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Cybersecurity · head to head

authentik vs Prettier

authentik logo

authentik

Cybersecurity

Open-source identity provider with flexible authentication flows

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Prettier logo

Prettier

Developer Tools

Opinionated code formatter

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: authentik smaller project than Keycloak, with a correspondingly smaller community and fewer integration guides; Prettier inflexible style rules that cannot be customized significantly, forcing teams to accept opinionated defaults
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which authentik and Prettier actually diverge.

Attributes where authentik and Prettier differ
AttributeauthentikPrettier
Pricing modelOpen-source core with a paid enterprise tierfree
PlatformsDocker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hostedCLI, Editor Plugins, Build Tools
CategoryCybersecurityDeveloper Tools
FoundedUnknown2016

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 Prettier

Nothing recorded that authentik does not also cover.

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

Prettier

  • Automatically formatting TypeScript files to project style standardsnot authentik
  • Enforcing consistent HTML indentation across component filesnot authentik
  • Removing style-related comments from pull request reviewsnot authentik
  • Formatting GraphQL queries with consistent indentationnot 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

Prettier

  • Inflexible style rules that cannot be customized significantly, forcing teams to accept opinionated defaults
  • Developers must format entire files rather than selective line ranges in some contexts
  • Limited language support compared to some alternatives, though it covers major languages

Pricing, plan by plan

authentik

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

Prettier

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Prettier 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 Prettier if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on CLI, Editor Plugins, Build Tools.
Prettier review

Questions people ask

Is authentik or Prettier better?
Neither clearly leads. authentik starts at Free and Prettier at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, authentik or Prettier?
authentik starts at Free and Prettier at Free.
Does authentik or Prettier run on more platforms?
authentik runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted. Prettier runs on CLI, Editor Plugins, Build Tools.
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 Prettier is typically brought in for.
What can authentik do that Prettier cannot?
authentik covers Configurable flows, Protocol support, Application proxy, Modern admin interface.

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.

Prettier: Is Prettier free and open source?

Yes, Prettier is completely free and open source, available as an npm package with no licensing costs or subscriptions.

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.

Prettier: Can Prettier be integrated with ESLint?

Yes, Prettier integrates with ESLint by disabling ESLint formatting rules via eslint-config-prettier, allowing both tools to work together with Prettier handling formatting and ESLint handling code quality.

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.

Prettier: Does Prettier support configuration customization?

Prettier is intentionally opinionated with limited configuration options to enforce consistency. You can create a .prettierrc file for basic customization, but Prettier does not support extensive rule customization like ESLint.

Source
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