authentikvsdirectory-server
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| authentik | directory-server | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 81/100 | 46/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 3 in IAM | #26 of 40 in Authentication |
| GitHub stars | 26 158 | 188 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +453 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 9 | 0 |
| Latest release | version/2026.8.5 · 21 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | No |
| License | Other | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Python | Java |
Which one should you pick?
authentik scores 81/100 against 46/100 for directory-server, so it is the safer default.
authentik ships more often: 9 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for directory-server.
If you want the quickest setup, authentik is easier to run; directory-server needs more configuration.
authentik is growing faster right now (+453 stars in 30 days).
authentik details →directory-server details →