Tag
Passkeys
4 reviewed tools: 3 free or open source, 1 hosted with a real free tier.
Order: free and open source first, then hosted products with a real free tier, then paid-led; catalog order inside each group, with quiet or archived repos last. Not a score, and no tool pays for its place.
4 tools
- SimpleWebAuthnMIT passkeys ceremony library — not an IdP
Free / OSS · OSS/MIT · 2.4k GitHub stars
VerdictMIT WebAuthn helpers. Library only; bring your own IdP.
CatchPasskeys ceremony lib — not Hanko/Better Auth/Auth.js IdP or auth framework. You still store credentials and issue sessions. Distinct from Hanko, Better Auth, and Auth.js.
- Pocket IDBSD-2-Clause passkey-only OIDC IdP; self-host only
Free / OSS · BSD-2-Clause · 9.7k GitHub stars
VerdictBSD-2-Clause passkey-only OIDC. Self-host; not enterprise IAM.
CatchVs Hanko/Authelia/Keycloak/Ory: passkey-ONLY OIDC IdP (no passwords). Homelab/MCP-scoped, not enterprise IAM. Free path is self-host only.
- RauthyApache-2.0 Rust passkey-forward OIDC+OAuth2 IdP with PAM/NSS
Free / OSS · Apache-2.0 · 1.4k GitHub stars
VerdictApache-2.0 Rust IdP. Free forever self-host; tiny RAM, not a free Cloud seat.
CatchVs Pocket ID (passkey-only OIDC), Keycloak/authentik/ZITADEL/Kanidm/Ory (fuller IAM/CIAM lanes): Rauthy is a self-host Rust IdP with PAM/NSS — not a hosted free-tier IdP and not “enterprise IAM in a box” marketing. You still run the binary, pick Hiqlite vs Postgres, and own TLS/clients/ops.
- HankoAGPLv3 passkeys-first auth with a 10k-MAU free Cloud
Free tier · Freemium · 9k GitHub stars
VerdictPasskeys-first auth. 10k MAU is free; the license split is the other catch.
CatchSplit licenses: backend AGPLv3, Elements and frontend SDKs MIT. Cloud Starter Free 10k MAU is the wall — after that you pay. Cloud Console is closed source. AGPL on the API is network copyleft.
FAQ
- What is the top free pick among Passkeys?
- SimpleWebAuthn leads the Stack Gems list for Passkeys. Verdict: MIT WebAuthn helpers. Library only; bring your own IdP.
- How many Passkeys does Stack Gems review?
- 4: 3 free or open source, 1 hosted with a real free tier. Each review has a verdict and an honest Catch; no tool pays for its spot.
- Which Passkeys can I self-host for free?
- SimpleWebAuthn, Pocket ID and Rauthy.
- Which Passkeys have the most GitHub stars?
- Pocket ID (9.7k), Hanko (9k), SimpleWebAuthn (2.4k), per GitHub on 2026-10-21. Stars measure attention, not fit; read the Catch.
- What is the catch with SimpleWebAuthn?
- Passkeys ceremony lib — not Hanko/Better Auth/Auth.js IdP or auth framework.