Softwr

Cybersecurity · head to head

authentik vs Azure DevOps

authentik logo

authentik

Cybersecurity

Open-source identity provider with flexible authentication flows

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Azure DevOps logo

Azure DevOps

Developer Tools

Plan smarter, collaborate better, and ship faster

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: authentik smaller project than Keycloak, with a correspondingly smaller community and fewer integration guides; Azure DevOps first 5 users free applies to Basic plan only; Test Plans users are not included in free tier
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which authentik and Azure DevOps actually diverge.

Attributes where authentik and Azure DevOps differ
AttributeauthentikAzure DevOps
Pricing modelOpen-source core with a paid enterprise tiermixed
PlatformsDocker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hostedWeb
CategoryCybersecurityDeveloper Tools

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 authentik

  • Configurable flows
  • Protocol support
  • Application proxy
  • Modern admin interface

Only in Azure DevOps

Nothing recorded that authentik does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

authentik

  • Self-hosted SSO across internal services without commercial identity pricingnot Azure DevOps
  • Putting authentication in front of applications that have none, via the proxynot Azure DevOps
  • Teams who tried Keycloak and wanted something less heavynot Azure DevOps

Azure DevOps

  • CI/CD pipelines and build automation for software development teamsnot authentik
  • Source code repository management and version controlnot authentik
  • Test planning and tracking for QA teamsnot authentik
  • Artifact storage for packages and binariesnot authentik

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

authentik

  • Smaller project than Keycloak, with a correspondingly smaller community and fewer integration guides
  • The flow model is flexible but conceptually unfamiliar, and simple setups can feel over-abstracted
  • Enterprise support and some governance features sit behind the paid tier
  • Self-hosted identity is still yours to secure, patch and keep available

Azure DevOps

  • First 5 users free applies to Basic plan only; Test Plans users are not included in free tier
  • Storage pricing increases per-GiB cost as volumes grow, with no volume discount threshold below $0.25

Pricing, plan by plan

authentik

Free
  • Open sourceFree
    • Full identity provider
    • All protocols
    • Community support

Azure DevOps

Free
  • Basic$6/month per user
    • First 5 users free
    • Additional users $6/user/month
    • Pipelines (free tier)
  • Basic + Test Plans$52/month per user
    • All Basic features
    • Test planning, tracking, and execution
  • Azure Pipelines CI/CD - Microsoft-hosted$40/month per additional parallel job
    • 1 free parallel job with 1,800 minutes per month
    • Additional jobs at $40/month each
  • Azure Artifacts Storage$2/month per GiB
    • First 2 GiB free
    • 2-10 GiB: $2/GiB
    • 10-100 GiB: $1/GiB

Which should you pick?

Choose authentik if

  • You need configurable flows.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted.
  • You also want protocol support.
authentik review

Choose Azure DevOps if

  • You want to start without paying.
Azure DevOps review

Questions people ask

Is authentik or Azure DevOps better?
Neither clearly leads. authentik starts at Free and Azure DevOps at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, authentik or Azure DevOps?
authentik starts at Free and Azure DevOps at Free.
Does authentik or Azure DevOps run on more platforms?
authentik runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted. Azure DevOps runs on Web.
Can I use authentik for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is authentik best used for?
authentik is most often used for self-hosted sso across internal services without commercial identity pricing, putting authentication in front of applications that have none, via the proxy, teams who tried keycloak and wanted something less heavy. Of those, self-hosted sso across internal services without commercial identity pricing and putting authentication in front of applications that have none, via the proxy are not what Azure DevOps is typically brought in for.
What can authentik do that Azure DevOps cannot?
authentik covers Configurable flows, Protocol support, Application proxy, Modern admin interface.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

authentik: Is authentik free?

The open-source edition is free and complete for most use. An enterprise tier adds support and additional features.

Azure DevOps: How much does Azure DevOps cost?

Azure DevOps Basic plan is $6 per user per month after the first 5 users are free. Basic + Test Plans tier costs $52 per user per month. Azure Pipelines add-on for extra parallel jobs costs $40 per job for Microsoft-hosted runners and $15 per job for self-hosted runners.

Source
authentik: authentik or Keycloak?

authentik is generally reported as easier to run and administer; Keycloak is more established with a larger community and Red Hat behind it.

Azure DevOps: Is there a free tier for Azure DevOps?

Yes, Azure DevOps includes 5 free users on the Basic plan. Additional free allocations include 1,800 free minutes per month on Azure Pipelines with a free parallel job, 2 GiB free storage on Azure Artifacts, and free access for Visual Studio subscribers and Stakeholders with limited functionality.

Source
authentik: Can authentik protect apps with no login of their own?

Yes. Its application proxy places authentication in front of services that have no built-in authentication.

Azure DevOps: What does the Basic + Test Plans tier add to Azure DevOps?

The Basic + Test Plans tier adds test planning and execution capabilities, browser-based testing, and centralized reporting features. This tier costs $52 per user per month compared to $6 per user for the Basic plan.

Source
Azure DevOps: How is Azure Artifacts priced?

Azure Artifacts provides 2 GiB of free storage, then charges $2 per GiB for 2-10 GiB, $1 per GiB for 10-100 GiB, $0.50 per GiB for 100-1,000 GiB, and $0.25 per GiB for over 1,000 GiB.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on authentik

More on Azure DevOps

Keep looking

Other head to heads