Q. What’s the difference between OpenAthens Compass and Shibboleth?
OpenAthens Compass and Shibboleth both support the SAML standard for single sign-on, but they differ in how they are delivered and supported.
| Feature | OpenAthens Compass | Shibboleth |
| Delivery | Cloud-based | Locally installed (on-premise) |
| Support | Fully supported by OpenAthens service team | Community-supported (open source |
| Setup & maintenance | Handled by OpenAthens | Managed by your institution or IT team |
| Interoperability | Interoperates with Shibboleth and other federated systems | Interoperates with OpenAthens and other SAML systems |
Both systems can work together within a federated access environment, but OpenAthens Compass offers a hosted, supported alternative to self-managed Shibboleth infrastructure.
So, OpenAthens Compass or Shibboleth?
If you are still struggling to figure out which software is a suitable solution for you, read our blog to find out more about the differences, similarities and how OpenAthens Compass and Shibboleth work together.
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