ORY Hydra vs ORY Kratos: What are the differences?

Introduction

ORY Hydra and ORY Kratos are two open-source projects that provide a set of tools and services for Authentication and Authorization management. While they both address similar needs, there are key differences between the two that make them suitable for different use cases.

1. Modularity: ORY Hydra is designed as a standalone OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect server, providing a complete solution for managing access control and authentication flows. On the other hand, ORY Kratos is a more modular system, focusing on user management and authentication. It provides a flexible set of APIs and libraries that can be used to integrate user registration, login, and account recovery features into existing systems.

2. User Experience: ORY Kratos offers a more user-centric approach by providing a ready-to-use user interface for common authentication and account management tasks. It simplifies the implementation process by handling the UI components, allowing developers to focus on the business logic. ORY Hydra, on the other hand, is more developer-centric and provides a set of APIs and tools for building customizable user interfaces.

3. Standards Support: ORY Hydra is built to be fully compliant with OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect specifications, making it suitable for enterprise-grade applications that require adherence to industry standards. ORY Kratos focuses on user management and authentication needs and does not offer the same level of standards compliance. While it provides some support for OAuth 2.0 and similar protocols, it may not be suitable for applications that require strict adherence to these standards.

4. Scalability: ORY Hydra is designed to handle high volumes of requests and provides built-in support for horizontal scalability. It can be deployed in a cluster environment and supports advanced features like OAuth 2.0 token introspection. ORY Kratos, on the other hand, is more lightweight and may be a better fit for smaller-scale applications or when simplicity is preferred over scalability.

5. Community Support and Maturity: ORY Hydra has been around since 2014 and has gained a significant user base and community support over the years. It is a mature and stable project, with frequent updates and a large number of contributors. ORY Kratos, while relatively newer, is rapidly growing and gaining popularity. However, it may not have the same level of community support and maturity as ORY Hydra.

6. Use Cases: ORY Hydra is particularly suitable for applications that require a robust and standardized access control and authentication system. It may be used in scenarios such as Single Sign-On (SSO), API authorization, and secure OAuth 2.0 token management. ORY Kratos, on the other hand, is more focused on user management and authentication flows. It can be used to integrate user registration, login, and account management features into web applications or APIs.

In summary, ORY Hydra and ORY Kratos differ in terms of modularity, user experience, standards support, scalability, community support, and use cases. While Hydra is a comprehensive OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect server suitable for enterprise-grade applications, Kratos focuses on user management and offers a more user-centric approach for authentication and account management.