Softwr

Cybersecurity · head to head

Authelia vs Azure Government

Authelia logo

Authelia

Cybersecurity

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

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Azure Government logo

Azure Government

Government

Trusted Cloud for Government

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Authelia has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Authelia depends on a reverse proxy: it is not a standalone identity provider; Azure Government restricted to US government entities, their solution providers and contractors handling government data, with Microsoft validating eligibility first
  • They diverge on capability: Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Azure Government covers FedRAMP High Authorized.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Authelia and Azure Government actually diverge.

Attributes where Authelia and Azure Government differ
AttributeAutheliaAzure Government
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeusage-based
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsDocker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hostedWeb, Cli, Sdk
CategoryCybersecurityGovernment
FoundedUnknown1975

Identical on both: 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 Authelia

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

Only in Azure Government

  • FedRAMP High Authorized
  • DOD IL5 Approved
  • Isolated Datacenters
  • Hybrid Cloud
  • AI & ML Services
  • Microsoft 365
  • Dynamics 365
  • Power Platform

What people use each for

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

Authelia

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

Azure Government

  • Hosting US government workloads in dedicated domestic datacentresnot Authelia
  • Systems needing FedRAMP High, DoD IL2 to IL5, CJIS or ITAR authorisationnot Authelia
  • State, local and tribal government cloud servicesnot Authelia
  • Contractors processing controlled government datanot Authelia

Where each one falls short

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

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

Azure Government

  • Restricted to US government entities, their solution providers and contractors handling government data, with Microsoft validating eligibility first
  • A narrower service catalogue than commercial Azure
  • New features arrive later than in the commercial regions
  • Pricing is not published and runs through federal contract vehicles such as JWCC, GSA and NASA SEWP

Pricing, plan by plan

Authelia

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

Azure Government

On request
  • Pay-as-you-goFree
    • Virtual Machines
    • Azure SQL
    • Storage

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Azure Government if

  • You need fedramp high authorized.
  • You work on Web, Cli, Sdk.
  • You also want dod il5 approved.
Azure Government review

Questions people ask

Is Authelia or Azure Government better?
Neither clearly leads. Authelia starts at Free and Azure Government at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Authelia or Azure Government?
Authelia has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Authelia and On request for Azure Government.
Does Authelia or Azure Government run on more platforms?
Authelia runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted. Azure Government runs on Web, Cli, Sdk.
Can I use Authelia for free?
Yes. Authelia has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Azure Government starts at On request.
What is Authelia best used for?
Authelia is most often used for putting a login and 2fa in front of self-hosted services that have none, adding sso across a small set of internal tools without a full identity platform, home and small-team infrastructure behind a single reverse proxy. Of those, putting a login and 2fa in front of self-hosted services that have none and adding sso across a small set of internal tools without a full identity platform are not what Azure Government is typically brought in for.
What can Authelia do that Azure Government cannot?
Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Two-factor authentication, Access control rules, Lightweight backends. Azure Government covers FedRAMP High Authorized, DOD IL5 Approved, Isolated Datacenters, Hybrid Cloud.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Authelia: Is Authelia free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Azure Government: How is Azure Government pricing determined?

Azure pricing follows a pay-as-you-go model where you only pay for services you use. Prices vary by product, region, and usage patterns. Committed use discounts and reserved instances can save up to 65% for compute services.

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.

Share

Related pages

More on Authelia

More on Azure Government

Keep looking

Other head to heads