Is authentik or ClearGov better?

Neither clearly leads. authentik starts at Free and ClearGov at $200/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, authentik or ClearGov?

authentik has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for authentik and $200/month for ClearGov.

Does authentik or ClearGov run on more platforms?

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

Can I use authentik for free?

Yes. authentik has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ClearGov starts at $200/month.

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 ClearGov is typically brought in for.

What can authentik do that ClearGov cannot?

authentik covers Configurable flows, Protocol support, Application proxy, Modern admin interface. ClearGov covers Budget Visualization, Financial Benchmarking, Capital Planning, Digital Budget Books.

Cybersecurity · head to head

authentik vs ClearGov

authentik

Cybersecurity

Open-source identity provider with flexible authentication flows

From: Free
Free plan: Yes

Full review Website

ClearGov

Government

Financial Transparency for Government

From: $200/month
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; ClearGov no pricing is published at any level, and the pricing page states no cost structure or model at all
They diverge on capability: authentik covers Configurable flows, ClearGov covers Budget Visualization.
Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which authentik and ClearGov actually diverge.

Attributes where authentik and ClearGov differ
Attribute	authentik	ClearGov
Starting price	Free	$200/month
Pricing model	Open-source core with a paid enterprise tier	subscription
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted	Web
Category	Cybersecurity	Government
Founded	Unknown	2014

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 ClearGov

Budget Visualization
Financial Benchmarking
Capital Planning
Digital Budget Books
Public Dashboards
Tyler Munis
OpenGov
Excel

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

ClearGov

municipal budget and financial transparencynot authentik
government finance analytics and reportingnot authentik
civic engagement and public recordsnot 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

ClearGov

No pricing is published at any level, and the pricing page states no cost structure or model at all
No cost driver such as population, budget size or user count is named
The only routes to a figure are an email address and a demo booking

Pricing, plan by plan

authentik

Free

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

ClearGov

$200/month

Transparency$200/month
- Budget Visualization
- Benchmarking
- Public Dashboards

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 ClearGov if

You need budget visualization.
You also want financial benchmarking.

ClearGov review

Questions people ask

Is authentik or ClearGov better?: Neither clearly leads. authentik starts at Free and ClearGov at $200/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, authentik or ClearGov?: authentik has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for authentik and $200/month for ClearGov.
Does authentik or ClearGov run on more platforms?: authentik runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted. ClearGov runs on Web.
Can I use authentik for free?: Yes. authentik has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ClearGov starts at $200/month.
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 ClearGov is typically brought in for.
What can authentik do that ClearGov cannot?: authentik covers Configurable flows, Protocol support, Application proxy, Modern admin interface. ClearGov covers Budget Visualization, Financial Benchmarking, Capital Planning, Digital Budget Books.

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.

ClearGov: How much does ClearGov cost?

ClearGov pricing is not published; you must schedule a demo or contact [email protected] to request pricing information.

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.

ClearGov: Does ClearGov offer a free trial?

ClearGov does not publish a free trial option; pricing inquiry and trial availability must be discussed through a demo request with their sales team.

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.

ClearGov: What is ClearGov's pricing model?

ClearGov appears to operate on a custom, quote-based pricing model; costs are tailored to specific municipalities based on population size, features, and implementation requirements.

Source

ClearGov: How do I get a ClearGov pricing quote?

Visit cleargov.com and click the demo scheduling button, or email [email protected]; provide details about your municipality size and required features for an accurate quote.

Source

authentik vs ClearGov

authentik

ClearGov

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in authentik

Only in ClearGov

What people use each for

authentik

ClearGov

Where each one falls short

authentik

ClearGov

Pricing, plan by plan

authentik

ClearGov

Which should you pick?

Choose authentik if

Choose ClearGov if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on authentik

More on ClearGov

Keep looking

Other head to heads