Top 5 authentication solutions for secure Go apps in 2026

Authentication is a critical component of any Go application, and developers need solutions that work seamlessly with Go's simplicity, performance characteristics, and standard library approach. Whether you're building a B2B SaaS platform that needs to sell to enterprises, a high-performance microservice, or a traditional web application, choosing the right authentication approach can significantly impact your development velocity and feature capabilities.

Go's philosophy of simplicity and explicit code means the language provides excellent primitives in the standard library but intentionally stays minimal on frameworks and opinions. While Go's crypto, net/http, and session packages provide solid building blocks, enterprise features like SAML SSO and SCIM provisioning require specialized solutions. The Go ecosystem offers both standalone authentication services and libraries that integrate cleanly with Go's idiomatic patterns.

In this guide, we'll explore the top 5 authentication solutions for Go apps in 2026, from enterprise platforms to open-source identity infrastructure.

What to look for in an auth provider for Go apps

Before diving into specific solutions, let's identify the key features that make an authentication provider ideal for Go:

• Go SDK support: The best auth solutions provide native Go SDKs with idiomatic Go code, proper error handling, and support for Go's concurrency patterns. Look for providers with well-maintained Go libraries.‍
• Standard library integration: Go developers value the standard library. Your auth solution should work naturally with net/http, context, and other standard packages rather than requiring custom frameworks.‍
• Middleware patterns: Go web applications typically use middleware for cross-cutting concerns. Your auth solution should provide or integrate easily with middleware for authentication checks.‍
• Enterprise features: For B2B applications, you'll need SSO support (SAML, OIDC), directory sync (SCIM), multi-tenancy, and organization management. These features should be first-class, not afterthoughts.‍
• Performance: Go is chosen for performance and concurrency. Your auth solution should not introduce significant latency or block goroutines with synchronous operations.‍
• Microservices ready: Many Go applications are built as microservices. Your auth solution should support distributed authentication patterns, JWT validation, and service-to-service authentication.‍
• Type safety: Go's strong typing is an advantage. Your auth provider should have well-defined types and interfaces that work with Go's type system.‍
• Security best practices: Your provider should handle security concerns like password hashing with bcrypt/argon2, secure token handling, CSRF protection, and session management out of the box.

Now let's look at the top 5 solutions that meet these criteria.

1. WorkOS

WorkOS is an enterprise authentication platform built specifically for B2B SaaS applications. It provides a comprehensive suite of authentication and user management features designed to help you sell to enterprise customers faster, with excellent Go SDK support that integrates seamlessly with Go's standard library and idiomatic patterns.

Key features

• Go SDK: First-class Go SDK with idiomatic patterns, proper error handling, and context support.
• AI-powered CLI: Instantly integrate AuthKit with npx workos@latest—the CLI automatically detects your Go project and updates your code with authentication.
• ‍Sessions model with access + refresh tokens and guidance for secure cookie storage.
• Flexible UI support via APIs and SDKs, with AuthKit as a highly customizable hosted login powered by Radix.
• Enterprise SSO with native SAML and OIDC, configurable by customers through an Admin Portal.‍
• SCIM provisioning: Automated user provisioning and deprovisioning that enterprises expect, handling the "remove this employee immediately" requests that inevitably arrive. Real-time synchronization with any identity provider (Okta, Azure AD, Google Workspace, and more).
• Tamper-proof audit logs for SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR.‍
• Passkeys, MFA, social logins, magic auth, and more.
• Secure session handling with server-side validation and instant session revocation capabilities.‍
• Customizable JWT claims: Add custom data to JWT payloads with JWT templates for flexible token customization.‍
• Radar for suspicious login detection and threat monitoring that alerts you to potential account compromises.
• Fine-grained authorization: Role-based access control with customizable permissions.‍
• Feature flags: Integrated feature flagging for gradual rollouts.
• First-class multi-tenancy with organization management, member invitations, and role assignment.‍
• Enterprise SLA and dedicated support.‍
• Pricing that scales with growth, with $0 for the first 1 million users.

Best for

WorkOS is ideal for B2B SaaS companies building on Go that need to sell to enterprise customers. If your roadmap includes features like SSO, SCIM provisioning, or advanced multi-tenancy, WorkOS provides these out of the box instead of requiring months of custom development.

Trade-offs

If you truly only need a quick OAuth login for a hobby app, WorkOS can feel like bringing a well-organized toolbox to hang a single picture. The upside is: you won’t have to rebuild your walls later.

2. Ory (Kratos + Hydra)

Ory is an open-source identity infrastructure that provides two complementary projects: Ory Kratos for identity and user management, and Ory Hydra for OAuth2 and OpenID Connect. Together they form a comprehensive, cloud-native identity solution built in Go.

