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Cybersecurity · head to head

Ory Kratos vs Tyler Brazos

Ory Kratos logo

Ory Kratos

Cybersecurity

Headless identity and user management API

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Tyler Brazos logo

Tyler Brazos

Government

Mobile Law Enforcement Technology

From
$800/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Ory Kratos has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Ory Kratos headless means you build every screen, which is significant work compared with a hosted login page; Tyler Brazos brazos is now sold as Tyler Enforcement Mobile and tylertech.com/products/brazos redirects to the Enforcement Mobile page
  • They diverge on capability: Ory Kratos covers Headless API, Tyler Brazos covers Mobile Citations.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ory Kratos and Tyler Brazos actually diverge.

Attributes where Ory Kratos and Tyler Brazos differ
AttributeOry KratosTyler Brazos
Starting priceFree$800/month
Pricing modelOpen-source self-hosted, with a paid managed networksubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hostedIos, Android, Windows
CategoryCybersecurityGovernment
FoundedUnknown1966

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 Ory Kratos

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

Only in Tyler Brazos

  • Mobile Citations
  • Field Reporting
  • License Scanning
  • Database Queries
  • Crash Reporting
  • Tyler CAD/RMS
  • NCIC
  • State DMV

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

Tyler Brazos

  • Electronic citation issuance from a patrol vehicle or handheld devicenot Ory Kratos
  • Field reporting and crash reports for law enforcementnot Ory Kratos
  • Feeding citation data into court case managementnot 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

Tyler Brazos

  • Brazos is now sold as Tyler Enforcement Mobile and tylertech.com/products/brazos redirects to the Enforcement Mobile page
  • No pricing is published; Tyler routes all enquiries through contact and demo requests with no published rate, minimum or cost driver
  • The product is sold only to public sector agencies

Pricing, plan by plan

Ory Kratos

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

Tyler Brazos

$800/month
  • Mobile Suite$800/month
    • Mobile Citations
    • Field Reporting
    • Database Queries

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 Tyler Brazos if

  • You need mobile citations.
  • You work on Ios, Android, Windows.
  • You also want field reporting.
Tyler Brazos review

Questions people ask

Is Ory Kratos or Tyler Brazos better?
Neither clearly leads. Ory Kratos starts at Free and Tyler Brazos at $800/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ory Kratos or Tyler Brazos?
Ory Kratos has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Ory Kratos and $800/month for Tyler Brazos.
Does Ory Kratos or Tyler Brazos run on more platforms?
Ory Kratos runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted. Tyler Brazos runs on Ios, Android, Windows.
Can I use Ory Kratos for free?
Yes. Ory Kratos has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Tyler Brazos starts at $800/month.
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 Tyler Brazos is typically brought in for.
What can Ory Kratos do that Tyler Brazos cannot?
Ory Kratos covers Headless API, Self-service flows, Multi-factor authentication, Pluggable identity schemas. Tyler Brazos covers Mobile Citations, Field Reporting, License Scanning, Database Queries.

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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