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Open source authentication solution with passkeys, 2FA, SSO support. GDPR compliant, built in Europe. Switch between self-hosted and cloud anytime.
European security & identity alternative based in Germany.
Hanko is an open-source authentication and user management platform from Kiel, Germany — built as a modern, privacy-first alternative to Auth0, Clerk, and Cognito. It puts passkeys front and centre while still supporting passwords, passcodes, and OAuth social logins.
Developers get Hanko Elements, a set of framework-agnostic Web Components that drop into any frontend in minutes, plus a full backend API for custom flows. The Passkey API can also be bolted onto existing auth systems without a full migration.
Key features:
- Passkey-first authentication — FIDO2-certified, phishing-resistant, biometric login
- Multiple auth methods — passwords, email passcodes, OAuth (Google, Apple, GitHub), 2FA
- Hanko Elements — framework-agnostic Web Components for React, Vue, Angular, and more
- Flexible hosting — self-hosted (AGPLv3) or Hanko Cloud with no lock-in migration
- User management — profiles, sessions, and audit logs out of the box
- GDPR compliant — EU infrastructure, data minimalism by design
Trusted by 10,000+ developers and used in production by SAP and Volt.io. The core is fully open source under AGPLv3 and MIT licences, with GitHub stars growing fast.
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European alternative to
Head-to-head comparisons
See how Hanko stacks up side-by-side against the non-EU incumbent on jurisdiction, GDPR, pricing, and features.
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