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Developer Tools · head to head

Argo CD vs Authelia

Argo CD logo

Argo CD

Developer Tools

A declarative, GitOps continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Authelia logo

Authelia

Cybersecurity

Open-source authentication and two-factor portal for reverse proxies

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Argo CD licensed under Apache License 2.0 per the project's GitHub repository (argoproj/argo-cd LICENSE); as open source software it has no paid tier or vendor price to compare; Authelia depends on a reverse proxy: it is not a standalone identity provider
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Argo CD and Authelia actually diverge.

Attributes where Argo CD and Authelia differ
AttributeArgo CDAuthelia
Pricing modelopen-sourceOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWebDocker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted
CategoryDeveloper ToolsCybersecurity

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Argo CD

Nothing recorded that Authelia does not also cover.

Only in Authelia

  • Reverse proxy integration
  • Two-factor authentication
  • Access control rules
  • Lightweight backends

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Argo CD

  • Declarative GitOps continuous deployment for Kubernetes applicationsnot Authelia
  • Automated configuration drift detection across multiple clustersnot Authelia
  • Multi-environment management with blue/green and canary deploymentsnot Authelia
  • Enterprise authentication with SSO, OIDC, OAuth2, LDAP, SAML 2.0not Authelia
  • Webhook integration for GitHub, BitBucket, and GitLab automationnot Authelia

Authelia

  • Putting a login and 2FA in front of self-hosted services that have nonenot Argo CD
  • Adding SSO across a small set of internal tools without a full identity platformnot Argo CD
  • Home and small-team infrastructure behind a single reverse proxynot Argo CD

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Argo CD

  • Licensed under Apache License 2.0 per the project's GitHub repository (argoproj/argo-cd LICENSE); as open source software it has no paid tier or vendor price to compare
  • The quick start installation requires the --server-side and --force-conflicts flags due to CRD size limitations, per argo-cd.readthedocs.io, a constraint the documentation states explicitly

Authelia

  • Depends on a reverse proxy: it is not a standalone identity provider
  • Configuration is YAML-first with no administrative interface, so changes mean editing files
  • Not a full IAM: user management, provisioning and federation are limited compared with Keycloak
  • Scales poorly as an organisation-wide identity solution, which is not its target

Pricing, plan by plan

Argo CD

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Argo CD review.

Authelia

Free
  • AutheliaFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

Choose Argo CD if

  • You want to start without paying.
Argo CD review

Choose Authelia if

  • You need reverse proxy integration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted.
  • You also want two-factor authentication.
Authelia review

Questions people ask

Is Argo CD or Authelia better?
Neither clearly leads. Argo CD starts at Free and Authelia at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Argo CD or Authelia?
Argo CD starts at Free and Authelia at Free.
Does Argo CD or Authelia run on more platforms?
Argo CD runs on Web. Authelia runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted.
Can I use Argo CD for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Argo CD best used for?
Argo CD is most often used for declarative gitops continuous deployment for kubernetes applications, automated configuration drift detection across multiple clusters, multi-environment management with blue/green and canary deployments, enterprise authentication with sso, oidc, oauth2, ldap, saml 2.0. Of those, declarative gitops continuous deployment for kubernetes applications and automated configuration drift detection across multiple clusters are not what Authelia is typically brought in for.
What can Argo CD do that Authelia cannot?
Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Two-factor authentication, Access control rules, Lightweight backends.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Argo CD: What is the cost of Argo CD?

Argo CD is open source and free to use. No licensing fees, subscription charges, or commercial restrictions apply. The project is maintained by the CNCF community.

Source
Authelia: Is Authelia free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Argo CD: How frequently does Argo CD poll Git repositories by default?

Argo CD checks Git and Helm repositories every 3 minutes by default to detect configuration changes, enabling timely deployment of updates.

Source
Authelia: Does Authelia need a reverse proxy?

Yes. It integrates through forward authentication with Nginx, Traefik, Caddy or HAProxy rather than sitting in front of traffic itself.

Authelia: Authelia or Keycloak?

Authelia is far lighter and aimed at protecting self-hosted services behind a proxy. Keycloak is a full identity and access management platform, and much more to run.

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