Softwr

Cybersecurity · head to head

Authelia vs Saviynt

Authelia logo

Authelia

Cybersecurity

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Saviynt logo

Saviynt

Cybersecurity

Cloud identity governance with privileged access in the same platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Authelia has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Authelia depends on a reverse proxy: it is not a standalone identity provider; Saviynt implementation typically runs a year or more with a partner, and the cost of that work regularly exceeds the first year subscription, which is rarely in the initial business case.
  • They diverge on capability: Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Saviynt covers Identity governance.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Authelia and Saviynt actually diverge.

Attributes where Authelia and Saviynt differ
AttributeAutheliaSaviynt
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsDocker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hostedWeb

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).

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 Saviynt

  • Identity governance
  • Access certification
  • Segregation of duties
  • Privileged access
  • Cloud entitlements
  • Third party access
  • Access request

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

Saviynt

  • An enterprise with an audit finding that privileged administrative accounts are excluded from access reviewsnot Authelia
  • A healthcare system governing clinician access to Epic alongside corporate applications in one certification campaignnot Authelia
  • A company that has to prove segregation of duties in SAP to an external auditor every yearnot Authelia
  • A federal contractor needing an identity governance service with FedRAMP authorisationnot 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

Saviynt

  • Implementation typically runs a year or more with a partner, and the cost of that work regularly exceeds the first year subscription, which is rarely in the initial business case.
  • Governance quality is limited by HR and application data quality, so organisations with inconsistent joiner records spend the early phases correcting source data rather than certifying access.
  • Pricing is per governed identity, so counting contractors, service accounts and non-employee identities materially changes the bill and the definition is worth negotiating explicitly.
  • The privileged access module is younger than the governance core and is not a full substitute for a dedicated PAM product in estates with heavy session recording or credential rotation requirements.
  • Connectors to less common applications require custom development, and each one adds a maintenance burden that reappears every time the target application changes its API.

Pricing, plan by plan

Authelia

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

Saviynt

On request
  • Saviynt Identity Cloud$undefined/year
    • Priced per governed identity per year
    • Modules for governance, privileged access and cloud entitlements
    • SaaS delivery with FedRAMP authorised offering available

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 Saviynt if

  • You need identity governance.
  • You also want access certification.
Saviynt review

Questions people ask

Is Authelia or Saviynt better?
Neither clearly leads. Authelia starts at Free and Saviynt at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Authelia or Saviynt?
Authelia has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Authelia and On request for Saviynt.
Does Authelia or Saviynt run on more platforms?
Authelia runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted. Saviynt runs on Web.
Can I use Authelia for free?
Yes. Authelia has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Saviynt starts at On request.
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 Saviynt is typically brought in for.
What can Authelia do that Saviynt cannot?
Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Two-factor authentication, Access control rules, Lightweight backends. Saviynt covers Identity governance, Access certification, Segregation of duties, Privileged access.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Authelia: Is Authelia free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Saviynt: Does Saviynt replace a PAM vendor?

It can for time-bound privileged access, but organisations with heavy session recording, credential rotation or legacy server access requirements often keep a dedicated PAM product alongside it.

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.

Saviynt: Is there a FedRAMP authorised version?

Yes, Saviynt offers a FedRAMP authorised government cloud offering, which matters where that is an eligibility requirement rather than a preference.

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.

Saviynt: How is it priced?

Per governed identity per year, quoted. Define carefully whether service accounts and contractors count toward the identity total.

Share

Related pages

More on Authelia

More on Saviynt

Keep looking

Other head to heads