Is authentik or CivicPlus better?

Neither clearly leads. authentik starts at Free and CivicPlus at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, authentik or CivicPlus?

authentik has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for authentik and On request for CivicPlus.

Does authentik or CivicPlus run on more platforms?

authentik runs on Self-hosted, Linux. CivicPlus runs on Web, iOS, Android.

Can I use authentik for free?

Yes. authentik has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CivicPlus starts at On request.

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 CivicPlus is typically brought in for.

What can authentik do that CivicPlus cannot?

authentik covers Configurable flows, Protocol support, Application proxy, Modern admin interface. CivicPlus covers Government Websites, Agenda Management, Mass Notifications, Online Forms.

Cybersecurity · head to head

authentik vs CivicPlus

authentik

Cybersecurity

Open-source identity provider with flexible authentication flows

From: Free
Free plan: Yes

Visit authentik Full review

CivicPlus

Government

Civic Engagement Technology

From: On request
Free plan: No

Visit CivicPlus Full review

The short version

authentik is free; CivicPlus prices on request.
Only authentik lists configurable flows; only CivicPlus lists government Websites.
Where authentik falls short: smaller project than Keycloak, with a correspondingly smaller community and fewer integration guides.
Where CivicPlus falls short: no public pricing tiers, rates, or cost information available.
Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which authentik and CivicPlus actually diverge.

Attributes where authentik and CivicPlus differ
Attribute	authentik	CivicPlus
Starting price	Free	On request
Pricing model	Open-source core with a paid enterprise tier	Quote
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Self-hosted, Linux	Web, iOS, Android
Category	Cybersecurity	Government

Not yet recorded: founded for authentik.

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 CivicPlus

Government Websites
Agenda Management
Mass Notifications
Online Forms
Social Media Management
Facebook
Twitter
GovDelivery

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

CivicPlus

Municipal government softwarenot authentik
City website managementnot authentik
Recreation management for local governmentnot 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

CivicPlus

No public pricing tiers, rates, or cost information available
Requires direct contact with sales team for pricing estimates
No free trial or freemium tier option listed

Pricing, plan by plan

authentik

Free

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

CivicPlus

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the CivicPlus review.

Which should you pick?

Choose authentik if

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

authentik review

Choose CivicPlus if

You need government websites.
You work on Web, iOS, Android.
You also want agenda management.

CivicPlus review

Questions people ask

Is authentik or CivicPlus better?: Neither clearly leads. authentik starts at Free and CivicPlus at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, authentik or CivicPlus?: authentik has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for authentik and On request for CivicPlus.
Does authentik or CivicPlus run on more platforms?: authentik runs on Self-hosted, Linux. CivicPlus runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use authentik for free?: Yes. authentik has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CivicPlus starts at On request.
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 CivicPlus is typically brought in for.
What can authentik do that CivicPlus cannot?: authentik covers Configurable flows, Protocol support, Application proxy, Modern admin interface. CivicPlus covers Government Websites, Agenda Management, Mass Notifications, Online Forms.

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.

CivicPlus: What does CivicPlus cost?

CivicPlus uses a custom pricing model with no published rates. Interested organizations must fill out a form and speak with a technology strategist to receive a pricing estimate based on specific needs.

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.

CivicPlus: Does CivicPlus offer different pricing for different sized municipalities?

Yes, CivicPlus pricing is customized based on organization size and the specific products selected from their portfolio (websites, recreation management, utility billing, etc.).

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.

CivicPlus: How do I request pricing from CivicPlus?

Visit civicplus.com/pricing to fill out a form or call 888-228-2233 to speak with a technology strategist about your municipality's requirements and receive a custom estimate.

Source

authentik vs CivicPlus

authentik

CivicPlus

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in authentik

Only in CivicPlus

What people use each for

authentik

CivicPlus

Where each one falls short

authentik

CivicPlus

Pricing, plan by plan

authentik

CivicPlus

Which should you pick?

Choose authentik if

Choose CivicPlus if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on authentik

More on CivicPlus

Keep looking

Other head to heads