# directory-server vs hanko

> Two self-hosted [Authentication projects](https://selfhost.directory/authentication), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | directory-server | hanko |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 46/100 | 68/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #26 of 40 in Authentication | #7 of 40 in Authentication |
| GitHub stars | 188 | 9 051 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +15 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 2 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | backend/v3.1.0 · 1 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Java | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

hanko scores 68/100 against 46/100 for directory-server, so it is the safer default.

hanko ships more often: 2 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for directory-server.

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

hanko is growing faster right now (+15 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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