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Kanidm vs Dex: catalog facts
Kanidm	Dex
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source.
Linux, Self-hosted, Command line	Linux, Self-hosted
OAuth2, LDAP and passkeys in a single server Unix integration for Linux logins	Connectors for LDAP, SAML, GitHub, Google, GitLab and Microsoft Single lightweight binary
Smaller ecosystem than long-established directory servers Requires running and securing your own server	A federation layer, not a full user directory Configuration aimed at platform engineers
Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.