What is the main difference between Authentik and Permify?

Authentik and Permify are both authorization & permissions tools but differ in their approach, features, and target audience. Compare their GitHub stats, technology stack, and community adoption to make the best choice.

Which is better: Authentik or Permify?

The choice between Authentik and Permify depends on your specific needs, technical requirements, and team preferences. Both are quality open source solutions with active communities.

Can I migrate from Authentik to Permify?

Migration between Authentik and Permify is possible but requires careful planning. Consider data export/import capabilities, feature parity, and potential workflow changes.

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Authentik vs Permify

Learn how Authentik and Permify differ in their key features, development activity, technology stack and community adoption, so you can decide which of these authorization & permissions tools is best for you.

Authentik

authentik is an open-source identity provider that offers self-hosted authentication, authorization, and user management for businesses of all sizes.

Visit Authentik Read more

25,286stars+2,714(+12%)

Last 30 days

Last commit
4 hours ago
Repository age
7 years
Version
2026.8.0
License
MIT
Self-hosted
Yes
Repository
goauthentik/authentik

Sponsor Authentik ongithub.com

Permify

Open-source authorization service for implementing fine-grained access controls. Centralized, scalable solution supporting RBAC, ABAC and ReBAC with Google Zanzibar-inspired architecture.

Visit Permify Read more

5,942stars+15(+0.3%)

Last 30 days

Last commit
17 hours ago
Repository age
4 years
Version
v1.7.3
License
AGPL-3.0
Repository
permify/permify

Sponsor Permify ongithub.com

Detailed Comparison

Authentik appears to have several advantages over Permify, particularly in popularity, growth, maturity, licensing and features. Consider your specific needs regarding popularity, growth, activity, technology, maturity, licensing and features when making your decision.

Authentik wins

Community & Popularity

Authentik significantly outpaces Permify in community adoption with 25,286 stars compared to 5,942 stars on GitHub. This 4.3x difference suggests Authentik has a much larger and more active community. In terms of developer contributions, Authentik has 1,985 forks, indicating strong developer engagement.

Authentik wins

Growth Momentum

Authentik is growing faster, adding 2,714 stars in the last 30 days (+12%) against adding 15 stars for Permify (+0.3%). Authentik is both larger and pulling further ahead.

Comparable

Development Activity

Both projects show recent activity, with Authentik last updated 4 hours ago and Permify 17 hours ago.

Comparable

Technology Stack

Both tools share common technology foundations, being built with JavaScript, Bash, Typescript, JSX, Python, Golang. However, they differ in their additional technology choices: Authentik uses CSS, Rust, Django while Permify leverages Java.

Authentik wins

Project Maturity

Authentik has been in development longer, starting 7 years ago, compared to Permify which began 4 years ago. This 2.6-year head start suggests Authentik may have more mature features and established processes.

Authentik wins

Licensing

Authentik uses the MIT license, which is more permissive than Permify's AGPL-3.0 license, potentially offering greater flexibility for commercial use and integration.

Comparable

Use Cases & Features

Both tools serve similar use cases in Authorization & Permissions. However, they also have distinct specializations: Authentik also focuses on Authentication & SSO.

Authentik wins

Hosting & Deployment

Authentik provides self-hosting options for complete data control and customization, while Permify may be primarily cloud-based or require different deployment approaches.