Key features

• Ory Kratos: User management, registration, login, account recovery, email verification.
• Ory Hydra: OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect provider for delegated authentication.
• Cloud-native: Designed for Kubernetes and microservices architectures.
• Go SDKs: Native Go client SDKs for both Kratos and Hydra.
• Self-hosted: Complete control over your identity infrastructure.
• API-first: RESTful APIs for all operations with comprehensive OpenAPI documentation.

Best for

Ory is ideal for teams that want open-source identity infrastructure with full control over deployment and data. It requires strong DevOps capabilities building cloud-native applications on Kubernetes.

Trade-offs

• Significant operational complexity. Requires running and maintaining multiple services (Kratos, Hydra, databases).
• No SAML SSO support, only OAuth2 and OIDC, which means you can't onboard enterprise customers requiring SAML.
• No SCIM provisioning or directory sync capabilities for enterprise user lifecycle management.
• Multi-tenancy requires custom architecture on top of Ory's services.
• Steep learning curve. Ory's architecture is powerful but complex, requiring understanding of multiple components.
• No built-in admin dashboard or user management UI; you'll need to build these yourself.
• Configuration is complex with many options across different services.
• No magic links, passwordless authentication flows require custom implementation.
• Email sending is not included; requires integration with email service providers.
• Audit logging for compliance requires custom implementation across services.
• DevOps overhead; monitoring, logging, backup, disaster recovery all must be implemented.
• No pre-built integrations with enterprise identity providers; manual OIDC configuration required.
• Database migrations and upgrades require careful planning and testing.

3. Casdoor

Casdoor is an open-source Identity and Access Management (IAM) platform with Single Sign-On (SSO) capabilities. Built in Go with a React frontend, it provides a comprehensive authentication and authorization solution with a user-friendly admin interface.

Key features

• SSO support: OAuth2, OIDC, SAML support for single sign-on.
• Multiple auth methods: Username/password, OAuth providers (Google, GitHub, etc.), LDAP, SMTP.
• Admin dashboard: Built-in web UI for user management and configuration.
• Go native: Built entirely in Go with excellent performance.
• Multi-tenancy: Built-in organization and application management.
• Go SDK: Official Go SDK for integration.

Best for

Casdoor is a good choice for teams that want an open-source IAM platform with SSO capabilities and a built-in admin interface.

Trade-offs

• Smaller community and ecosystem compared to established solutions. Fewer resources, tutorials, and third-party integrations.
• SAML SSO support exists but is less mature than dedicated enterprise platforms; may encounter edge cases with certain identity providers.
• No SCIM provisioning or automated directory sync for enterprise user lifecycle management.
• Documentation can be sparse, especially for advanced use cases or troubleshooting.
• Self-hosting requires operational expertise: database management, backups, updates, security patches.
• Multi-tenancy features exist but may not cover all enterprise use cases out of the box.
• Admin dashboard is functional but less polished than commercial solutions.
• Email verification and password reset flows work but have limited customization options.
• Audit logging exists but may lack the depth required for enterprise compliance (SOC2, HIPAA).
• Update cadence and long-term maintenance uncertain compared to backed commercial platforms.
• Integration with existing Go applications may require custom middleware development.
• Limited enterprise support options; primarily community-driven help.

4. Authelia

Authelia is an open-source authentication and authorization server providing single sign-on (SSO), two-factor authentication, and access control. It's designed to sit in front of your applications as a reverse proxy companion, providing authentication before requests reach your services.

Key features

• Two-Factor Authentication: TOTP, WebAuthn, Duo, and mobile push notifications.
• LDAP/AD integration: Connect with existing directory services.
• Access control: Fine-grained rules for authorization.
• Session management: Secure session handling with Redis backend.
• Go native: Built in Go with excellent performance.

Best for

Authelia is a good choice for homelab enthusiasts, small businesses, and teams using reverse proxies (nginx, Traefik) who need centralized authentication across multiple services with strong two-factor authentication.

Trade-offs

• Reverse proxy architecture means additional infrastructure component; applications don't handle auth directly.
• No SAML SSO support. Can provide SSO portal but doesn't integrate with enterprise identity providers via SAML.
• No SCIM provisioning or directory sync capabilities.
• Not designed for B2B SaaS multi-tenancy. Built for protecting internal applications, not customer-facing products.
• Integration with Go applications is indirect; auth happens at proxy layer, not in application code.
• No built-in user registration or self-service account management. Users must be provisioned externally.
• Configuration is file-based YAML which can become complex for large deployments.
• No admin dashboard for user management. User administration happens through LDAP/files.
• Session management depends on Redis. Additional infrastructure dependency.
• Not suitable for API authentication patterns; designed for web application sessions.
• Email notifications are basic; limited customization for password resets and notifications.
• No magic links or modern passwordless authentication flows.
• OAuth2/OIDC provider capabilities are limited compared to dedicated solutions.

