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Cybersecurity · head to head

Authelia vs Countly

Authelia logo

Authelia

Cybersecurity

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Countly logo

Countly

Marketing

Product analytics for mobile and web

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; Countly the private cloud plan starts at $175 a month and is described as usage based without stating the unit
  • They diverge on capability: Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Countly covers Event tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Authelia and Countly actually diverge.

Attributes where Authelia and Countly differ
AttributeAutheliaCountly
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
PlatformsDocker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hostedWeb, Mobile, Api
CategoryCybersecurityMarketing
FoundedUnknown2012

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 Countly

  • Event tracking
  • Crash reporting
  • Analytics dashboard
  • User retention
  • Open-source
  • Cloud deployment
  • On-premise deployment
  • Web support

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

Countly

  • Product analytics for mobile and web applicationsnot Authelia
  • Self hosting analytics where data cannot leave the organisationnot 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

Countly

  • The private cloud plan starts at $175 a month and is described as usage based without stating the unit
  • No event cap, data point limit or user limit is published for either paid plan
  • The self hosted Enterprise edition is custom priced and billed annually
  • Adaptivity and intelligence features are separately priced add ons on the cheaper plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Authelia

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

Countly

Free
  • Flex (Private Cloud)$175/month
    • Usage-based pricing (not seat-based)
    • Advanced Analytics included
    • Adaptivity and Intelligence available as add-ons
  • Enterprise (Self-Hosted)$null/mo
    • Custom pricing, requires demo booking
    • All capabilities included
    • Deploy on your infrastructure

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 Countly if

  • You need event tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want crash reporting.
Countly review

Questions people ask

Is Authelia or Countly better?
Neither clearly leads. Authelia starts at Free and Countly at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Authelia or Countly?
Authelia starts at Free and Countly at Free.
Does Authelia or Countly run on more platforms?
Authelia runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted. Countly runs on Web, Mobile, 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 Countly is typically brought in for.
What can Authelia do that Countly cannot?
Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Two-factor authentication, Access control rules, Lightweight backends. Countly covers Event tracking, Crash reporting, Analytics dashboard, User retention.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Authelia: Is Authelia free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Countly: How much does Countly cost?

Countly's Flex plan (private cloud) starts at $175/month with pay-as-you-go cancellation. Enterprise (self-hosted) requires custom pricing and annual billing. Both plans include advanced analytics, and Flex offers a 14-day free trial.

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.

Countly: What is the difference between Countly Flex and Enterprise plans?

Flex uses usage-based pricing on Countly's cloud with monthly billing. Enterprise requires custom pricing and annual billing, but allows self-hosting on your infrastructure with zero vendor access to data, dedicated support, and included SLA.

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.

Countly: Can I add Adaptivity and Intelligence to Countly Flex?

Yes, Adaptivity and Intelligence suites can be added to Flex as needed. Both are included standard with Enterprise plans.

Source
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