Ory Kratos is an open-source identity and user management system favored for its flexibility and self-hosting capabilities, but it often proves challenging for teams as projects scale and enterprise requirements emerge. Developers frequently seek alternatives due to issues like upgrade difficulties, high maintenance demands, limited enterprise and multi-tenancy support, and scaling complexity. Alternatives such as Descope, Supabase, Keycloak, Amazon Cognito, Microsoft Entra External ID, Authentik, and FusionAuth each offer different strengths, such as simplified operations, integrated services, extensive features, or ease of deployment, catering to various technical and operational needs. Descope, for instance, distinguishes itself with developer-friendly workflows and modern authentication features that simplify implementation and management, allowing developers to concentrate on product development rather than infrastructure maintenance.