Community Edition
$0
license
Open-source self-hosted software distributed under Apache License 2.0. Infrastructure, operations, and support are separate.
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Keycloak
Keycloak is an open-source identity and access management platform for securing applications, APIs, and services with SSO, federation, authentication, and authorization.
Editorial overview
Aggregated Overview
Keycloak provides broad IAM functionality, standards-based protocols, federation, authorization services, administration APIs, extensibility, and container deployment options. Its open-source license reduces software cost, while setup, operations, upgrades, and commercial support require technical resources.
This profile combines documented product information and independent evidence where available. It is not a hands-on test unless TechZella explicitly identifies one.
Overview
Keycloak is an open-source identity and access management platform. It secures web applications, REST services, and other workloads through centralized authentication and authorization.
The project supports single sign-on, single sign-out, user management, identity federation, social login, user federation, and customizable login, account, and administration interfaces. It is distributed under the Apache License 2.0.
Keycloak can run on virtual machines, bare-metal servers, containers, Kubernetes, and OpenShift. Its current distribution uses Quarkus and includes official container images and a Kubernetes operator.
Keycloak Decision Snapshot
A quick way to understand who this product may suit, where its limits matter, and which facts are most relevant before you compare alternatives.
Platforms
Docker, Java, JavaScript, Kubernetes, Linux, OpenShift
TechZella assessment
8.5/10
Keycloak Pros & Cons
Pros
- Open-source Apache 2.0 licensing avoids community-edition license fees.
- Supports major identity protocols, including OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0, and SAML.
- Provides LDAP and Active Directory federation.
- Offers fine-grained authorization and extensive extension points.
- Runs across virtual machines, containers, Kubernetes, and OpenShift.
- Includes administration REST APIs and client libraries.
Cons
- Self-hosted deployments require teams to manage availability, security, upgrades, and backups.
- Configuration and production tuning can require substantial IAM and infrastructure expertise.
- The upstream project does not provide a first-party hosted SaaS pricing plan.
- Some adapters and integrations may require custom development or community extensions.
- Commercial support and certified Red Hat distributions are separate from the free community edition.
Keycloak Pricing & Plans
Red Hat build of Keycloak
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subscription
Commercial Red Hat distribution based on the Keycloak project. Entitlement is included with selected Red Hat subscriptions; public list pricing was not verified.
Check current pricing →Pricing may change. Verify current plans on the vendor's website.
Keycloak Competitors & Alternatives
Compare similar products directly, then see which alternatives may make more sense when your requirements differ.
Direct competitors
These products address broadly similar requirements. The descriptions focus on documented reasons a buyer might compare them with Keycloak.
Keycloak Features
Identity and Access Management
- Single sign-on and single sign-out
- User registration and account management
- User federation
- Role-based access control
- Groups and client scopes
- Session and token management
Authentication
- OpenID Connect
- OAuth 2.0
- SAML 2.0
- Multi-factor authentication
- WebAuthn and passkeys
- Customizable login themes
Authorization
- Fine-grained authorization services
- Policy enforcement
- Permission and resource management
- Client policies
- Token exchange
Integrations
- LDAP and Active Directory
- External identity providers including Google and Facebook
- Custom user-storage providers
- Supported relational databases
- Docker and Podman
- Kubernetes and OpenShift
Developer Tools
- Administration REST API
- Java administration client
- Java authorization client
- JavaScript client library
- Policy enforcer
- Provider and theme extension points
Keycloak Specifications
| License | Apache License 2.0 |
|---|---|
| Deployment | Self-hosted |
| Runtime | OpenJDK 17, 21, or 25 |
| Application runtime | Quarkus |
| Supported databases | PostgreSQL, MariaDB, MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle Database, EnterpriseDB Advanced, Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL, Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance |
| Container support | Docker and Podman |
| Orchestration | Kubernetes and OpenShift |
| Browser support | Current Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari |
| Protocols | OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0, SAML 2.0 |
| Integrations | LDAP, Active Directory, external identity providers, custom user storage |
| API | Administration REST API, Java APIs, client libraries |
| Free trial | Not applicable; community edition is downloadable at no software cost |
| Commercial support | Red Hat build of Keycloak |
Our evidence-based assessment
TechZella Score
A proprietary editorial score based on product capabilities, usability, value, performance, support and user sentiment evidence.
8.5/10Moderate confidence
Keycloak provides broad IAM functionality, standards-based protocols, federation, authorization services, administration APIs, extensibility, and container deployment options. Its open-source license reduces software cost, while setup, operations, upgrades, and commercial support require technical resources.
Methodology v1.0. The assessment weighs feature coverage (25%), ease of use (15%), value for money (20%), performance (15%), support (10%) and user sentiment (15%), using researched product evidence and verified review evidence where available. It is a TechZella editorial assessment, not a direct user-review average.
Keycloak FAQs
Answers begin with the clearest available response, followed by the context that helps you act on it.
Is Keycloak free?
Yes. The community distribution is open source and licensed under Apache License 2.0. Infrastructure and operational costs remain the user's responsibility.
Does Keycloak provide a hosted cloud service?
The upstream project provides software, container images, and deployment tooling rather than a first-party hosted SaaS plan.
What platforms does Keycloak support?
It runs on Linux and Windows servers, containers, Kubernetes, and OpenShift. The web consoles work in current Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari browsers.
Does Keycloak have an API?
Yes. It provides an Administration REST API, Java APIs, client libraries, and extension interfaces.
Can Keycloak connect to Active Directory?
Yes. Keycloak supports LDAP and Active Directory integration through user federation.
Does Keycloak offer a free trial?
Yes.
There is no separate trial plan because the community software can be downloaded and deployed without a license fee.
There is no separate trial plan because the community software can be downloaded and deployed without a license fee.
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