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Cybersecurity · head to head

Ory Kratos vs Sticky Password

Ory Kratos logo

Ory Kratos

Cybersecurity

Headless identity and user management API

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sticky Password logo

Sticky Password

Cybersecurity

Password manager with autofill, digital wallet, and dark web monitoring

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Ory Kratos headless means you build every screen, which is significant work compared with a hosted login page; Sticky Password offers no dedicated family plan, requiring individual licenses or a Teams plan to cover a household.
  • They diverge on capability: Ory Kratos covers Headless API, Sticky Password covers Autofill and capture.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ory Kratos and Sticky Password actually diverge.

Attributes where Ory Kratos and Sticky Password differ
AttributeOry KratosSticky Password
Pricing modelOpen-source self-hosted, with a paid managed networkfreemium
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hostedweb, ios, android, windows, mac

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 Ory Kratos

  • Headless API
  • Self-service flows
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Pluggable identity schemas

Only in Sticky Password

  • Autofill and capture
  • Encrypted vault sync
  • Emergency access
  • Dark web monitoring
  • Password sharing
  • Digital wallet

What people use each for

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

Ory Kratos

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

Sticky Password

  • Storing and autofilling passwords across devicesnot Ory Kratos
  • Securely sharing a login with a family member or colleaguenot Ory Kratos
  • Granting emergency vault access to a trusted contactnot Ory Kratos
  • Monitoring saved credentials for dark web exposurenot Ory Kratos

Where each one falls short

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

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

Sticky Password

  • Offers no dedicated family plan, requiring individual licenses or a Teams plan to cover a household.
  • Free tier is limited to a 30-day Premium trial rather than a permanent free feature set.
  • Lacks the browser-based item history and detailed sharing permissions offered by some larger competitors.
  • Business/Teams tooling is lighter than dedicated enterprise password managers with SSO and SCIM support.

Pricing, plan by plan

Ory Kratos

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

Sticky Password

Free
  • Free (30-day Premium trial)Free
    • 30-day trial of Premium features
    • Basic password storage after trial
  • Premium$2.5/month
    • Vault sync across devices
    • Password sharing
    • Dark web monitoring
  • Teams$2.5/month
    • Per-user pricing billed annually
    • Usable for families or businesses
    • Centralized license management

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Sticky Password if

  • You need autofill and capture.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, ios, android, windows, mac.
  • You also want encrypted vault sync.
Sticky Password review

Questions people ask

Is Ory Kratos or Sticky Password better?
Neither clearly leads. Ory Kratos starts at Free and Sticky Password at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ory Kratos or Sticky Password?
Ory Kratos starts at Free and Sticky Password at Free.
Does Ory Kratos or Sticky Password run on more platforms?
Ory Kratos runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted. Sticky Password runs on web, ios, android, windows, mac.
Can I use Ory Kratos for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Ory Kratos best used for?
Ory Kratos is most often used for products needing complete control over the look and flow of authentication, applications that must not hand user identity data to a third party, teams building identity as infrastructure across several services. Of those, products needing complete control over the look and flow of authentication and applications that must not hand user identity data to a third party are not what Sticky Password is typically brought in for.
What can Ory Kratos do that Sticky Password cannot?
Ory Kratos covers Headless API, Self-service flows, Multi-factor authentication, Pluggable identity schemas. Sticky Password covers Autofill and capture, Encrypted vault sync, Emergency access, Dark web monitoring.

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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