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Cybersecurity · head to head

Authelia vs Flux

Authelia logo

Authelia

Cybersecurity

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Flux logo

Flux

Cloud

GitOps continuous delivery for Kubernetes

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; Flux no user interface of its own: observing what Flux is doing means CLI or a third-party dashboard
  • They diverge on capability: Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Flux covers Git as source of truth.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Authelia and Flux actually diverge.

Attributes where Authelia and Flux differ
AttributeAutheliaFlux
PlatformsDocker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hostedKubernetes, Linux
CategoryCybersecurityCloud

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), 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 Flux

  • Git as source of truth
  • Pull-based delivery
  • Helm and Kustomize support
  • Automated image updates

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

Flux

  • Removing cluster credentials from CI systemsnot Authelia
  • Keeping many clusters consistent with a single declared statenot Authelia
  • Automatically correcting configuration drift rather than discovering it laternot 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

Flux

  • No user interface of its own: observing what Flux is doing means CLI or a third-party dashboard
  • Debugging a stuck reconciliation is harder than reading a pipeline log, because failure is asynchronous
  • Everything must be in Git, which is awkward for secrets and needs a sealed-secrets or external-secrets approach
  • GitOps is a workflow change, not just a tool, and teams used to imperative deploys find the adjustment real

Pricing, plan by plan

Authelia

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

Flux

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

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 Flux if

  • You need git as source of truth.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Kubernetes, Linux.
  • You also want pull-based delivery.
Flux review

Questions people ask

Is Authelia or Flux better?
Neither clearly leads. Authelia starts at Free and Flux at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Authelia or Flux?
Authelia starts at Free and Flux at Free.
Does Authelia or Flux run on more platforms?
Authelia runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted. Flux runs on Kubernetes, Linux.
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 Flux is typically brought in for.
What can Authelia do that Flux cannot?
Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Two-factor authentication, Access control rules, Lightweight backends. Flux covers Git as source of truth, Pull-based delivery, Helm and Kustomize support, Automated image updates.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Authelia: Is Authelia free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Flux: Is Flux free?

Yes, open source and CNCF-graduated.

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.

Flux: Flux or Argo CD?

Both implement GitOps. Argo CD ships a strong web UI and is often preferred for visibility; Flux is more modular and composes as controllers, which suits platform teams.

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.

Flux: Why is pull-based safer?

Because the cluster reaches out to Git rather than CI reaching into the cluster. No external system needs write credentials to production.

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