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Cybersecurity · head to head

Authelia vs Socure

Authelia logo

Authelia

Cybersecurity

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Socure logo

Socure

Cybersecurity

Predictive identity verification and fraud scoring for the US market

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; Socure coverage and accuracy depend on US consumer data density, so international expansion means adding a second, document-based vendor rather than scaling the same contract.
  • They diverge on capability: Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Socure covers ID+ identity verification.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Authelia and Socure actually diverge.

Attributes where Authelia and Socure differ
AttributeAutheliaSocure
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsDocker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hostedWeb, iOS, Android

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 Socure

  • ID+ identity verification
  • Synthetic identity detection
  • Document verification
  • Watchlist screening
  • Consortium signals
  • Reason codes
  • Account intelligence

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

Socure

  • A US lender losing money to synthetic identities that pass document verification and thin-file credit checksnot Authelia
  • A credit union that wants to open accounts without asking applicants to photograph a driving licencenot Authelia
  • A government benefits programme needing identity assurance for applicants without in-person enrolmentnot Authelia
  • A fintech that needs auditable reason codes for every decline to support adverse action noticesnot 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

Socure

  • Coverage and accuracy depend on US consumer data density, so international expansion means adding a second, document-based vendor rather than scaling the same contract.
  • Data-only verification performs worst on thin-file populations, and young, recently arrived or credit-invisible applicants are declined at higher rates, which creates a fair lending exposure a bank must monitor.
  • Pricing is per decision with an annual commitment and is not published, so the cost of a traffic spike or a bot attack on your signup flow lands on your bill.
  • Modules for verification, fraud and compliance are licensed separately, so the shortlist price rarely matches the final contract once screening and document fallback are added.
  • A probabilistic score is harder to defend to an examiner than a documented identification procedure, so US institutions still have to map the score to explicit Customer Identification Programme controls themselves.

Pricing, plan by plan

Authelia

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

Socure

On request
  • Socure ID+$undefined/year
    • Priced per identity decision with annual commitment
    • Modules for verification, fraud and compliance priced separately
    • US data coverage strongest, international more limited

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 Socure if

  • You need id+ identity verification.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want synthetic identity detection.
Socure review

Questions people ask

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

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Authelia: Is Authelia free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Socure: Does Socure work outside the United States?

International coverage exists but the data depth that makes the US product accurate is not replicated everywhere. Most global buyers pair it with a document vendor.

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.

Socure: Can it verify without a document photo?

Yes, that is the core proposition. Document verification is available as a step-up when the data-only score is inconclusive.

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.

Socure: Is pricing published?

No. It is quoted per decision against an annual volume commitment.

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