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Cybersecurity · head to head

Authelia vs Coder

Authelia logo

Authelia

Cybersecurity

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Coder logo

Coder

Developer Tools

Self-hosted platform for provisioning governed cloud development environments

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Authelia depends on a reverse proxy: it is not a standalone identity provider; Coder premium plan pricing is not published and requires contacting sales.
  • They diverge on capability: Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Coder covers Self-hosted workspaces.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Authelia and Coder actually diverge.

Attributes where Authelia and Coder differ
AttributeAutheliaCoder
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feefreemium
PlatformsDocker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hostedweb, linux, mac, windows, api
CategoryCybersecurityDeveloper Tools

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 Authelia

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

Only in Coder

  • Self-hosted workspaces
  • Multi-IDE support
  • AI coding agent support
  • OpenID Connect SSO
  • Audit logging
  • Resource quotas

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 Coder
  • Adding SSO across a small set of internal tools without a full identity platformnot Coder
  • Home and small-team infrastructure behind a single reverse proxynot Coder

Coder

  • Running self-hosted development environments behind a corporate firewallnot Authelia
  • Standardizing developer workspaces across a large engineering orgnot Authelia
  • Giving approved AI coding agents governed, isolated workspacesnot Authelia
  • Enforcing SSO and audit trails on developer environment accessnot 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

Coder

  • Premium plan pricing is not published and requires contacting sales.
  • Requires self-hosting and managing the underlying infrastructure, unlike fully managed cloud IDEs.
  • High availability, audit logging, and RBAC are gated behind the paid Premium tier, so the free Community edition lacks enterprise controls.

Pricing, plan by plan

Authelia

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

Coder

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Unlimited workspaces and templates
    • Unlimited organization members
    • Multiple IDE support
  • Premium$undefined/month
    • Ticket-based support with SLA
    • Multi-organization access controls
    • Resource quotas and audit logging

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 Coder if

  • You need self-hosted workspaces.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, linux, mac, windows, api.
  • You also want multi-ide support.
Coder review

Questions people ask

Is Authelia or Coder better?
Neither clearly leads. Authelia starts at Free and Coder at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Authelia or Coder?
Authelia starts at Free and Coder at Free.
Does Authelia or Coder run on more platforms?
Authelia runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted. Coder runs on web, linux, mac, windows, api.
Can I use Authelia for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Coder is typically brought in for.
What can Authelia do that Coder cannot?
Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Two-factor authentication, Access control rules, Lightweight backends. Coder covers Self-hosted workspaces, Multi-IDE support, AI coding agent support, OpenID Connect SSO.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Authelia: Is Authelia free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Coder: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

Yes, the Community edition is free and includes unlimited workspaces, templates, and organization members with OpenID Connect SSO, aimed at hobbyists and small teams.

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.

Coder: What does Premium add over Community?

Premium adds ticket-based SLA support, multi-organization access controls, resource quotas, audit logging, AI governance, workspace proxies, high availability, and custom branding.

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.

Coder: How is Coder priced?

Community is free; Premium is priced per user annually, with the exact rate available by contacting Coder.

Source
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