Casbin vs ORY Kratos: What are the differences?

Introduction: In the realm of identity and access management (IAM), Casbin and ORY Kratos are two popular tools that serve different purposes. Understanding the key differences between the two can help in choosing the right tool for specific IAM requirements.

1. Authorization Policy Management: Casbin is mainly focused on policy-based access control whereas ORY Kratos is more focused on user account and identity management. Casbin provides a flexible way to manage authorization policies based on RBAC, ABAC, or any custom logic. On the other hand, ORY Kratos streamlines user registration, login, and profile management processes.

2. Supported Protocols: Casbin is primarily used for enforcing access control in applications, APIs, and microservices through various integration points such as HTTP handlers, gRPC, or WebSockets. In contrast, ORY Kratos supports authentication and identity management using protocols like OAuth2, OpenID Connect, and others, making it suitable for applications that require user authentication and management.

3. Integrations: Casbin offers integrations with different programming languages like Go, Java, and Python, making it versatile for various types of development environments. ORY Kratos, on the other hand, focuses on seamless integration with cloud-native technologies and microservices architectures, providing easy adoption in cloud-based applications.

4. Community and Support: Casbin has a strong community support with regular updates and contributions from developers worldwide, ensuring the tool's reliability and feature enhancements. ORY Kratos, being a part of the ORY ecosystem, receives continuous support and updates, backed by a dedicated team of developers focused on improving the tool's functionality and security.

5. Use Cases: Casbin is well-suited for scenarios where fine-grained access control policies need to be defined and enforced within an application or API. ORY Kratos, on the other hand, is ideal for applications that require user authentication, registration, and profile management capabilities without the need for complex access control logic.

6. Scalability and Performance: Casbin is known for its lightweight design and high performance, making it a preferred choice for applications with strict performance requirements. ORY Kratos, while efficient in managing user identities, may not offer the same level of scalability and performance when compared to Casbin in scenarios where access control policies are a primary concern.

Summary: In summary, Casbin stands out for its versatile policy-based access control mechanisms, while ORY Kratos excels in user account and identity management, catering to different aspects of IAM needs in application development.