What is SimpleSAMLphp used for?

SimpleSAMLphp is a PHP authentication application that acts as a SAML 2.0 service provider or identity provider and supports CAS, OpenID Connect and OAuth. It is a good fit for adding SAML login to a PHP application, running an identity provider for a federation and bridging SAML with other identity protocols.

Is SimpleSAMLphp open source?

Yes. SimpleSAMLphp is open source under the LGPL-2.1 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at simplesamlphp/simplesamlphp and is written mainly in PHP.

Is SimpleSAMLphp free?

Yes. SimpleSAMLphp is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Can I self-host SimpleSAMLphp?

Yes. SimpleSAMLphp can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.

What is SimpleSAMLphp an alternative to?

SimpleSAMLphp is an open-source alternative to OneLogin and Ping Identity. Other open-source alternatives to OneLogin include Apereo CAS, Authentik and Keycloak.

Is SimpleSAMLphp actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to SimpleSAMLphp was on 1 October 2026, and the latest release is v2.5.3.1, published on 9 August 2026. The project has 1.1k stars on GitHub.

SimpleSAMLphp: open-source alternative to OneLogin

About SimpleSAMLphp

SimpleSAMLphp is an application written in native PHP that deals with authentication. Its main focus is SAML 2.0, where it can act either as a service provider that protects a web application or as an identity provider that authenticates users, which makes it common in universities and organizations using federated login.

It also supports other identity protocols and frameworks including CAS, OpenID Connect, WS-Federation and OAuth, and it is easy to extend with custom modules. The project site offers downloads, documentation, security announcements, modules and support, and the community-led project publishes regular releases, with security releases announced on its mailing list in advance.

SimpleSAMLphp is licensed under LGPL-2.1 and installed on your own PHP web server, so it is self-hosted. The project is run by a board and community of contributors. It suits developers and identity administrators who need to connect PHP applications to a SAML federation or run a lightweight identity provider.

Key features

SAML 2.0 service provider
SAML 2.0 identity provider
CAS, OpenID Connect, and WS-Federation support
OAuth support
Extensible through modules
Regular releases with security announcements

Good fit for

→Adding SAML login to a PHP application
→Running an identity provider for a federation
→Bridging SAML with other identity protocols

Built with: PHP
Tags: saml; authentication; sso; php; identity-provider; oauth; openid-connect; cas; federation

SimpleSAMLphp: questions and answers

What is SimpleSAMLphp used for?: SimpleSAMLphp is a PHP authentication application that acts as a SAML 2.0 service provider or identity provider and supports CAS, OpenID Connect and OAuth. It is a good fit for adding SAML login to a PHP application, running an identity provider for a federation and bridging SAML with other identity protocols.
Is SimpleSAMLphp open source?: Yes. SimpleSAMLphp is open source under the LGPL-2.1 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at simplesamlphp/simplesamlphp and is written mainly in PHP.
Is SimpleSAMLphp free?: Yes. SimpleSAMLphp is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host SimpleSAMLphp?: Yes. SimpleSAMLphp can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.
What is SimpleSAMLphp an alternative to?: SimpleSAMLphp is an open-source alternative to OneLogin and Ping Identity. Other open-source alternatives to OneLogin include Apereo CAS, Authentik and Keycloak.
Is SimpleSAMLphp actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to SimpleSAMLphp was on 1 October 2026, and the latest release is v2.5.3.1, published on 9 August 2026. The project has 1.1k stars on GitHub.