Auth0 vs Keycloak
Is it time to switch? We break down the differences so you can stop bleeding money.
Choose Keycloak.
If you want to own your data, save money, and avoid vendor lock-in, Keycloak is open source and community-driven.
What Actually Matters
No fluff — just the differences that affect your decision
Keycloak is open source (Apache-2.0). Auth0 is closed. If vendor lock-in keeps you up at night, this is the deciding factor.
Keycloak supports self-hosting via Docker. Auth0 is SaaS-only — convenient, but you're renting, not owning.
Keycloak has the bigger crowd: 37.3k stars vs 0. More contributors, more integrations, more momentum.
Keycloak is built in Java — you can read the source, contribute, or fork it. Auth0 is closed-source, so you're trusting their engineering.
Try both — most offer free tiers. The right pick depends on your stack size, team, and tolerance for DevOps.
Auth0
The leading authentication and authorization platform.
Why Choose Auth0
- ✓Feature-rich authentication platform
- ✓Social login, MFA, and SSO out of the box
- ✓Extensive SDK support across languages
Drawbacks
- ×Pricing jumps sharply after free tier
- ×Can be complex to configure properly
Keycloak
Open source identity and access management for modern applications and services.
Why Choose Keycloak
- ✓Enterprise-standard identity provider supporting SAML and OIDC
- ✓Federated identity with social login and LDAP integration
- ✓Battle-tested by Red Hat in production environments
Drawbacks
- ×UI can be clunky
- ×Heavy resource usage
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