# authelia vs directory-server

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | authelia | directory-server |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 81/100 ✓ | 46/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 3 in IAM | #26 of 40 in Authentication |
| GitHub stars | 29 434 ✓ | 188 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +367 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 18 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | v4.39.28 · 17 Sept 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Go | Java |

## Which one should you pick?

authelia scores 81/100 against 46/100 for directory-server, so it is the safer default.

authelia ships more often: 18 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for directory-server.

If you want the quickest setup, authelia is easier to run; directory-server needs more configuration.

authelia is growing faster right now (+367 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [authelia](https://selfhost.directory/project/authelia) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/authelia.md)
- [directory-server](https://selfhost.directory/project/directory-server) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/directory-server.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/authelia-vs-directory-server