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Z
EU verified tool

ZITADELEuropean Alternative to Auth0

Swiss open-source identity and access management platform with managed EU and Switzerland cloud regions and full self-hosting support.

Direct Replacement

Ditch
Auth0

Mature product, but a US Okta subsidiary with corresponding sub-processor and jurisdiction exposure.

Adopt
ZITADEL

Swiss open-source IAM platform with managed EU and CH cloud regions, full self-hosting support, and clear European jurisdiction.

Key Capabilities

  • OIDC, OAuth 2.0, SAML, and SCIM in a single platform
  • Customer identity and workforce identity in one product
  • Open-source core under the Apache 2.0 license
  • Managed cloud with Swiss and EU regions
  • Self-hostable on Kubernetes or single-binary deployments
zitadel.cloud/admin

Value Comparison

Feature Auth0 ZITADEL
Company location US Okta subsidiary Sankt Gallen, Switzerland
Source model Proprietary SaaS Apache 2.0 open source
Deployment choice Managed cloud only Managed cloud or fully self-hosted
Data sovereignty story Depends on Okta corporate structure Swiss jurisdiction with EU regional options

Why it belongs in an EU-first stack

ZITADEL stands out in the identity space because it solves a specific procurement problem that European buyers face repeatedly: the dominant managed IAM products are all US-owned, and the leading self-hosted alternative (Keycloak) is sponsored by a US corporation.

By being headquartered in Switzerland, releasing the platform under Apache 2.0, and offering both managed cloud and self-hosting paths, ZITADEL gives organizations a clear sovereignty story without forcing them to operate the entire platform themselves.

For teams building customer identity flows for European products, the combination of Swiss jurisdiction, EU managed regions, and an exportable open-source codebase is particularly hard to replicate with US incumbents.

Pairings

Recommended Pairings

Tools that typically complement this profile in a cleaner European software stack.

H
Hosting & Cloud

Hetzner

One of the most practical EU infrastructure defaults for startups that want predictable costs and regional clarity.

EU Germany and Finland
N
Collaboration

Nextcloud

File sync, document collaboration, chat, and calendar capabilities with strong deployment control.

EU Self-hosted or partner-hosted in chosen region
S
Hosting & Cloud

Scaleway

Public cloud and infrastructure platform for teams that want an explicitly European cloud provider with a modern product surface.

EU France and broader European regions
FAQ

Frequently asked questions about ZITADEL

Common questions about compliance, hosting, and capabilities.

Is ZITADEL GDPR compliant?

ZITADEL is operated by ZITADEL GmbH in Sankt Gallen, Switzerland, with open-source code under Apache 2.0 and managed cloud regions in Switzerland and the EU.

Where is ZITADEL hosted?

ZITADEL is hosted in Switzerland and EU regions on managed cloud, or self-hosted and headquartered in Sankt Gallen, Switzerland, operating under Switzerland jurisdiction.

Is ZITADEL open source?

Yes, ZITADEL is open source under the Apache 2.0 license. It can also be self-hosted for full data control.

What does ZITADEL replace?

ZITADEL is a European alternative to Auth0. Swiss open-source IAM platform with managed EU and CH cloud regions, full self-hosting support, and clear European jurisdiction.