Cybersecurity · head to head
Ory Kratos vs Weka
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; Weka the package management system needs an internet connection to download and install packages, so an air-gapped install gets only the core distribution
- They diverge on capability: Ory Kratos covers Headless API, Weka covers Classification.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Ory Kratos and Weka actually diverge.
| Attribute | Ory Kratos | Weka |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Open-source self-hosted, with a paid managed network | open-source |
| Platforms | Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| Category | Cybersecurity | Machine Learning |
| Founded | Unknown | 1993 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Weka
- Classification
- Regression
- Clustering
- Association rules
- Feature selection
- Java
- R
- Python
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 Weka
- Applications that must not hand user identity data to a third partynot Weka
- Teams building identity as infrastructure across several servicesnot Weka
Weka
- Teaching and exploring classic machine learning algorithms through a GUInot Ory Kratos
- Running data mining experiments and preprocessing without writing codenot 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
Weka
- The package management system needs an internet connection to download and install packages, so an air-gapped install gets only the core distribution
- Weka is split into a stable 3.8 branch that receives only bug fixes and compatibility-safe upgrades and a 3.9 development branch that may receive features that break compatibility
- Weka requires a 64-bit Java VM; the bundled installers ship Bellsoft OpenJDK 25 per platform and architecture
Pricing, plan by plan
Ory Kratos
Free- Self-hostedFree
- Full identity server
- All flows
- Community support
Weka
Free- Open SourceFree
- All ML algorithms
- GUI and CLI
- Java API
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.
Choose Weka if
- You need classification.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Mac, Windows.
- You also want regression.
Questions people ask
- Is Ory Kratos or Weka better?
- Neither clearly leads. Ory Kratos starts at Free and Weka at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Ory Kratos or Weka?
- Ory Kratos starts at Free and Weka at Free.
- Does Ory Kratos or Weka run on more platforms?
- Ory Kratos runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted. Weka runs on Linux, Mac, Windows.
- 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 Weka is typically brought in for.
- What can Ory Kratos do that Weka cannot?
- Ory Kratos covers Headless API, Self-service flows, Multi-factor authentication, Pluggable identity schemas. Weka covers Classification, Regression, Clustering, Association rules.
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.
Weka: What is the cost of Weka software?
Weka is provided at no cost as open-source software released under the GNU General Public License, making it freely available for download and use.
SourceOry 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.
Weka: Are there commercial licensing options available?
Yes, the project offers information about commercial licenses for organizations requiring non-GPL terms, which can be found in their commercial applications documentation.
SourceOry Kratos: Does Kratos do OAuth2?
No. Kratos handles user identity; OAuth2 and OpenID Connect provider functionality is Ory Hydra, a separate component.
Weka: What support resources are available to users?
Multiple support avenues exist including comprehensive documentation, frequently asked questions, dedicated help resources, and access to courses for learning the platform.
SourceWeka: Is source code access provided?
Yes, developers have full access to source code through the Git repository, along with development documentation and code credits for contributors.
SourceRelated pages
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- Weka vs HashiCorp Boundary
- Weka vs JumpCloud
- Weka vs AWS SageMaker
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- Weka vs Databricks
- Weka vs MATLAB
- Weka vs SAS
- Weka vs Apache Spark MLlib
- Weka vs ClearML
- Weka vs Minitab
- Weka vs Mistral AI
- Weka vs Ollama
- Weka vs OpenRouter
- Weka vs BigQuery ML
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