Softwr

Marketing · head to head

Countly vs Ory Kratos

Countly logo

Countly

Marketing

Product analytics for mobile and web

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ory Kratos logo

Ory Kratos

Cybersecurity

Headless identity and user management API

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Countly the private cloud plan starts at $175 a month and is described as usage based without stating the unit; Ory Kratos headless means you build every screen, which is significant work compared with a hosted login page
  • They diverge on capability: Countly covers Event tracking, Ory Kratos covers Headless API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Countly and Ory Kratos differ
AttributeCountlyOry Kratos
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen-source self-hosted, with a paid managed network
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, ApiLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted
CategoryMarketingCybersecurity
Founded2012Unknown

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 Countly

  • Event tracking
  • Crash reporting
  • Analytics dashboard
  • User retention
  • Open-source
  • Cloud deployment
  • On-premise deployment
  • Web support

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.

Countly

  • Product analytics for mobile and web applicationsnot Ory Kratos
  • Self hosting analytics where data cannot leave the organisationnot Ory Kratos

Ory Kratos

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

Where each one falls short

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

Countly

  • The private cloud plan starts at $175 a month and is described as usage based without stating the unit
  • No event cap, data point limit or user limit is published for either paid plan
  • The self hosted Enterprise edition is custom priced and billed annually
  • Adaptivity and intelligence features are separately priced add ons on the cheaper plan

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

Countly

Free
  • Flex (Private Cloud)$175/month
    • Usage-based pricing (not seat-based)
    • Advanced Analytics included
    • Adaptivity and Intelligence available as add-ons
  • Enterprise (Self-Hosted)$null/mo
    • Custom pricing, requires demo booking
    • All capabilities included
    • Deploy on your infrastructure

Ory Kratos

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Countly if

  • You need event tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want crash reporting.
Countly 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 Countly or Ory Kratos better?
Neither clearly leads. Countly starts at Free and Ory Kratos at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Countly or Ory Kratos?
Countly starts at Free and Ory Kratos at Free.
Does Countly or Ory Kratos run on more platforms?
Countly runs on Web, Mobile, Api. Ory Kratos runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
Can I use Countly for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Countly best used for?
Countly is most often used for product analytics for mobile and web applications, self hosting analytics where data cannot leave the organisation. Of those, product analytics for mobile and web applications and self hosting analytics where data cannot leave the organisation are not what Ory Kratos is typically brought in for.
What can Countly do that Ory Kratos cannot?
Countly covers Event tracking, Crash reporting, Analytics dashboard, User retention. Ory Kratos covers Headless API, Self-service flows, Multi-factor authentication, Pluggable identity schemas.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Countly: How much does Countly cost?

Countly's Flex plan (private cloud) starts at $175/month with pay-as-you-go cancellation. Enterprise (self-hosted) requires custom pricing and annual billing. Both plans include advanced analytics, and Flex offers a 14-day free trial.

Source
Ory Kratos: Is Ory Kratos free?

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

Countly: What is the difference between Countly Flex and Enterprise plans?

Flex uses usage-based pricing on Countly's cloud with monthly billing. Enterprise requires custom pricing and annual billing, but allows self-hosting on your infrastructure with zero vendor access to data, dedicated support, and included SLA.

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.

Countly: Can I add Adaptivity and Intelligence to Countly Flex?

Yes, Adaptivity and Intelligence suites can be added to Flex as needed. Both are included standard with Enterprise plans.

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 Countly

More on Ory Kratos

Keep looking

Other head to heads