Is authentik or CityView better?

Neither clearly leads. authentik starts at Free and CityView at $10000/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, authentik or CityView?

authentik has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for authentik and $10000/year for CityView.

Does authentik or CityView run on more platforms?

authentik runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted. CityView runs on Web.

Can I use authentik for free?

Yes. authentik has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CityView starts at $10000/year.

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 CityView is typically brought in for.

What can authentik do that CityView cannot?

authentik covers Configurable flows, Protocol support, Application proxy, Modern admin interface. CityView covers Building Permits, Business Licensing, Code Enforcement, Inspections Management.

Cybersecurity · head to head

authentik vs CityView

authentik

Cybersecurity

Open-source identity provider with flexible authentication flows

From: Free
Free plan: Yes

Full review Website

CityView

Government

Community Development Software

From: $10000/year
Free plan: No

Full review Website

The short version

Only authentik has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: authentik smaller project than Keycloak, with a correspondingly smaller community and fewer integration guides; CityView high implementation and licensing costs for smaller municipalities
They diverge on capability: authentik covers Configurable flows, CityView covers Building Permits.
Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which authentik and CityView actually diverge.

Attributes where authentik and CityView differ
Attribute	authentik	CityView
Starting price	Free	$10000/year
Pricing model	Open-source core with a paid enterprise tier	Unknown
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted	Web
Category	Cybersecurity	Government
Founded	Unknown	1976

Identical on both: 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 CityView

Building Permits
Business Licensing
Code Enforcement
Inspections Management
Online Citizen Portal
Esri ArcGIS
Microsoft Office
Payment Gateways

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 CityView
Putting authentication in front of applications that have none, via the proxynot CityView
Teams who tried Keycloak and wanted something less heavynot CityView

CityView

Citizen Servicesnot authentik
Records Managementnot authentik
Public Safetynot authentik
Civic Engagementnot 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

CityView

High implementation and licensing costs for smaller municipalities
Complex setup and customization requiring expert assistance

Pricing, plan by plan

authentik

Free

Open sourceFree
- Full identity provider
- All protocols
- Community support

CityView

$10000/year

No published plan breakdown. See the CityView review.

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 CityView if

You need building permits.
You also want business licensing.

CityView review

Questions people ask

Is authentik or CityView better?: Neither clearly leads. authentik starts at Free and CityView at $10000/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, authentik or CityView?: authentik has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for authentik and $10000/year for CityView.
Does authentik or CityView run on more platforms?: authentik runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted. CityView runs on Web.
Can I use authentik for free?: Yes. authentik has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CityView starts at $10000/year.
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 CityView is typically brought in for.
What can authentik do that CityView cannot?: authentik covers Configurable flows, Protocol support, Application proxy, Modern admin interface. CityView covers Building Permits, Business Licensing, Code Enforcement, Inspections Management.

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.

CityView: Is CityView cloud-based or on-premise?

CityView offers both cloud-based SaaS deployments and on-premise options depending on municipality preference and requirements.

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.

CityView: What modules are included?

CityView Suite includes Property Information, Permits and Inspections, Planning, Code Enforcement, Licensing, Animal Licensing, Service Requests, Rental Housing, Cemetery Management, Parking Management, and Cashiering modules.

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.

CityView: How long has CityView been in the market?

CityView has over 40 years of experience serving local governments with community development and municipal land management solutions.

Source

CityView: What is the pricing structure?

CityView pricing ranges from $10,000 to $75,000+ per year for mid-sized municipalities, or approximately $100 to $250 per user per month for SaaS deployments, depending on modules selected.

Source

authentik vs CityView

authentik

CityView

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in authentik

Only in CityView

What people use each for

authentik

CityView

Where each one falls short

authentik

CityView

Pricing, plan by plan

authentik

CityView

Which should you pick?

Choose authentik if

Choose CityView if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on authentik

More on CityView

Keep looking

Other head to heads