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Cybersecurity · head to head

Omada Identity vs Ory Kratos

Omada Identity logo

Omada Identity

Cybersecurity

Identity governance and administration focused on access certification and compliance evidence

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ory Kratos logo

Ory Kratos

Cybersecurity

Headless identity and user management API

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Ory Kratos has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Omada Identity pricing is per managed identity, so organisations with large numbers of contractors, service accounts or seasonal staff pay governance fees on identities nobody is really governing.; Ory Kratos headless means you build every screen, which is significant work compared with a hosted login page
  • They diverge on capability: Omada Identity covers Access certification, Ory Kratos covers Headless API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Omada Identity and Ory Kratos actually diverge.

Attributes where Omada Identity and Ory Kratos differ
AttributeOmada IdentityOry Kratos
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteOpen-source self-hosted, with a paid managed network
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted

Identical on both: 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 Omada Identity

  • Access certification
  • Joiner mover leaver
  • Role modelling
  • Segregation of duties
  • Access request
  • Connectors

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.

Omada Identity

  • An organisation whose auditors flagged that access recertification is run on spreadsheets and cannot be evidencednot Ory Kratos
  • A company with high staff turnover where leavers keep access to systems weeks after their last daynot Ory Kratos
  • A regulated firm needing documented segregation of duties across finance and ERP entitlementsnot Ory Kratos
  • A business that abandoned a previous multi-year IGA implementation and needs something that reaches production this yearnot Ory Kratos

Ory Kratos

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

Where each one falls short

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

Omada Identity

  • Pricing is per managed identity, so organisations with large numbers of contractors, service accounts or seasonal staff pay governance fees on identities nobody is really governing.
  • It governs access but provides no single sign-on, multi-factor authentication or privileged session management, so it is always a second or third identity subscription rather than a consolidation.
  • The fast-deployment promise depends on accepting its standard process model; organisations with genuinely unusual entitlement structures end up in custom work and the timeline advantage disappears.
  • Connector coverage is strong for mainstream enterprise systems and thin for bespoke or industry-specific applications, and each custom connector is a project with ongoing maintenance.
  • Data quality in the HR system determines whether joiner mover leaver automation works, so companies with messy HR records find the tool exposes that problem rather than solving it.

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

Omada Identity

On request
  • Omada Identity Cloud$undefined/year
    • Priced per managed identity per year
    • SaaS on Microsoft Azure with regional deployment options
    • Implementation delivered on a defined methodology, quoted separately

Ory Kratos

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Omada Identity if

  • You need access certification.
  • You also want joiner mover leaver.
Omada Identity 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 Omada Identity or Ory Kratos better?
Neither clearly leads. Omada Identity 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, Omada Identity or Ory Kratos?
Ory Kratos has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Omada Identity and Free for Ory Kratos.
Does Omada Identity or Ory Kratos run on more platforms?
Omada Identity runs on Web. 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. Omada Identity starts at On request.
What is Omada Identity best used for?
Omada Identity is most often used for an organisation whose auditors flagged that access recertification is run on spreadsheets and cannot be evidenced, a company with high staff turnover where leavers keep access to systems weeks after their last day, a regulated firm needing documented segregation of duties across finance and erp entitlements, a business that abandoned a previous multi-year iga implementation and needs something that reaches production this year. Of those, an organisation whose auditors flagged that access recertification is run on spreadsheets and cannot be evidenced and a company with high staff turnover where leavers keep access to systems weeks after their last day are not what Ory Kratos is typically brought in for.
What can Omada Identity do that Ory Kratos cannot?
Omada Identity covers Access certification, Joiner mover leaver, Role modelling, Segregation of duties. Ory Kratos covers Headless API, Self-service flows, Multi-factor authentication, Pluggable identity schemas.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Omada Identity: Does it provide single sign-on?

No. Omada is governance only. You still need Entra ID, Okta or equivalent for authentication.

Ory Kratos: Is Ory Kratos free?

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

Omada Identity: How is it licensed?

Per managed identity per year. Count contractors and service accounts before you compare quotes, because they usually count.

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.

Omada Identity: How long does deployment take?

Months rather than years is the positioning, and it is achievable if you accept the standard process model. Heavy customisation returns you to traditional IGA timelines.

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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