Alternatives
A hosted alternative to walt.id.
walt.id ships an open-source SSI toolkit — Issuer, Verifier, Wallet libraries you assemble. Thoryn ships a hosted OIDC hub with all of that already wired together. Here's how to pick.
Side by side
Thoryn vs walt.id
The honest version. We say where they're better, too.
| Axis | Thoryn | walt.id |
|---|---|---|
Delivery model walt.id Cloud is a managed option; the OSS libraries are the primary distribution. | Hosted SaaS, EU-only | Open-source libraries + Cloud-hosted option |
EU jurisdiction Both vendors are EU-incorporated — call this a wash. | Dutch incorporation | Austrian incorporation |
Licence | Commercial hosted | Apache 2.0 (libraries) + commercial Cloud |
OAuth 2.0 / OIDC authorization server (general-purpose IdP) walt.id Issuer Portal supports OID4VCI; running it as your application's IdP needs additional work. | Issuer-side OIDC4VCI flows; not a general-purpose IdP | |
Hub-as-upstream-IdP for existing Auth0 / Okta Thoryn ships pre-built recipes (hub-in-okta, hub-in-auth0). walt.id does not provide an IdP brokerage layer. | — | |
VC issuance (OID4VCI) | ||
VC verification (OpenID4VP) | ||
SD-JWT VC | ||
mdoc / ISO 18013-5 | ||
EBSI conformance walt.id is one of the most active EBSI contributors — clear strength. | Roadmapped | |
ARF 1.4+ relying-party conformance | Tested against NL + EU reference wallets | Active in EU large-scale pilots |
Self-host friendly walt.id's Apache 2.0 libraries are self-host-friendly by design. | Roadmapped | |
Time to first credential | Hours — hosted, no assembly | Days — assembly required |
Pre-built Auth0 / Okta integration recipes | — | |
Pricing transparency | Three public tiers, contact for quote | OSS free; Cloud pricing on request |
When Thoryn is the better fit
- You want hosted, no-assembly-required — VC issuance, verification, and OIDC brokerage already wired together
- You need to drop verifiable credentials into an existing Auth0 or Okta deployment via a pre-built recipe
- Your team doesn't want to maintain SSI infrastructure as a side quest
- You need a single brokerage layer that handles both IdP federation and VC flows
- You want EU data residency as infrastructure (Hetzner Germany), not a deployment choice you have to make
When walt.id is the better fit
- You want maximum control with open-source code and the right to fork
- You're contributing to or aligned with EBSI's large-scale pilots — walt.id has the strongest pedigree there
- Your team has SSI engineering depth and prefers building blocks over a hosted hub
- You need to self-host today (not when it lands on the Thoryn roadmap)
- You value Apache 2.0 over a commercial licence even if it means more assembly
Considering a move from walt.id?
Book a 30-minute migration conversation. We'll tell you when Thoryn is the right call — and when it isn't.