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Cybersecurity · head to head

Authelia vs Nixpacks

Authelia logo

Authelia

Cybersecurity

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

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Nixpacks logo

Nixpacks

Developer Tools

Build system that turns a source directory into an OCI image, now in maintenance mode

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Authelia depends on a reverse proxy: it is not a standalone identity provider; Nixpacks the project is in maintenance mode with no commits on the default branch since May 2026 and no release since October 2025, so support for new language versions arrives only if someone forks it.
  • They diverge on capability: Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Nixpacks covers Automatic language detection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Authelia and Nixpacks actually diverge.

Attributes where Authelia and Nixpacks differ
AttributeAutheliaNixpacks
PlatformsDocker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hostedLinux, macOS, CLI, Docker
CategoryCybersecurityDeveloper Tools

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 Nixpacks

  • Automatic language detection
  • No Dockerfile required
  • Nix toolchains
  • Configuration escape hatches
  • Docker layer caching

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

Nixpacks

  • Understanding the build behaviour of a platform that adopted Nixpacks before it was frozennot Authelia
  • Producing container images from a polyglot monorepo where nobody wants to own several Dockerfilesnot Authelia
  • Reproducing an existing Railway build locally while planning a migration to Railpacknot Authelia
  • Comparing what a Nix based builder does differently from a buildpack before choosing a successornot 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

Nixpacks

  • The project is in maintenance mode with no commits on the default branch since May 2026 and no release since October 2025, so support for new language versions arrives only if someone forks it.
  • Build determinism is softer than it appears, because providers pin a nixpkgs archive commit and bumping that archive silently moves compiler and runtime versions underneath a build that looks unchanged.
  • Caching is limited to Docker layers rather than a content addressed graph, so a small change early in the build invalidates everything after it, which is exactly the limitation Railpack was rewritten to fix.
  • Images carry Nix store layers and come out larger than an equivalent tuned Dockerfile or buildpack output, which costs registry storage and slows cold pulls on scale-out.
  • There is no specification, no vendor neutral governance and no third party provider ecosystem, so a single company was able to redirect strategy and leave every downstream user with a frozen build tool.

Pricing, plan by plan

Authelia

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

Nixpacks

Free
  • NixpacksFree
    • MIT licensed, no usage limits
    • No commercial edition and no support contract
    • In maintenance mode, superseded by Railpack

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 Nixpacks if

  • You need automatic language detection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, CLI, Docker.
  • You also want no dockerfile required.
Nixpacks review

Questions people ask

Is Authelia or Nixpacks better?
Neither clearly leads. Authelia starts at Free and Nixpacks at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Authelia or Nixpacks?
Authelia starts at Free and Nixpacks at Free.
Does Authelia or Nixpacks run on more platforms?
Authelia runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted. Nixpacks runs on Linux, macOS, CLI, Docker.
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 Nixpacks is typically brought in for.
What can Authelia do that Nixpacks cannot?
Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Two-factor authentication, Access control rules, Lightweight backends. Nixpacks covers Automatic language detection, No Dockerfile required, Nix toolchains, Configuration escape hatches.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Authelia: Is Authelia free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Nixpacks: Should I start a new project on Nixpacks?

No. The documentation and README both say it is in maintenance mode and recommend Railpack. Choose Railpack, Cloud Native Buildpacks or a Dockerfile instead.

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.

Nixpacks: Will my existing Nixpacks builds stop working?

Not immediately. Pinned nixpkgs archives keep resolving, so builds continue. What you lose is support for new runtime major versions and any fix for a provider bug.

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.

Nixpacks: What replaces it?

Railpack, also from Railway and also MIT licensed, rebuilt as a BuildKit custom frontend for finer grained caching and parallel steps.

Nixpacks: Is it still open source?

Yes, MIT, and the repository is not archived. Being open source does not help much when nobody is merging provider updates.

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