# Kanidm vs OpenWA

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

| | Kanidm | OpenWA |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 67/100 | 77/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #3 of 3 in IAM | #2 of 19 in API Management |
| GitHub stars | 5 512 | 16 363 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +108 | +357 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 14 ✓ | 3 |
| Latest release | v1.11.2 · 11 Sept 2026 | v0.26.0 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | MPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Rust | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

OpenWA scores 77/100 against 67/100 for Kanidm, so it is the safer default.

Kanidm ships more often: 14 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for OpenWA.

If you want the quickest setup, OpenWA is easier to run; Kanidm needs more configuration.

OpenWA is growing faster right now (+357 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Kanidm](https://selfhost.directory/project/kanidm) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/kanidm.md)
- [OpenWA](https://selfhost.directory/project/openwa) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/openwa.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/kanidm-vs-openwa