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Cybersecurity · head to head

Authelia vs REST Client VSCode

Authelia logo

Authelia

Cybersecurity

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
REST Client VSCode logo

REST Client VSCode

APIs

VSCode extension for making HTTP requests and testing REST APIs

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; REST Client VSCode limited to Visual Studio Code; not available as a standalone application
  • They diverge on capability: Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, REST Client VSCode covers REST Client.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Authelia and REST Client VSCode actually diverge.

Attributes where Authelia and REST Client VSCode differ
AttributeAutheliaREST Client VSCode
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeUnknown
PlatformsDocker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hostedWindows, macOS, Linux
CategoryCybersecurityAPIs
FoundedUnknown2016

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 REST Client VSCode

  • REST Client
  • HTTP requests
  • Response viewing
  • VSCode
  • Environment variables
  • Custom headers
  • VSCode extension 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 REST Client VSCode
  • Adding SSO across a small set of internal tools without a full identity platformnot REST Client VSCode
  • Home and small-team infrastructure behind a single reverse proxynot REST Client VSCode

REST Client VSCode

  • API Developmentnot Authelia
  • API Gatewaynot Authelia
  • API Testingnot Authelia
  • API Documentationnot Authelia
  • Microservicesnot 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

REST Client VSCode

  • Limited to Visual Studio Code; not available as a standalone application
  • No support for WebSocket, gRPC, or other advanced protocols
  • No cloud sync or team server features; requires Git-based workflow

Pricing, plan by plan

Authelia

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

REST Client VSCode

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the REST Client VSCode 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 REST Client VSCode if

  • You need rest client.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want http requests.
REST Client VSCode review

Questions people ask

Is Authelia or REST Client VSCode better?
Neither clearly leads. Authelia starts at Free and REST Client VSCode at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Authelia or REST Client VSCode?
Authelia starts at Free and REST Client VSCode at Free.
Does Authelia or REST Client VSCode run on more platforms?
Authelia runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted. REST Client VSCode runs on Windows, macOS, 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 REST Client VSCode is typically brought in for.
What can Authelia do that REST Client VSCode cannot?
Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Two-factor authentication, Access control rules, Lightweight backends. REST Client VSCode covers REST Client, HTTP requests, Response viewing, VSCode.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Authelia: Is Authelia free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

REST Client VSCode: How much does REST Client VSCode cost?

REST Client VSCode is completely free and open source. It is available on the Visual Studio Code Marketplace with no subscription or licensing fees.

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.

REST Client VSCode: What authentication methods does REST Client support?

REST Client supports Basic Auth, Digest Auth, SSL certificates, Azure AD, and AWS Signature v4 authentication for API requests.

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.

REST Client VSCode: Can I save and manage multiple requests?

Yes. REST Client supports multiple requests per file using ### delimiters, request history with auto-save, environment variables for different configurations, and code snippet generation for multiple programming languages.

Source
REST Client VSCode: How do teams collaborate with REST Client?

REST Client requests are stored as text files that can be version-controlled in Git repositories. Teams collaborate by sharing requests through Git, making the API specs part of the codebase.

Source
REST Client VSCode: What protocols does REST Client support?

REST Client primarily supports HTTP/HTTPS and GraphQL. It does not support WebSocket, gRPC, or other advanced protocols available in desktop clients like Insomnia.

Source
REST Client VSCode: Is there cloud sync for REST Client requests?

No. REST Client has no built-in cloud sync or team server features. All collaboration and sharing relies on Git repository management.

Source
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Related pages

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