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Cybersecurity · head to head

authentik vs GitHub Copilot

authentik logo

authentik

Cybersecurity

Open-source identity provider with flexible authentication flows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
GitHub Copilot logo

GitHub Copilot

Developer Tools

AI pair programmer for developers

From
$10/month
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; GitHub Copilot agent mode lacks deep tool orchestration and iterative execution compared to specialized agentic tools
  • They diverge on capability: authentik covers Configurable flows, GitHub Copilot covers Code completion.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which authentik and GitHub Copilot actually diverge.

Attributes where authentik and GitHub Copilot differ
AttributeauthentikGitHub Copilot
Starting priceFree$10/month
Pricing modelOpen-source core with a paid enterprise tiersubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsDocker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hostedWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux
CategoryCybersecurityDeveloper Tools
FoundedUnknown2008

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 GitHub Copilot

  • Code completion
  • Code generation
  • Chat interface
  • Multi-language support
  • VS Code
  • JetBrains IDEs
  • Neovim
  • Visual Studio

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

GitHub Copilot

  • ai tools managementnot authentik
  • Workflow automationnot authentik
  • Reportingnot 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

GitHub Copilot

  • Agent mode lacks deep tool orchestration and iterative execution compared to specialized agentic tools
  • Suggestions for niche or specialized programming languages are less accurate due to limited training data
  • Less effective with non-English prompts or grammatically incorrect developer instructions
  • Free tier severely limited to 2,000 completions and 50 chat requests per month

Pricing, plan by plan

authentik

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

GitHub Copilot

$10/month
  • Individual$10/month
    • Code completions
    • Chat in IDE
    • CLI assistance
  • Business$19/month
    • Organization management
    • Policy controls
    • Audit logs

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 GitHub Copilot if

  • You need code completion.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want code generation.
GitHub Copilot review

Questions people ask

Is authentik or GitHub Copilot better?
Neither clearly leads. authentik starts at Free and GitHub Copilot at $10/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, authentik or GitHub Copilot?
authentik has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for authentik and $10/month for GitHub Copilot.
Does authentik or GitHub Copilot run on more platforms?
authentik runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted. GitHub Copilot runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use authentik for free?
Yes. authentik has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. GitHub Copilot starts at $10/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 GitHub Copilot is typically brought in for.
What can authentik do that GitHub Copilot cannot?
authentik covers Configurable flows, Protocol support, Application proxy, Modern admin interface. GitHub Copilot covers Code completion, Code generation, Chat interface, Multi-language 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.

GitHub Copilot: Does GitHub Copilot have a free tier?

Yes. GitHub Copilot Free offers 2,000 code completions and 50 chat requests per month at no cost with no credit card required. Students and open-source maintainers get free Pro access.

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.

GitHub Copilot: What IDEs and editors are supported?

GitHub Copilot works in VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm), Vim, Neovim, and Azure Data Studio with extensions providing code suggestions and chat capabilities.

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.

GitHub Copilot: What programming languages does Copilot support?

Copilot supports more than 10 core languages including JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java, C#, Go, and Rust. Performance is strongest for these popular languages with extensive open-source training data.

Source
GitHub Copilot: How does the free tier compare to paid plans?

Free tier limits completions and chat to 2,000 and 50 per month. Pro ($10/month) offers unlimited completions, while Pro+ ($39/month) adds access to frontier AI models and agent mode for autonomous multi-file edits.

Source
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