Softwr

Government · head to head

iCompass vs Ory Kratos

iCompass logo

iCompass

Government

Meeting and Agenda Management

From
$400/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: iCompass iCompass (a Diligent Corporation product for local government agenda management) publishes no pricing on its own site; every call to action is Contact Us or Request a Demo, with no figures anywhere on the page.; Ory Kratos headless means you build every screen, which is significant work compared with a hosted login page
  • They diverge on capability: iCompass covers Agenda Creation, Ory Kratos covers Headless API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where iCompass and Ory Kratos differ
AttributeiCompassOry Kratos
Starting price$400/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen-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 iCompass

  • Agenda Creation
  • Meeting Minutes
  • Document Management
  • Public Meeting Portal
  • Voting Management
  • Microsoft Office
  • Video Streaming
  • Document Storage

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.

iCompass

  • 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 iCompass
  • Applications that must not hand user identity data to a third partynot iCompass
  • Teams building identity as infrastructure across several servicesnot iCompass

Where each one falls short

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

iCompass

  • iCompass (a Diligent Corporation product for local government agenda management) publishes no pricing on its own site; every call to action is Contact Us or Request a Demo, with no figures anywhere on the page.

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

iCompass

$400/month
  • Government$400/month
    • Agenda Management
    • Meeting Minutes
    • Public Portal

Ory Kratos

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

Which should you pick?

Choose iCompass if

  • You need agenda creation.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want meeting minutes.
iCompass 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 iCompass or Ory Kratos better?
Neither clearly leads. iCompass starts at $400/month and Ory Kratos at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, iCompass or Ory Kratos?
Ory Kratos has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $400/month for iCompass and Free for Ory Kratos.
Does iCompass or Ory Kratos run on more platforms?
iCompass 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. iCompass starts at $400/month.
What is iCompass best used for?
iCompass 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 iCompass do that Ory Kratos cannot?
iCompass covers Agenda Creation, Meeting Minutes, Document Management, Public Meeting Portal. Ory Kratos covers Headless API, Self-service flows, Multi-factor authentication, Pluggable identity schemas.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Ory Kratos: Is Ory Kratos free?

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

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.

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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