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APIs · head to head

Asyncapi vs Authelia

Asyncapi logo

Asyncapi

APIs

Specification and tools for defining asynchronous APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Authelia logo

Authelia

Cybersecurity

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Asyncapi complex to implement and debug asynchronous operations due to their non-linear and concurrent nature; Authelia depends on a reverse proxy: it is not a standalone identity provider
  • They diverge on capability: Asyncapi covers API Specification, Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Asyncapi and Authelia actually diverge.

Attributes where Asyncapi and Authelia differ
AttributeAsyncapiAuthelia
Pricing modelopen-sourceOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, CLI, IDE ExtensionsDocker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted
CategoryAPIsCybersecurity
Founded2019Unknown

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 Asyncapi

  • API Specification
  • Code generation
  • Documentation
  • Multiple messaging protocols
  • Code generators
  • Specification support
  • Tools support
  • CLI support

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.

Asyncapi

  • API Developmentnot Authelia
  • API Gatewaynot Authelia
  • API Testingnot Authelia
  • API Documentationnot Authelia
  • Microservicesnot Authelia

Authelia

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

Where each one falls short

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

Asyncapi

  • Complex to implement and debug asynchronous operations due to their non-linear and concurrent nature
  • Keeping AsyncAPI documents up to date is challenging as systems evolve
  • Tracing and debugging asynchronous operations is more difficult than synchronous request-response patterns

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

Asyncapi

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • AsyncAPI specification
    • Tools
    • Community support

Authelia

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Asyncapi if

  • You need api specification.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI, IDE Extensions.
  • You also want code generation.
Asyncapi 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 Asyncapi or Authelia better?
Neither clearly leads. Asyncapi 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, Asyncapi or Authelia?
Asyncapi starts at Free and Authelia at Free.
Does Asyncapi or Authelia run on more platforms?
Asyncapi runs on Web, CLI, IDE Extensions. Authelia runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted.
Can I use Asyncapi for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Asyncapi best used for?
Asyncapi is most often used for api development, api gateway, api testing, api documentation. Of those, api development and api gateway are not what Authelia is typically brought in for.
What can Asyncapi do that Authelia cannot?
Asyncapi covers API Specification, Code generation, Documentation, Multiple messaging protocols. Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Two-factor authentication, Access control rules, Lightweight backends.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Asyncapi: What is AsyncAPI used for?

AsyncAPI is an open-source specification for defining and documenting asynchronous APIs, message-driven systems, and event-driven architectures. It serves the same purpose for async APIs as OpenAPI does for REST APIs, providing standardized documentation, code generation, and tooling.

Source
Authelia: Is Authelia free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Asyncapi: Is AsyncAPI free to use?

Yes, AsyncAPI is completely free and open-source. It is hosted by the Linux Foundation and supported by community contributions and sponsorships from companies like Postman, IBM, IQVIA Technology, and Solace.

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.

Asyncapi: What protocols and technologies does AsyncAPI support?

AsyncAPI supports multiple protocols and technologies including Kafka, RabbitMQ, MQTT, Socket.IO, AWS EventBridge, and others. It provides language support for JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, Java, Go, C#/.NET, Kotlin, and PHP.

Source
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.

Asyncapi: Does AsyncAPI have IDE support?

Yes, AsyncAPI has IDE extensions available for VSCode and IntelliJ, along with CLI utilities and GitHub Actions integration for developers.

Source
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