Cybersecurity · head to head
Socket vs Ory Kratos
Socket
Cybersecurity
Supply chain security platform detecting and blocking malicious dependencies
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Socket team plan requires minimum 5-developer commitment, expensive for small teams; Ory Kratos headless means you build every screen, which is significant work compared with a hosted login page
- They diverge on capability: Socket covers Malware detection, Ory Kratos covers Headless API.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Socket and Ory Kratos actually diverge.
| Attribute | Socket | Ory Kratos |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per-developer monthly subscription with tiered access | Open-source self-hosted, with a paid managed network |
| Platforms | Web, CLI, GitHub | Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted |
| Founded | 2021 | Unknown |
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 Socket
- Malware detection
- Automatic blocking
- AI behavior analysis
- Reachability analysis
- Slack integration
- SBOM support
- SAML SSO
- GitHub Actions scanning
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.
Socket
- Blocking zero-day malware attacks in JavaScript dependenciesnot Ory Kratos
- Managing CVE false positives with precomputed reachability analysisnot Ory Kratos
- Securing Python and Go supply chains at scalenot Ory Kratos
- Automating compliance requirements for regulated industriesnot Ory Kratos
- Real-time threat notifications via Slack integrationnot Ory Kratos
Ory Kratos
- Products needing complete control over the look and flow of authenticationnot Socket
- Applications that must not hand user identity data to a third partynot Socket
- Teams building identity as infrastructure across several servicesnot Socket
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Socket
- Team plan requires minimum 5-developer commitment, expensive for small teams
- Business plan $50/dev/month becomes costly for teams exceeding 20 members
- Enterprise pricing requires custom consultation with no transparent pricing
- Free plan limited to individual developers without team collaboration
- Reachability analysis improvement (90% false positive reduction) only on Enterprise
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
Socket
Free- FreeFree
- For individual developers
- Detects 70+ risk types
- Blocks malicious dependencies automatically
- Team$25/month
- Per developer on minimum 5 developers
- Precomputed reachability analysis cuts 60% false positives
- Slack alerts for threats
- Business$50/month
- Per developer on minimum 20 developers
- All Team features
- Compliance integrations with Vanta
- Enterprise$undefined/custom
- Function-level reachability eliminates up to 90% irrelevant CVEs
- Multi-repository system support
- Named account manager
Ory Kratos
Free- Self-hostedFree
- Full identity server
- All flows
- Community support
Which should you pick?
Choose Socket if
- You need malware detection.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, CLI, GitHub.
- You also want automatic blocking.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Socket or Ory Kratos better?
- Neither clearly leads. Socket starts at Free and Ory Kratos at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Socket or Ory Kratos?
- Socket starts at Free and Ory Kratos at Free.
- Does Socket or Ory Kratos run on more platforms?
- Socket runs on Web, CLI, GitHub. Ory Kratos runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
- Can I use Socket for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Socket best used for?
- Socket is most often used for blocking zero-day malware attacks in javascript dependencies, managing cve false positives with precomputed reachability analysis, securing python and go supply chains at scale, automating compliance requirements for regulated industries. Of those, blocking zero-day malware attacks in javascript dependencies and managing cve false positives with precomputed reachability analysis are not what Ory Kratos is typically brought in for.
- What can Socket do that Ory Kratos cannot?
- Socket covers Malware detection, Automatic blocking, AI behavior analysis, Reachability analysis. Ory Kratos covers Headless API, Self-service flows, Multi-factor authentication, Pluggable identity schemas.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Socket: How many zero-day attacks does Socket detect?
Socket detects over 100 zero-day attacks weekly across JavaScript, Python, and Go ecosystems.
SourceOry Kratos: Is Ory Kratos free?
Yes, open source and free to self-host. Ory Network is a paid managed service.
Socket: What is precomputed reachability analysis?
Socket's precomputed reachability analysis cuts CVE false positives by 60% automatically on Team plans, and up to 90% on Enterprise plans through function-level analysis.
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.
Socket: Is there a discount for annual billing?
Yes. Socket offers a 20% discount for annual commitments across all subscription tiers.
SourceOry 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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