre-built UI components Yes verified 2026-07-30
Ory Elements is a component library that makes building login, registration and account pages for Ory a breeze
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ory/elements/main/README.md -
RBAC / permissions Yes verified 2026-07-30
Whether you need role-based access control (RBAC) or are controlling access and edit rights to files and resources, Ory Permissions makes it simple.
https://www.ory.com/permissions -
Open source Yes verified 2026-07-30
Ory Open Source: Run and manage the open source Ory components yourself with community support.
https://www.ory.com/open-source -
Generous free tier (MAUs) No verified 2026-07-30
The free 'Developer' plan on the pricing comparison table shows 0 production environments (dev/staging only) — no free tier for live production MAU traffic. Production use starts on the paid 'Producti
Production Environments — Developer: 0
https://www.ory.com/pricing
FAQ
Yes. FusionAuth, Zitadel and Auth0 have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
Zitadel and Keycloak — every license claim links its source.