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Cybersecurity · head to head

authentik vs DataGrail

authentik logo

authentik

Cybersecurity

Open-source identity provider with flexible authentication flows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
DataGrail logo

DataGrail

Cybersecurity

Privacy platform that finds shadow data systems and automates data subject requests across them

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; DataGrail no pricing is published, and while benchmarking suggests it undercuts OneTrust for comparable scope, cost still scales with request volume and connected systems, which grow with the business.
  • They diverge on capability: authentik covers Configurable flows, DataGrail covers Live data discovery.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which authentik and DataGrail actually diverge.

Attributes where authentik and DataGrail differ
AttributeauthentikDataGrail
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen-source core with a paid enterprise tierquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsDocker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hostedWeb, API

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).

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 DataGrail

  • Live data discovery
  • Request automation
  • Audit trail
  • Consent management
  • Integration catalogue
  • Risk monitoring
  • Consumer request portal
  • Reporting

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

DataGrail

  • A consumer brand whose deletion requests keep missing data in marketing tools the privacy team did not know existednot authentik
  • A company processing hundreds of CCPA requests a month where manual fulfilment has become a full-time jobnot authentik
  • A privacy team leaving OneTrust because the platform tracked requests but staff still completed them by handnot authentik
  • An organisation needing evidence for a regulator that deletion actually occurred in every system, not that a ticket was closednot 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

DataGrail

  • No pricing is published, and while benchmarking suggests it undercuts OneTrust for comparable scope, cost still scales with request volume and connected systems, which grow with the business.
  • Automated fulfilment only works for systems with a supported connector, so homegrown applications and legacy databases still need manual handling, and those are usually where the awkward data lives.
  • Discovery works by observing integrations and traffic patterns, so genuinely isolated systems, offline data and files on employee machines remain invisible and outside the data map.
  • It is narrower than the enterprise privacy suites, lacking the assessment, third-party risk and wider GRC modules a large regulated organisation will also need, so it may be one of two platforms rather than the only one.
  • Deletion automation is irreversible and mistakes are unrecoverable, so teams need real confidence in identity verification before enabling it, and that caution often keeps deletion semi-manual for months after purchase.

Pricing, plan by plan

authentik

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

DataGrail

On request
  • DataGrail Platform$undefined/year
    • Data discovery and mapping
    • Data subject request automation
    • Consent management

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 DataGrail if

  • You need live data discovery.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want request automation.
DataGrail review

Questions people ask

Is authentik or DataGrail better?
Neither clearly leads. authentik starts at Free and DataGrail at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, authentik or DataGrail?
authentik has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for authentik and On request for DataGrail.
Does authentik or DataGrail run on more platforms?
authentik runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted. DataGrail runs on Web, API.
Can I use authentik for free?
Yes. authentik has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. DataGrail 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 DataGrail is typically brought in for.
What can authentik do that DataGrail cannot?
authentik covers Configurable flows, Protocol support, Application proxy, Modern admin interface. DataGrail covers Live data discovery, Request automation, Audit trail, Consent 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.

DataGrail: How is DataGrail different from OneTrust?

OneTrust orchestrates the workflow; DataGrail focuses on connecting to systems and completing the request, and benchmark data suggests it prices materially below OneTrust for comparable scope.

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.

DataGrail: Does it find systems we do not know about?

Yes. Continuous discovery of unsanctioned tools processing personal data is its main technical claim.

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.

DataGrail: What does it cost?

Not published. Pricing is quoted by request volume and connected systems, with multi-year commitments typically discounted.

DataGrail: Does it cover consent as well as requests?

Yes, it includes consent management, though publishers needing certified advertising consent usually use a specialist CMP.

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