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Cybersecurity · head to head

Authelia vs Sticky Password

Authelia logo

Authelia

Cybersecurity

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sticky Password logo

Sticky Password

Cybersecurity

Password manager with autofill, digital wallet, and dark web monitoring

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; Sticky Password offers no dedicated family plan, requiring individual licenses or a Teams plan to cover a household.
  • They diverge on capability: Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Sticky Password covers Autofill and capture.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Authelia and Sticky Password actually diverge.

Attributes where Authelia and Sticky Password differ
AttributeAutheliaSticky Password
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feefreemium
PlatformsDocker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hostedweb, ios, android, windows, mac

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Sticky Password

  • Autofill and capture
  • Encrypted vault sync
  • Emergency access
  • Dark web monitoring
  • Password sharing
  • Digital wallet

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

Sticky Password

  • Storing and autofilling passwords across devicesnot Authelia
  • Securely sharing a login with a family member or colleaguenot Authelia
  • Granting emergency vault access to a trusted contactnot Authelia
  • Monitoring saved credentials for dark web exposurenot 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

Sticky Password

  • Offers no dedicated family plan, requiring individual licenses or a Teams plan to cover a household.
  • Free tier is limited to a 30-day Premium trial rather than a permanent free feature set.
  • Lacks the browser-based item history and detailed sharing permissions offered by some larger competitors.
  • Business/Teams tooling is lighter than dedicated enterprise password managers with SSO and SCIM support.

Pricing, plan by plan

Authelia

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

Sticky Password

Free
  • Free (30-day Premium trial)Free
    • 30-day trial of Premium features
    • Basic password storage after trial
  • Premium$2.5/month
    • Vault sync across devices
    • Password sharing
    • Dark web monitoring
  • Teams$2.5/month
    • Per-user pricing billed annually
    • Usable for families or businesses
    • Centralized license management

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 Sticky Password if

  • You need autofill and capture.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, ios, android, windows, mac.
  • You also want encrypted vault sync.
Sticky Password review

Questions people ask

Is Authelia or Sticky Password better?
Neither clearly leads. Authelia starts at Free and Sticky Password at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Authelia or Sticky Password?
Authelia starts at Free and Sticky Password at Free.
Does Authelia or Sticky Password run on more platforms?
Authelia runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted. Sticky Password runs on web, ios, android, windows, mac.
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 Sticky Password is typically brought in for.
What can Authelia do that Sticky Password cannot?
Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Two-factor authentication, Access control rules, Lightweight backends. Sticky Password covers Autofill and capture, Encrypted vault sync, Emergency access, Dark web monitoring.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Authelia: Is Authelia free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

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.

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.

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