Softwr

Government · head to head

CivicPlus vs Ory Kratos

CivicPlus logo

CivicPlus

Government

Civic Engagement Technology

From
On request
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: CivicPlus no public pricing tiers, rates, or cost information available; Ory Kratos headless means you build every screen, which is significant work compared with a hosted login page
  • They diverge on capability: CivicPlus covers Government Websites, Ory Kratos covers Headless API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CivicPlus and Ory Kratos actually diverge.

Attributes where CivicPlus and Ory Kratos differ
AttributeCivicPlusOry Kratos
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteOpen-source self-hosted, with a paid managed network
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted
CategoryGovernmentCybersecurity
Founded2001Unknown

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 CivicPlus

  • Government Websites
  • Agenda Management
  • Mass Notifications
  • Online Forms
  • Social Media Management
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • GovDelivery

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.

CivicPlus

  • Municipal government softwarenot Ory Kratos
  • City website managementnot Ory Kratos
  • Recreation management for local governmentnot Ory Kratos

Ory Kratos

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

Where each one falls short

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

CivicPlus

  • No public pricing tiers, rates, or cost information available
  • Requires direct contact with sales team for pricing estimates
  • No free trial or freemium tier option listed

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

CivicPlus

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the CivicPlus review.

Ory Kratos

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

Which should you pick?

Choose CivicPlus if

  • You need government websites.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want agenda management.
CivicPlus 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 CivicPlus or Ory Kratos better?
Neither clearly leads. CivicPlus starts at On request and Ory Kratos at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CivicPlus or Ory Kratos?
Ory Kratos has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for CivicPlus and Free for Ory Kratos.
Does CivicPlus or Ory Kratos run on more platforms?
CivicPlus 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. CivicPlus starts at On request.
What is CivicPlus best used for?
CivicPlus is most often used for municipal government software, city website management, recreation management for local government. Of those, municipal government software and city website management are not what Ory Kratos is typically brought in for.
What can CivicPlus do that Ory Kratos cannot?
CivicPlus covers Government Websites, Agenda Management, Mass Notifications, Online Forms. Ory Kratos covers Headless API, Self-service flows, Multi-factor authentication, Pluggable identity schemas.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CivicPlus: What does CivicPlus cost?

CivicPlus uses a custom pricing model with no published rates. Interested organizations must fill out a form and speak with a technology strategist to receive a pricing estimate based on specific needs.

Source
Ory Kratos: Is Ory Kratos free?

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

CivicPlus: Does CivicPlus offer different pricing for different sized municipalities?

Yes, CivicPlus pricing is customized based on organization size and the specific products selected from their portfolio (websites, recreation management, utility billing, etc.).

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.

CivicPlus: How do I request pricing from CivicPlus?

Visit civicplus.com/pricing to fill out a form or call 888-228-2233 to speak with a technology strategist about your municipality's requirements and receive a custom estimate.

Source
Ory Kratos: Does Kratos do OAuth2?

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

Share

Related pages

More on CivicPlus

More on Ory Kratos

Keep looking

Other head to heads