Duende IdentityServer
Identity and access management (IAM) software
Identity management software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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$1,500 per year
Free TrialFree version
Small
Medium
Large
- Information technology and software
- Media and communications
- Retail and wholesale
What is Duende IdentityServer
Duende IdentityServer is a framework for implementing OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect (OIDC) authentication and authorization in .NET applications. It is typically used by software teams building custom identity providers, API authorization, and single sign-on (SSO) for internal or customer-facing applications. The product is delivered as libraries and templates that run in the customer’s infrastructure rather than as a hosted identity service. It is commonly adopted when organizations need deep control over identity flows and integration with existing .NET systems.
Standards-based auth protocols
It implements widely used identity standards such as OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect, which helps interoperability with many client applications and APIs. This reduces the need for proprietary authentication mechanisms and custom token formats. Standards alignment also supports common enterprise patterns like SSO and delegated authorization. For teams building an IAM layer into their own products, this provides a predictable protocol surface.
Self-hosted deployment control
It runs in the customer’s environment (on-premises or cloud) and can be embedded into an organization’s architecture. This supports scenarios where data residency, network isolation, or custom operational controls are required. Teams can integrate it with existing user stores and internal services without relying on a third-party hosted identity tenant. This approach can fit regulated environments that require direct control over identity infrastructure.
.NET-centric extensibility
It is designed for the .NET ecosystem and integrates with common ASP.NET Core patterns and middleware. Developers can extend authentication flows, claims issuance, and integration points using familiar .NET code and dependency injection. This can shorten implementation time for organizations already standardized on Microsoft development stacks. It also supports building a tailored identity layer rather than adopting a fixed SaaS feature set.
Requires engineering and operations
Because it is a framework rather than a turnkey service, organizations must design, implement, secure, and operate the identity system themselves. This includes high availability, key management, monitoring, incident response, and ongoing patching. Teams without dedicated identity engineering may find time-to-value slower than managed IAM offerings. Misconfiguration risk is higher when building custom identity flows.
Limited out-of-box IAM features
Many end-user IAM capabilities (for example, broad prebuilt connectors, admin consoles, and packaged governance workflows) are not the primary focus and may require additional components or custom development. Organizations often need to build or integrate user lifecycle management, reporting, and advanced policy administration separately. This can increase total implementation scope compared with more packaged IAM suites. Fit depends on whether the goal is a custom identity provider versus an all-in-one IAM platform.
Licensing and upgrade planning
Duende IdentityServer is a commercial product and typically requires licensing for production use, which can affect budgeting compared with purely open-source alternatives. Major version upgrades may require planning and testing due to security and protocol changes over time. Organizations must also track dependency updates in the .NET ecosystem. Procurement and compliance teams may need to review license terms for redistribution scenarios.
Plan & Pricing
Standard License Pricing (Duende IdentityServer):
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $1,500 USD / year | Up to 2 Client IDs; Unlimited Users; Unlimited APIs; Single production deployment; Security notification service; Standard developer support; Access to source code. |
| Business | $9,000 USD / year | Up to 10 Client IDs; Unlimited Users; Unlimited APIs; Single production deployment; Automatic key management; Server-side sessions; Standard developer support. |
| Enterprise | $20,000 USD / year | Up to 30 Client IDs; Unlimited Users; Unlimited APIs; 2 production deployments; Multi-tenancy; Dynamic authentication providers; Resource isolation; Priority developer support (2 escalations/year). |
| Enterprise+ | Contact sales | All Enterprise features plus additional Client IDs and Deployments; Advanced support (dedicated TAM, SLA 24x5 premium support), architecture/code validation; Contact sales for pricing. |
Duende IdentityServer Redistribution Licensing (separate redistribution product):
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Redistribution Starter | $5,000 USD / year (for 5 client IDs) | Unlimited redistributions; Unlimited Users; Unlimited APIs; Security notification service; Standard developer support; Access to source code. Additional client IDs: $1,500 USD per additional client ID. |
| Unlimited Redistribution Starter | $35,000 USD / year | Unlimited client IDs; Unlimited redistributions; Priority developer support (2 escalations/year). |
| Redistribution Business | $15,000 USD / year (for 5 client IDs) | All Starter redistribution features plus Automatic key management; Server-side sessions; Standard developer support. Additional client IDs: $1,500 USD per additional client ID. |
| Unlimited Redistribution Business | $50,000 USD / year | Unlimited client IDs; Priority developer support (4 escalations/year). |
| Redistribution Enterprise | $25,000 USD / year (for 5 client IDs) | Multi-tenancy; All Business redistribution features; Resource isolation; Priority developer support (2 escalations/year). Additional client IDs: $1,500 USD per additional client ID. |
| Unlimited Redistribution Enterprise | $75,000 USD / year | Unlimited client IDs; Priority developer support (6 escalations/year). |
Notes: Prices and feature bullets are taken from Duende Software's official product pages for IdentityServer and IdentityServer Redistribution. Development, testing and personal use do not require a license; a Community Edition (free license) is available for qualifying organizations.
