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Cybersecurity · head to head

Infisical vs authentik

Infisical logo

Infisical

Cybersecurity

Security infrastructure for developers and AI agents

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
authentik logo

authentik

Cybersecurity

Open-source identity provider with flexible authentication flows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Infisical free tier limited to 5 identities, suitable only for small teams or evaluation; authentik smaller project than Keycloak, with a correspondingly smaller community and fewer integration guides
  • They diverge on capability: Infisical covers Secrets management, authentik covers Configurable flows.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Infisical and authentik actually diverge.

Attributes where Infisical and authentik differ
AttributeInfisicalauthentik
Pricing modelUnknownOpen-source core with a paid enterprise tier
PlatformsWeb, CLI, Cloud, Self-HostedDocker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).

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 Infisical

  • Secrets management
  • Certificate management
  • Privileged access management
  • Secret versioning
  • Dynamic secrets
  • SAML SSO
  • Open-source core
  • Secrets scanning

Only in authentik

  • Configurable flows
  • Protocol support
  • Application proxy
  • Modern admin interface

What people use each for

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

Infisical

  • Managing secrets across Kubernetes clustersnot authentik
  • Automating certificate lifecycle for internal PKInot authentik
  • Providing privileged database access with audit trailsnot authentik
  • Securing credentials for AI agents at runtimenot authentik

authentik

  • Self-hosted SSO across internal services without commercial identity pricingnot Infisical
  • Putting authentication in front of applications that have none, via the proxynot Infisical
  • Teams who tried Keycloak and wanted something less heavynot Infisical

Where each one falls short

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

Infisical

  • Free tier limited to 5 identities, suitable only for small teams or evaluation
  • Pricing tiers are per-identity, which scales costs with team size
  • Certificate management requires Enterprise plan for advanced features like wildcards
  • Privileged access tier is separate billing from secrets management

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Infisical

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 5 identities
    • Unlimited projects
    • 3 environments
  • Pro - Secrets$20/month
    • Per-identity pricing
    • Unlimited identities
    • SAML SSO
  • Pro - Secrets (Annual)$20/year
    • Annual discount available
    • Unlimited identities
    • SAML SSO
  • Advanced - Secrets$40/month
    • Per-identity pricing
    • Dynamic secrets
    • Gateways

authentik

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Infisical if

  • You need secrets management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI, Cloud, Self-Hosted.
  • You also want certificate management.
Infisical review

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

Questions people ask

Is Infisical or authentik better?
Neither clearly leads. Infisical starts at Free and authentik at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Infisical or authentik?
Infisical starts at Free and authentik at Free.
Does Infisical or authentik run on more platforms?
Infisical runs on Web, CLI, Cloud, Self-Hosted. authentik runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted.
Can I use Infisical for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Infisical best used for?
Infisical is most often used for managing secrets across kubernetes clusters, automating certificate lifecycle for internal pki, providing privileged database access with audit trails, securing credentials for ai agents at runtime. Of those, managing secrets across kubernetes clusters and automating certificate lifecycle for internal pki are not what authentik is typically brought in for.
What can Infisical do that authentik cannot?
Infisical covers Secrets management, Certificate management, Privileged access management, Secret versioning. authentik covers Configurable flows, Protocol support, Application proxy, Modern admin interface.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Infisical: How is pricing calculated for Secrets Management?

Pricing is per-identity per month. Free tier includes 5 identities. Pro tier is $20/identity/month, Advanced is $40/identity/month. All pricing in USD.

Source
authentik: Is authentik free?

The open-source edition is free and complete for most use. An enterprise tier adds support and additional features.

Infisical: Can I self-host Infisical?

Yes, Infisical's core is open-source under the MIT license and can be self-hosted. The managed cloud service is also available with additional features.

Source
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.

Infisical: What is included in the Enterprise plan?

Enterprise plan includes SCIM, LDAP, approval workflows, external KMS/HSM support, and 99.99% SLA. Pricing is custom and determined by annual commitment.

Source
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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