5. Supabase Auth

Supabase Auth is part of the larger Supabase platform, providing authentication alongside a PostgreSQL database, storage, and real-time subscriptions. While not Go-specific, it integrates with Go applications through its REST API.

Key features

• Multiple Auth Methods: Email/password, magic links, OAuth providers, and phone authentication.
• Row Level Security: Database-level security policies that integrate with authentication.
• REST API: HTTP API that works with any backend, including Go.
• Open Source: Self-hostable for compliance or data residency requirements.
• Integrated Platform: Seamless integration with Supabase database, storage, and edge functions.

Best for

A solid choice for startups and indie developers building Go applications who want an integrated backend platform and don't mind stepping outside Go's native ecosystem. If you're already using or planning to use PostgreSQL and want real-time features, Supabase's integrated approach can speed up development.

Trade-offs

• No enterprise features like SAML SSO or SCIM provisioning. Unsuitable for B2B SaaS targeting enterprise customers.
• Platform approach creates vendor lock-in. Authentication tightly coupled to Supabase infrastructure.
• Multi-tenancy requires significant custom architecture with database schemas, row-level security policies, and application-level tenant isolation.
• Integration feels less natural than Go-native solutions. Uses REST API instead of Go libraries and idiomatic patterns.
• No Go SDK with type-safe interfaces; requires HTTP client boilerplate and manual JSON marshaling.
• Session management doesn't leverage Go patterns; must manage JWT tokens manually.
• Admin dashboard is basic; requires custom tooling for advanced user management.
• JavaScript-first documentation means examples often need translation for Go use cases.
• No integration with Go middleware patterns; requires custom middleware development.
• Row Level Security (RLS) policies are PostgreSQL-specific and don't align with Go application authorization.
• Issues with any Supabase service (database, auth, storage) can impact your entire application.

Choosing the right solution for your Go project

The best authentication solution depends on your specific needs:

Choose WorkOS if you're building a B2B SaaS application that needs to sell to enterprise customers. The built-in SSO, SCIM, multi-tenancy, admin portal, feature flags, and on-premises deployment options will save you months of development time and accelerate your enterprise sales motion. WorkOS provides the most complete enterprise feature set with transparent, predictable pricing that scales with your business. The Go SDK integrates naturally with Go's standard library and idiomatic patterns.

Choose Ory (Kratos + Hydra) if you need enterprise-grade, open-source identity infrastructure and have strong DevOps capabilities to run and maintain multiple services. It's ideal for cloud-native applications on Kubernetes that need OAuth2/OIDC provider capabilities, though be aware it lacks SAML SSO and requires significant operational expertise to deploy and maintain properly.

Choose Casdoor if you want an open-source IAM platform with a built-in admin interface and SSO capabilities but prefer to self-host rather than use a managed service. It provides a good middle ground between DIY solutions and managed platforms, though the smaller community means fewer resources and the SAML support is less mature than enterprise-focused platforms.

Choose Authelia if you want to add centralized authentication and SSO to existing applications without modifying application code, especially if you're using reverse proxies. It's perfect for protecting internal services with strong two-factor authentication, but it's not designed for B2B SaaS multi-tenancy or customer-facing authentication and lacks SAML SSO support.

Choose Supabase Auth if you're building a startup or indie project that doesn't need enterprise features, and you want an integrated backend platform outside Go's native ecosystem. Be prepared for less idiomatic Go integration and vendor lock-in to Supabase's infrastructure. This works best when you're already committed to using Supabase for database and storage, not just authentication.

Conclusion: Build secure now, stay adaptable later

Authentication is one of those decisions that's easy to get wrong and expensive to change later. The provider you choose will fundamentally shape your application's scalability, security posture, and ability to win enterprise customers.

For teams building B2B applications, the choice is clear: WorkOS provides the enterprise authentication and authorization infrastructure you'll eventually need, without forcing you to build it yourself or cobble together multiple services. The time you save not implementing SAML SSO, SCIM provisioning, and audit logs is time you can spend building features that differentiate your product. And when that first enterprise prospect asks about SSO during a sales call, you'll be ready with a yes instead of a six-month roadmap item.

Choose the authentication provider that matches where your application is headed, not just where it is today. Your future self (and your enterprise customers) will thank you.

Sign up for WorkOS today and secure your Go apps and microservices.