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Cybersecurity · head to head

authentik vs Workday Government

authentik logo

authentik

Cybersecurity

Open-source identity provider with flexible authentication flows

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Workday Government logo

Workday Government

Government

Enterprise HCM and Finance for Government

From
$5000/month
Free plan
No
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; Workday Government workday Government Cloud, Workday's public sector offering, publishes no self-serve pricing; every path on its own government page leads to Contact Us or Contact Sales
  • They diverge on capability: authentik covers Configurable flows, Workday Government covers Human Capital Management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which authentik and Workday Government actually diverge.

Attributes where authentik and Workday Government differ
AttributeauthentikWorkday Government
Starting priceFree$5000/month
Pricing modelOpen-source core with a paid enterprise tiersubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsDocker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hostedWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryCybersecurityGovernment
FoundedUnknown2005

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 Workday Government

  • Human Capital Management
  • Payroll
  • Benefits Administration
  • Financial Management
  • Analytics
  • SAP
  • Oracle
  • Third-party HR

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

Workday Government

  • Citizen Servicesnot authentik
  • Records Managementnot authentik
  • Public Safetynot authentik
  • Civic Engagementnot 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

Workday Government

  • Workday Government Cloud, Workday's public sector offering, publishes no self-serve pricing; every path on its own government page leads to Contact Us or Contact Sales

Pricing, plan by plan

authentik

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

Workday Government

$5000/month
  • Government Cloud$5000/month
    • HCM
    • Payroll
    • Financial 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 Workday Government if

  • You need human capital management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want payroll.
Workday Government review

Questions people ask

Is authentik or Workday Government better?
Neither clearly leads. authentik starts at Free and Workday Government at $5000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, authentik or Workday Government?
authentik has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for authentik and $5000/month for Workday Government.
Does authentik or Workday Government run on more platforms?
authentik runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted. Workday Government runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use authentik for free?
Yes. authentik has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Workday Government starts at $5000/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 Workday Government is typically brought in for.
What can authentik do that Workday Government cannot?
authentik covers Configurable flows, Protocol support, Application proxy, Modern admin interface. Workday Government covers Human Capital Management, Payroll, Benefits Administration, Financial 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.

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.

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.

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