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Cybersecurity · head to head

Authelia vs Kubernetes

Authelia logo

Authelia

Cybersecurity

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kubernetes logo

Kubernetes

Technology

Production-grade container orchestration

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; Kubernetes complex initial setup and configuration with multiple interdependent components
  • They diverge on capability: Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Kubernetes covers Container orchestration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Authelia and Kubernetes actually diverge.

Attributes where Authelia and Kubernetes differ
AttributeAutheliaKubernetes
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeUnknown
PlatformsDocker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hostedLinux, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure)
CategoryCybersecurityTechnology
FoundedUnknown2014

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 Kubernetes

  • Container orchestration
  • Automatic scaling
  • Self-healing
  • Service discovery
  • Load balancing
  • Storage orchestration
  • Automated rollouts
  • Secret management

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

Kubernetes

  • Microservices deploymentnot Authelia
  • Cloud-native applicationsnot Authelia
  • CI/CD pipelinesnot Authelia
  • Multi-cloud deploymentsnot Authelia
  • Edge computingnot 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

Kubernetes

  • Complex initial setup and configuration with multiple interdependent components
  • Significant resource requirements for both hardware infrastructure and specialized human expertise
  • Expensive specialized talent in Kubernetes domain; hiring costs prohibitive for many organizations
  • New security challenges around container isolation and network security requiring robust measures
  • Requires continuous maintenance and updates to stay current with releases and security patches

Pricing, plan by plan

Authelia

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

Kubernetes

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Kubernetes review.

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 Kubernetes if

  • You need container orchestration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure).
  • You also want automatic scaling.
Kubernetes review

Questions people ask

Is Authelia or Kubernetes better?
Neither clearly leads. Authelia starts at Free and Kubernetes at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Authelia or Kubernetes?
Authelia starts at Free and Kubernetes at Free.
Does Authelia or Kubernetes run on more platforms?
Authelia runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted. Kubernetes runs on Linux, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure).
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 Kubernetes is typically brought in for.
What can Authelia do that Kubernetes cannot?
Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Two-factor authentication, Access control rules, Lightweight backends. Kubernetes covers Container orchestration, Automatic scaling, Self-healing, Service discovery.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Authelia: Is Authelia free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Kubernetes: What is Kubernetes used for?

Kubernetes is a container orchestration platform that automates deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications across clusters of machines.

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.

Kubernetes: Is Kubernetes free?

Yes, Kubernetes is free, open-source software maintained by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation. However, running Kubernetes clusters requires infrastructure investment.

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.

Kubernetes: How hard is it to learn Kubernetes?

Kubernetes has a steep learning curve. It requires deep knowledge of containerization, networking, and distributed systems. Teams without prior container experience should expect significant training time.

Source
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