OSS TanbouOverview
SuperTokens Core is the HTTP service responsible for core login and session logic plus database operations. It is consumed by SuperTokens backend SDKs and works alongside frontend SDKs, separating the authentication engine from application UI and API integration.
Features and best fit
Based on official documentation; not hands-on tested · Content checked:
Centralize login and session-management logic
SuperTokens combines the Core service with SDKs for email/password, passwordless, social login, MFA, session management, and related authentication flows.
Self-host the Core against your own database
The architecture supports running Core in your own environment so user data can remain under your infrastructure and database control.
For teams evaluating a self-managed alternative to hosted identity providers
It fits teams that want frontend and backend SDKs for integration while retaining operational control over the authentication Core and user data.
Sources: [2]
Core is one part of the stack and licensing varies by directory
Typical use includes frontend and backend SDKs in addition to Core. The repository license file also assigns a separate license to the ee/ directory, so verify the license boundary for the features you use.
Official sources
- [1]supertokens/supertokens-core repository(2026-09-21)
- [2]SuperTokens Core README(2026-09-21)
- [3]SuperTokens documentation(2026-09-21)
- [4]SuperTokens architecture(2026-09-21)
- [5]SuperTokens Core licensing(2026-09-21)
Supplemental curator note
SuperTokens uses three building blocks: frontend SDK, backend SDK, and Core. This repository is Core; it does not by itself provide the complete login UI and application integration layer. GitHub reports `NOASSERTION`, while `LICENSE.md` applies Apache-2.0 to ordinary content and a separate license to `ee/`, so the repository-level `license_spdx` is intentionally left unset.
Try it in 3 steps
- 1
Open the official setup guide
SuperTokens is deployed as frontend SDK, backend SDK, and Core together, so start with the guide matching the application framework.
https://supertokens.com/docs/guides - 2
Choose the Core deployment and database path
For self-hosting, follow the official guide to select the Core deployment and database configuration.
Choose self-hosted Core and the database path in the guide - 3
Verify the Backend SDK can reach Core
Use the connection settings from the official guide and verify Backend SDK communication with Core rather than inventing Docker flags or ports.
Configure the Backend SDK with the Core connection details
Growth
Growth trends · Last 30 days
15,316 Stars
Trend data is still being collected.
Development activity
Last 90 days · weekly
- Commits (last 30 days)
- 57
- Open PRs
- 15
Development activity is still being collected.
Built with
Categories and tags
Categories
GitHub data
GitHub dataView detailed GitHub data
GitHub Topics
- authentication
- session-management
- login
- supertokens
- java
- signin
- password
- social-login
- email-password
- email-password-login
- auth0
- keycloak
- Stars
- 15,316
- Forks
- 842
- Watchers
- 103
- Open issues
- 134
- Contributors
- 35
- Primary language
- Java
- License
- Not determined
- Repository last updated
- Sep 18, 2026
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