Authentik 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 more popular among developers.
What Actually Matters
No fluff — just the differences that affect your decision
Both open source, different licenses: Authentik uses MIT, Keycloak uses Apache-2.0. Check the fine print if you're building commercial.
Both can run on your own metal with Docker. Full data ownership, no cloud dependency. We have deploy guides for each.
Keycloak leads at 37.3k stars vs 25.9k, but both have solid communities. You won't be alone with either choice.
Authentik is built in Python, Keycloak in Java. Matters if you want to contribute, extend, or debug internals.
Try both — most offer free tiers. The right pick depends on your stack size, team, and tolerance for DevOps.
Authentik
The overall-best open-source identity provider, focused on flexibility and versatility.
Why Choose Authentik
- ✓Modern, intuitive admin interface with drag-and-drop flows
- ✓Easy customization of login pages and branding
- ✓Supports SAML, OAuth2, LDAP proxy, and SCIM
Drawbacks
- ×Smaller community than Keycloak
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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