Softwr

Cybersecurity · head to head

authentik vs Crossplane

authentik logo

authentik

Cybersecurity

Open-source identity provider with flexible authentication flows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Crossplane logo

Crossplane

Cloud

The Cloud-Native Framework for Platform Engineering

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: authentik smaller project than Keycloak, with a correspondingly smaller community and fewer integration guides; Crossplane requires Kubernetes expertise and infrastructure
  • They diverge on capability: authentik covers Configurable flows, Crossplane covers Kubernetes extension.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which authentik and Crossplane actually diverge.

Attributes where authentik and Crossplane differ
AttributeauthentikCrossplane
Pricing modelOpen-source core with a paid enterprise tierUnknown
PlatformsDocker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hostedKubernetes, AWS, Azure, GCP
CategoryCybersecurityCloud

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 Crossplane

  • Kubernetes extension
  • Custom API building
  • Resource management anywhere
  • Declarative interfaces
  • Component library
  • Provider ecosystem

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

Crossplane

  • Building platform-as-a-service offerings for internal teamsnot authentik
  • Creating unified control layers for multi-cloud infrastructurenot authentik
  • Designing declarative APIs for infrastructure provisioningnot 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

Crossplane

  • Requires Kubernetes expertise and infrastructure
  • Steep learning curve for teams new to Kubernetes patterns
  • Provider ecosystem smaller than Terraform

Pricing, plan by plan

authentik

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

Crossplane

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Crossplane 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 Crossplane if

  • You need kubernetes extension.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, GCP.
  • You also want custom api building.
Crossplane review

Questions people ask

Is authentik or Crossplane better?
Neither clearly leads. authentik starts at Free and Crossplane at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, authentik or Crossplane?
authentik starts at Free and Crossplane at Free.
Does authentik or Crossplane run on more platforms?
authentik runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted. Crossplane runs on Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, GCP.
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 Crossplane is typically brought in for.
What can authentik do that Crossplane cannot?
authentik covers Configurable flows, Protocol support, Application proxy, Modern admin interface. Crossplane covers Kubernetes extension, Custom API building, Resource management anywhere, Declarative interfaces.

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.

Crossplane: Is Crossplane free?

Yes, Crossplane is open source and free to use. It requires a Kubernetes cluster but has no licensing costs.

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.

Crossplane: What is Crossplane used for?

Crossplane is used to build control planes and platforms for infrastructure management, enabling platform teams to expose safe APIs to other teams.

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.

Share

Related pages

More on authentik

More on Crossplane

Keep looking

Other head to heads