Cybersecurity · head to head
Authelia vs Splunk Enterprise Security
Authelia
Cybersecurity
Open-source authentication and two-factor portal for reverse proxies
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Splunk Enterprise Security
Cybersecurity
The platform for operational intelligence
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
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; Splunk Enterprise Security splunk Enterprise Security is licensed separately from the Splunk platform, so a SIEM deployment needs both
- They diverge on capability: Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Splunk Enterprise Security covers Security monitoring.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Authelia and Splunk Enterprise Security actually diverge.
| Attribute | Authelia | Splunk Enterprise Security |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | Open source, no licence fee | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted | Web, Api |
| Founded | Unknown | 2003 |
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 Splunk Enterprise Security
- Security monitoring
- Incident review
- Risk-based alerting
- Threat intelligence
- Investigation workbench
- MITRE ATT&CK mapping
- Automated response
- Compliance reporting
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 Splunk Enterprise Security
- Adding SSO across a small set of internal tools without a full identity platformnot Splunk Enterprise Security
- Home and small-team infrastructure behind a single reverse proxynot Splunk Enterprise Security
Splunk Enterprise Security
- Running a security operations centre on Splunk indexed log datanot Authelia
- Correlation searches, risk based alerting and incident investigationnot Authelia
- Compliance reporting from pooled security telemetrynot 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
Splunk Enterprise Security
- Splunk Enterprise Security is licensed separately from the Splunk platform, so a SIEM deployment needs both
- Splunk publishes no rate for Enterprise Security and directs buyers to contact a pricing expert
- UEBA, SOAR and automated threat analysis require the Premier edition rather than Essentials
- The platform underneath can be billed by ingest volume, workload or activity, so the total cost depends on a pricing model chosen at contract time rather than a list price
Pricing, plan by plan
Authelia
Free- AutheliaFree
- Full functionality
- No usage limits
- Community support
Splunk Enterprise Security
On request- Workload PricingFree
- Pay per compute
- Flexible scaling
- All features
- Ingest PricingFree
- Pay per GB ingested
- Predictable costs
- All features
- Entity PricingFree
- Pay per monitored entity
- Security focused
- All features
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.
Choose Splunk Enterprise Security if
- You need security monitoring.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want incident review.
Questions people ask
- Is Authelia or Splunk Enterprise Security better?
- Neither clearly leads. Authelia starts at Free and Splunk Enterprise Security at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Authelia or Splunk Enterprise Security?
- Authelia has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Authelia and On request for Splunk Enterprise Security.
- Does Authelia or Splunk Enterprise Security run on more platforms?
- Authelia runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted. Splunk Enterprise Security runs on Web, Api.
- Can I use Authelia for free?
- Yes. Authelia has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Splunk Enterprise Security 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 Splunk Enterprise Security is typically brought in for.
- What can Authelia do that Splunk Enterprise Security cannot?
- Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Two-factor authentication, Access control rules, Lightweight backends. Splunk Enterprise Security covers Security monitoring, Incident review, Risk-based alerting, Threat intelligence.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Authelia: Is Authelia free?
Yes, open source with no licence fee.
Splunk Enterprise Security: How much does Splunk Enterprise Security cost?
Splunk Enterprise Security pricing is not published. The product is available in Essentials Edition with threat detection, investigation, and response capabilities, and Premier Edition with UEBA, SOAR, and Automated Threat Analysis. Customers must contact Splunk sales for pricing quotes on either edition.
SourceAuthelia: 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.
Splunk Enterprise Security: What editions of Splunk Enterprise Security are available?
Splunk Enterprise Security offers Essentials Edition with threat detection, investigation, and response capabilities, and Premier Edition which adds UEBA (User and Entity Behavior Analytics), SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation and Response), and Automated Threat Analysis.
SourceAuthelia: 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.
Related pages
More on Splunk Enterprise Security
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