Ory Kratos
Ory Kratos: Flexible, API-first authentication for application teams willing to own the user experience. Ranked #29 of 33 in Authentication Software by our editors (6.0/10); pricing: Free plan; best for developers building custom customer identity flows.
At a glance
- Editor score6.0 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forDevelopers building custom customer identity flows
- Free planYes
- Facts checked23 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Supports passkeys, WebAuthn/FIDO2, TOTP, and hardware-key MFA
- Offers self-hosted open-source and managed SaaS deployment
- Provides registration, recovery, profile, and lifecycle APIs
Where it doesn't
- The headless model leaves teams to build their own authentication UI
- Production starts at $770/year, billed annually, before usage-based charges
- Growth-tier B2B SSO is limited to OIDC
Our verdict on Ory Kratos
Ory Kratos handles identity and user management for teams building customer-facing applications. Its API-first, headless approach covers registration, login, sessions, profiles, account recovery, and multifactor authentication, while the application team supplies the interface. Authentication options include passwords, social sign-in, passwordless flows, passkeys, and WebAuthn. That makes Kratos a fit for developers who need to shape the login experience and identity flows rather than adopt a ready-made interface.
Deployment and ecosystem are central to the choice. Teams can run the open-source software themselves, choose a self-hosted Ory Enterprise License, or use Ory Network as managed SaaS. The listed integrations include Google, GitHub, Apple, Discord, OpenID Connect providers, Amazon SES, and AWS services. An identity management API and lifecycle webhooks support integration into application workflows. The tradeoff is ownership: the headless model gives teams control over their UI, but they must build and maintain it. Kratos suits product teams with that development capacity; teams seeking a packaged sign-in experience may prefer a different approach.
The free open-source version offers a way to self-host, while the paid plans described are Ory Network tiers. According to the vendor's pricing page, Production costs $770 per year and includes managed SaaS, one production environment, three staging environments, permissions, and machine-to-machine tokens. Growth costs $9,350 per year and adds advanced analytics and insights plus B2B SSO using OIDC only. Enterprise is custom-priced managed SaaS; the Ory Enterprise License is custom-priced and self-hosted. Plan fees are annual totals, and usage-based charges also apply. Choose Kratos for customizable customer identity with API control; its published features are less suited to buyers prioritizing broader workforce SSO.
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Ory Kratos pricing
All 5 Ory Kratos plans and prices →
Ory Kratos fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Not verified |
| Monthly active users | Not verified |
| Auth protocols | Not verified |
| MFA methods | Not verified |
| Passkey sign-in | Yes |
| Directory sync | Not verified |
| Deployment | Not verified |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted, Mobile |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android |
| Compliance & security | GDPR, SOC 2 |
| Support | Docs · 24/7 |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 8 integrations: Google, GitHub, Apple, OpenID Connect providers, Amazon SES, AWS API Gateway … |
| Pricing | Free plan (source) |
| Website | ory.com |
| Facts checked | 23 Sep 2026 |
Ory Kratos integrations
Ory Kratos lists 8 integrations on its own site.
- GitHub
- Apple
- OpenID Connect providers
- Amazon SES
- AWS API Gateway
- AWS Infrastructure
- Discord
Alternatives to Ory Kratos
- Okta Workforce IdentityA broad workforce identity suite, with core SSO and MFA starting at $6 per user/month annually.9.3
- Google Cloud IdentityA Google-centered identity service with free core controls and paid adaptive security.9.1
- KeycloakA self-hosted, open-source identity server with broad protocol and MFA support.9.0
See all Ory Kratos alternatives →
Also Ranked In
Ory Kratos is ranked in 2 of our directories.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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