Features, pricing, ratings, and pros & cons — compared head-to-head.
authentik is a commercial multi-factor authentication and single sign-on tool by authentik. Silverfort Universal Multi-factor authentication is a commercial multi-factor authentication and single sign-on tool by Silverfort. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best multi-factor authentication and single sign-on fit for your security stack.
Based on our analysis of NIST CSF 2.0 coverage, core features, company size fit, deployment model, here is our conclusion:
Startups and SMBs that need SSO and MFA without vendor lock-in should run authentik; the open-source model means you own the codebase, avoid licensing creep as you scale, and can self-host or go hybrid without renegotiating contracts. It covers NIST PR.AA identity management and access control natively, and the built-in application proxy handles remote access to RDP, SSH, and VNC without bolting on a separate tool. Expect to staff more ops lift than a SaaS alternative; this is not the tool for teams wanting a hands-off managed identity service.
Silverfort Universal Multi-factor authentication
Organizations protecting legacy applications and OT systems should pick Silverfort Universal Multi-factor authentication because it enforces MFA without code changes or agent deployment, a constraint that kills most competitors in these environments. The agentless architecture extends MFA to Kerberos, NTLM, LDAP, and command-line tools that modern solutions simply skip over, backed by risk-based enforcement tied to real-time threat signals for adaptive policy. Skip this if your infrastructure is cloud-native and you need MFA as one layer of a broader identity platform; Silverfort is deliberately built for the hard authentication problems that on-premises environments create.
Open-source identity provider with SSO, MFA, and application proxy capabilities
Universal MFA solution extending authentication to legacy apps and OT systems
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Common questions about comparing authentik vs Silverfort Universal Multi-factor authentication for your multi-factor authentication and single sign-on needs.
authentik: Open-source identity provider with SSO, MFA, and application proxy capabilities. built by authentik. Core capabilities include Multi-factor authentication, Single sign-on with OAuth2/OIDC and SAML2 support, Application proxy..
Silverfort Universal Multi-factor authentication: Universal MFA solution extending authentication to legacy apps and OT systems. built by Silverfort. Core capabilities include Agentless MFA deployment without code modifications, Protection for Kerberos, NTLM, and LDAP authentication flows, MFA enforcement for legacy and homegrown applications..
Both serve the Multi-Factor Authentication and Single Sign-On market but differ in approach, feature depth, and target audience.
authentik differentiates with Multi-factor authentication, Single sign-on with OAuth2/OIDC and SAML2 support, Application proxy. Silverfort Universal Multi-factor authentication differentiates with Agentless MFA deployment without code modifications, Protection for Kerberos, NTLM, and LDAP authentication flows, MFA enforcement for legacy and homegrown applications.
authentik is developed by authentik. Silverfort Universal Multi-factor authentication is developed by Silverfort. Vendor maturity, funding stage, and team size can be important factors when evaluating long-term viability and support quality.
authentik and Silverfort Universal Multi-factor authentication serve similar Multi-Factor Authentication and Single Sign-On use cases: both are Multi-Factor Authentication and Single Sign-On tools, both cover Active Directory, MFA. Review the feature comparison above to determine which fits your requirements.
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