authentik vs Google Cloud Identity

authentik9.4Visit Google Cloud Identity9.0Visit

Higher score authentik #1 in Single Sign-On Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 2 features Visit authentik

vs

Google Cloud Identity #4 in Single Sign-On Software 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 2 features Visit Google Cloud

• authentik fits best

  Teams seeking open-source SSO and access control

• Google Cloud Identity fits best

  Google and mixed-directory environments

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Side by side

Feature	authentik 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Google Cloud Identity 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	9.0
Ranking	#1 in Single Sign-On Software	#4 in Single Sign-On Software
Best for	Teams seeking open-source SSO and access control	Google and mixed-directory environments
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	$5/user/mo (best)	$6/user/mo
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Web	Web, Windows, Android, iOS
Integrations	11 integrations	5 integrations
Features authentik 1/2 · Google Cloud Identity 1/2
Built-in MFA	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Adaptive access	✓	✓
Specs
SSO protocols	OAuth2/OpenID Connect, SAML2, LDAP, SCIM, RADIUS, Kerberos, WS-Federation	SAML, OIDC
Directory integrations	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Lifecycle provisioning	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Prebuilt app count	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Free edition supports OIDC, SAML, LDAP, SCIM, RADIUS, Kerberos, and proxy. MFA and policy-based access controls cover varied authentication needs. Application proxy and privileged access features extend beyond basic SSO.	SAML and OIDC SSO with Active Directory and Entra federation Free edition includes core identity, SSO, MFA, and endpoint management Premium adds lifecycle provisioning and Context-Aware Access
Cons	Requires self-hosted deployment; there is no hosted version. Privileged access management and enhanced audit logging require Enterprise. Enterprise Plus is geared toward custom contracts and dedicated support.	Free edition provides 50 user licenses by default Advanced capabilities require a paid Premium plan Flexible Premium billing costs more per user than annual billing
Our verdict	authentik is a self-hosted identity provider and single sign-on platform for site administrators, application developers, and security engineers. Its open-source Free plan combines SSO with user and group management, MFA, access policies,… Read the review →	Google Cloud Identity is a cloud-based identity and access platform for organizations managing users, groups, applications, and endpoints. It suits teams that need SAML or OIDC single sign-on alongside Google Workspace, Active Directory,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• authentik — where it wins

  • Free edition supports OIDC, SAML, LDAP, SCIM, RADIUS, Kerberos, and proxy.
  • MFA and policy-based access controls cover varied authentication needs.
  • Application proxy and privileged access features extend beyond basic SSO.

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires self-hosted deployment; there is no hosted version.
  • Privileged access management and enhanced audit logging require Enterprise.
  • Enterprise Plus is geared toward custom contracts and dedicated support.

• Google Cloud Identity — where it wins

  • SAML and OIDC SSO with Active Directory and Entra federation
  • Free edition includes core identity, SSO, MFA, and endpoint management
  • Premium adds lifecycle provisioning and Context-Aware Access

  Where it doesn't

  • Free edition provides 50 user licenses by default
  • Advanced capabilities require a paid Premium plan
  • Flexible Premium billing costs more per user than annual billing

• authentik9.4/10 · Free plan

  Flexible self-hosted SSO with a free open-source edition and paid access controls.

  Visit authentikFull verdict →
• Google Cloud Identity9.0/10 · Free plan

  A broad SSO and identity platform with a capable free edition and clear Premium upgrades.

  Visit Google CloudFull verdict →