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Cybersecurity · head to head

Ory Kratos vs Workday Government

Ory Kratos logo

Ory Kratos

Cybersecurity

Headless identity and user management API

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Workday Government logo

Workday Government

Government

Enterprise HCM and Finance for Government

From
$5000/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; Workday Government workday Government Cloud, Workday's public sector offering, publishes no self-serve pricing; every path on its own government page leads to Contact Us or Contact Sales
  • They diverge on capability: Ory Kratos covers Headless API, Workday Government covers Human Capital Management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ory Kratos and Workday Government actually diverge.

Attributes where Ory Kratos and Workday Government differ
AttributeOry KratosWorkday Government
Starting priceFree$5000/month
Pricing modelOpen-source self-hosted, with a paid managed networksubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hostedWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryCybersecurityGovernment
FoundedUnknown2005

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 Workday Government

  • Human Capital Management
  • Payroll
  • Benefits Administration
  • Financial Management
  • Analytics
  • SAP
  • Oracle
  • Third-party HR

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

Workday Government

  • Citizen Servicesnot Ory Kratos
  • Records Managementnot Ory Kratos
  • Public Safetynot Ory Kratos
  • Civic Engagementnot 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

Workday Government

  • Workday Government Cloud, Workday's public sector offering, publishes no self-serve pricing; every path on its own government page leads to Contact Us or Contact Sales

Pricing, plan by plan

Ory Kratos

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

Workday Government

$5000/month
  • Government Cloud$5000/month
    • HCM
    • Payroll
    • Financial 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 Workday Government if

  • You need human capital management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want payroll.
Workday Government review

Questions people ask

Is Ory Kratos or Workday Government better?
Neither clearly leads. Ory Kratos starts at Free and Workday Government at $5000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ory Kratos or Workday Government?
Ory Kratos has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Ory Kratos and $5000/month for Workday Government.
Does Ory Kratos or Workday Government run on more platforms?
Ory Kratos runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted. Workday Government runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Ory Kratos for free?
Yes. Ory Kratos has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Workday Government starts at $5000/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 Workday Government is typically brought in for.
What can Ory Kratos do that Workday Government cannot?
Ory Kratos covers Headless API, Self-service flows, Multi-factor authentication, Pluggable identity schemas. Workday Government covers Human Capital Management, Payroll, Benefits Administration, Financial Management.

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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