EU Alts

Hanko

Pending verification

Open-source passkey and passwordless authentication from Kiel, Germany. Made and hosted in Europe, with self-hosting available.

WebsiteBack to list

Overview

Hanko is a Germany-based European company building authentication and developer tools software. As an EU-headquartered provider, Hanko likely operates under GDPR, though EU Alts has not yet independently verified its ownership and hosting facts, so its exposure to the US CLOUD Act isn't confirmed yet — see the Details section below for what's known so far.

Why European teams pick Hanko

Teams in Europe consider Hanko when they want a authentication provider that bills in EUR and keeps customer data under Germany law. Its EU headquarters is a good sign compared with Auth0 and Okta, but EU Alts hasn't yet verified Hanko's ownership and hosting facts — check back once verification is complete.

See more EU authentication tools or browse other startups from Germany.

About

Hanko GmbH builds an open-source authentication and user management platform for web and mobile apps, positioned as a developer-friendly alternative to Auth0, Clerk, Firebase Auth and AWS Cognito. It focuses on passkeys and phishing-resistant, passwordless login. Available as managed cloud, private cloud on a provider of your choice, or fully self-hosted — designed and hosted in Europe.

Details

Headquarters
Germany

Categories

Other EU startups like Hanko

  • Idura Denmark — Danish eID authentication and e-signature platform (formerly Criipto) — integrates MitID, Norwegian and Swedish BankID and the Finnish Trust Network.
  • Curity Sweden — Swedish identity and API access platform. OAuth and OpenID Connect infrastructure for organisations where security and control are non-negotiable.
  • cidaas Germany — German cloud identity and access management (CIAM) platform — made and hosted in Germany, with dedicated German server locations for regulated sectors.
  • Ploq The Netherlands — Ploq is EU-built webhook infrastructure: retries, event filtering, and health monitoring, GDPR-compliant end to end. SDKs for Node.js and Java, a WordPress plugin, and a forkable Mac/Windows app for sending and receiving events.
  • Postscale — European transactional email and email API platform for sending, receiving, and managing email with privacy-first infrastructure and EU data residency.
  • DNScale — European managed authoritative DNS platform with anycast, DNSSEC, API automation, Terraform support, and DDoS-protected DNS infrastructure.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hanko?

Hanko GmbH builds an open-source authentication and user management platform for web and mobile apps, positioned as a developer-friendly alternative to Auth0, Clerk, Firebase Auth and AWS Cognito. It focuses on passkeys and phishing-resistant, passwordless login. Available as managed cloud, private cloud on a provider of your choice, or fully self-hosted — designed and hosted in Europe.

What does Hanko do?

Hanko is open-source passkey and passwordless authentication from kiel, germany. made and hosted in europe, with self-hosting available. It is listed under authentication and developer tools on EU Alts because its core functionality serves teams looking for a European authentication tool with EU data residency, typically as a switch away from Auth0 and Okta.

Is Hanko a good European authentication alternative?

Hanko is a fit for European businesses evaluating authentication options where data residency and GDPR alignment matter — typical buyers include EU-based SaaS teams, public-sector projects, regulated industries (healthcare, finance, legal), and any organisation that needs to demonstrate that customer data does not leave the EU. It also overlaps with developer tools use cases.

Is Hanko GDPR compliant?

Hanko is headquartered in Germany and falls under EU jurisdiction, so it likely processes user data under the GDPR by default. Customer data processing is supervised by Germany's data protection authority, the Bundesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit (BfDI). EU Alts has not yet independently verified Hanko's ownership structure or hosting location, so we can't yet confirm its exposure to the US CLOUD Act the way we can for verified entries.

How do teams switch from Auth0 to Hanko?

Most teams considering a move from Auth0 and Okta to Hanko are drawn to its EU headquarters and authentication workflow fit. EU Alts hasn't yet verified Hanko's ownership and hosting facts, so treat any CLOUD Act or Schrems II conclusions as provisional until verification is complete. Plan a migration in stages regardless: export your data from the US incumbent, pilot Hanko with a small team, then move the rest once integration coverage is confirmed.

Where is Hanko based?

Hanko is headquartered in Germany. Its main website is https://www.hanko.io.