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Government · head to head

Bang the Table vs Ory Kratos

Bang the Table logo

Bang the Table

Government

Community Engagement Platform

From
$600/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Ory Kratos logo

Ory Kratos

Cybersecurity

Headless identity and user management API

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Ory Kratos has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bang the Table the Internet Archive's capture of Bang the Table's homepage on 29 December 2020 confirmed its EngagementHQ platform is sold only via demo request, with EngagementIQ support offered as separate 'annual success plan options'; no price figure is published for either.; Ory Kratos headless means you build every screen, which is significant work compared with a hosted login page
  • They diverge on capability: Bang the Table covers Online Surveys, Ory Kratos covers Headless API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bang the Table and Ory Kratos actually diverge.

Attributes where Bang the Table and Ory Kratos differ
AttributeBang the TableOry Kratos
Starting price$600/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen-source self-hosted, with a paid managed network
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted
CategoryGovernmentCybersecurity
Founded2007Unknown

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 Bang the Table

  • Online Surveys
  • Discussion Forums
  • Interactive Mapping
  • Story Telling
  • Participation Analytics
  • ArcGIS
  • Google Maps
  • Social Media

Only in Ory Kratos

  • Headless API
  • Self-service flows
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Pluggable identity schemas

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Bang the Table

  • Citizen Servicesnot Ory Kratos
  • Records Managementnot Ory Kratos
  • Public Safetynot Ory Kratos
  • Civic Engagementnot Ory Kratos

Ory Kratos

  • Products needing complete control over the look and flow of authenticationnot Bang the Table
  • Applications that must not hand user identity data to a third partynot Bang the Table
  • Teams building identity as infrastructure across several servicesnot Bang the Table

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Bang the Table

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Bang the Table's homepage on 29 December 2020 confirmed its EngagementHQ platform is sold only via demo request, with EngagementIQ support offered as separate 'annual success plan options'; no price figure is published for either.

Ory Kratos

  • Headless means you build every screen, which is significant work compared with a hosted login page
  • More moving parts than a monolithic IAM: Kratos handles identity, and OAuth2 needs Ory Hydra alongside
  • Documentation assumes real familiarity with identity concepts and is not a gentle introduction
  • Self-hosting identity carries the security and availability burden that hosted providers absorb

Pricing, plan by plan

Bang the Table

$600/month
  • EngagementHQ$600/month
    • Surveys
    • Forums
    • Mapping Tools

Ory Kratos

Free
  • Self-hostedFree
    • Full identity server
    • All flows
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

Choose Bang the Table if

  • You need online surveys.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want discussion forums.
Bang the Table review

Choose Ory Kratos if

  • You need headless api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
  • You also want self-service flows.
Ory Kratos review

Questions people ask

Is Bang the Table or Ory Kratos better?
Neither clearly leads. Bang the Table starts at $600/month and Ory Kratos at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bang the Table or Ory Kratos?
Ory Kratos has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $600/month for Bang the Table and Free for Ory Kratos.
Does Bang the Table or Ory Kratos run on more platforms?
Bang the Table runs on Web, Ios, Android. Ory Kratos runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
Can I use Ory Kratos for free?
Yes. Ory Kratos has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Bang the Table starts at $600/month.
What is Bang the Table best used for?
Bang the Table is most often used for citizen services, records management, public safety, civic engagement. Of those, citizen services and records management are not what Ory Kratos is typically brought in for.
What can Bang the Table do that Ory Kratos cannot?
Bang the Table covers Online Surveys, Discussion Forums, Interactive Mapping, Story Telling. Ory Kratos covers Headless API, Self-service flows, Multi-factor authentication, Pluggable identity schemas.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bang the Table: What solutions does Granicus provide?

Granicus offers Service Cloud for frictionless service delivery, Engagement Cloud for growing and activating audiences, Operations Cloud for automating workflows and reducing costs, and Government Experience Agent for 24/7 self-service with digital agents.

Source
Ory Kratos: Is Ory Kratos free?

Yes, open source and free to self-host. Ory Network is a paid managed service.

Bang the Table: Who does Granicus serve?

Granicus serves local government, state government, education, elected officials, federal government, and special districts. It helps organizations deliver better citizen experiences and improve government efficiency.

Source
Ory Kratos: What does headless mean here?

Kratos provides identity flows as APIs and no user interface. You build the login, registration and recovery screens yourself.

Bang the Table: Does Granicus offer AI solutions?

Yes, Granicus AI Hub provides secure, ethical AI solutions built exclusively for the public sector to transform services without compromising public trust.

Source
Ory Kratos: Does Kratos do OAuth2?

No. Kratos handles user identity; OAuth2 and OpenID Connect provider functionality is Ory Hydra, a separate component.

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