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Cybersecurity · head to head

authentik vs Drizzle ORM

authentik logo

authentik

Cybersecurity

Open-source identity provider with flexible authentication flows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Drizzle ORM logo

Drizzle ORM

Software Development

Headless TypeScript ORM and SQL query builder

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; Drizzle ORM it is entirely community/sponsor-funded with no official paid support tier for enterprises needing SLAs.
  • They diverge on capability: authentik covers Configurable flows, Drizzle ORM covers Type-safe query builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which authentik and Drizzle ORM actually diverge.

Attributes where authentik and Drizzle ORM differ
AttributeauthentikDrizzle ORM
Pricing modelOpen-source core with a paid enterprise tieropen-source
PlatformsDocker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hostedweb, api
CategoryCybersecuritySoftware Development

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 Drizzle ORM

  • Type-safe query builder
  • Schema migrations
  • Drizzle Studio
  • Multi-database support
  • Serverless-ready drivers
  • Zero dependencies

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

Drizzle ORM

  • Type-safe database access in TypeScript backendsnot authentik
  • Serverless and edge applications needing lightweight database driversnot authentik
  • Teams migrating from raw SQL for better type safetynot authentik
  • Projects wanting SQL-like control without a heavy ORM abstractionnot 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

Drizzle ORM

  • It is entirely community/sponsor-funded with no official paid support tier for enterprises needing SLAs.
  • The relational query API is newer than the SQL-like API and has historically had fewer advanced features.
  • Documentation and ecosystem tooling are less mature than Prisma's, which has a larger community and GUI ecosystem.
  • MSSQL and CockroachCB support are newer additions still stabilizing toward a 1.0 release.

Pricing, plan by plan

authentik

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

Drizzle ORM

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full ORM and query builder
    • drizzle-kit migrations
    • Drizzle Studio

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 Drizzle ORM if

  • You need type-safe query builder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want schema migrations.
Drizzle ORM review

Questions people ask

Is authentik or Drizzle ORM better?
Neither clearly leads. authentik starts at Free and Drizzle ORM at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, authentik or Drizzle ORM?
authentik starts at Free and Drizzle ORM at Free.
Does authentik or Drizzle ORM run on more platforms?
authentik runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted. Drizzle ORM runs on web, api.
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 Drizzle ORM is typically brought in for.
What can authentik do that Drizzle ORM cannot?
authentik covers Configurable flows, Protocol support, Application proxy, Modern admin interface. Drizzle ORM covers Type-safe query builder, Schema migrations, Drizzle Studio, Multi-database support.

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.

Drizzle ORM: What does Drizzle ORM cost?

Drizzle ORM is completely free and open-source with no licensing fees; the team accepts community sponsorships and contributions rather than charging for the software.

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.

Drizzle ORM: Which databases does Drizzle support?

Drizzle supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, MSSQL, CockroachDB and SingleStore, with specialized drivers for providers like Neon, Supabase, Vercel Postgres and Turso.

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.

Drizzle ORM: Does Drizzle include migration tooling?

Yes, the drizzle-kit CLI provides generate, push, pull and check commands for managing schema migrations, and Drizzle Studio offers a visual way to browse and edit data.

Source
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