How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Auth0 is the best managed alternative for developer velocity, with the broadest connector library and a free tier to 25,000 monthly active users.
- FusionAuth is the best self hosted alternative, with a free community edition, no per user meter, and cloud plans from about $162 per month.
- Authentik is the best free open source alternative, with self hosting, SAML and OIDC support, and no license cost beyond infrastructure.
- Okta is the best enterprise alternative, with workforce SSO, lifecycle management, and governance at enterprise scale.
- Clerk is the best alternative for React and Next.js teams shipping fast, with a free tier to 50,000 monthly retained users.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Auth0 | Developer velocity and connectors | Free | Yes |
 Okta | Enterprise IAM and governance | $6 per user per month | No |
 FusionAuth | Self hosting without per user fees | Free | Yes |
 Authentik | Free open source self hosting | Free | Yes |
 Ory | Kubernetes native modular identity | Free | Yes |
 Zitadel | Modern cloud native identity | Free | Yes |
 Clerk | React and Next.js teams | Free | Yes |
 Supabase Auth | Postgres native auth | Free | Yes |
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The best Keycloak alternatives
#1Auth0
Best for: Developer velocity and connectors4.3/5 on
G2 (286 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit auth0.com
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Auth0 is the best managed alternative for developer velocity, with the broadest library of social logins, enterprise connections, and SDKs, plus a free tier to 25,000 monthly active users. B2C Essentials starts from $35 per month and B2B Essentials from $150 per month, with SCIM provisioning and advanced features on higher tiers. Teams shipping a consumer or B2B app this week get login, signup, passwordless, and social connections with minimal custom code.
Per MAU pricing grows fast at scale, and 100,000 monthly active users lands in enterprise quote territory rather than a published price. For a team that values speed and connector breadth over the lowest possible bill, Auth0 is the default managed choice.
What we like- Broadest social and enterprise connector library
- Free tier to 25,000 monthly active users
- B2C Essentials from $35 per month
Watch out for- Per MAU pricing grows fast at scale
- B2B Essentials from $150 per month
- Enterprise features sit on higher tiers
#2Okta
Best for: Enterprise IAM and governance4.5/5 on
G2 (1,428 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit okta.com
Starting price$6 per user per month
Free planNo
Okta is the best enterprise alternative, covering workforce SSO from $6 per user per month, user lifecycle management, and governance for large organizations. Its enterprise app catalog and policy engine suit companies that must prove who has access to what, automate joiner and leaver flows, and pass audits. Customer Identity for consumer apps starts with an enterprise base near $3,000 per month.
Okta is priced for enterprises, not for AWS native startups, and setup needs IAM expertise. For a large organization standardizing identity and governance, Okta is the most proven platform here.
What we like- Workforce SSO from $6 per user per month
- Lifecycle management and governance
- Deep enterprise app catalog
Watch out for- Customer Identity enterprise base near $3,000 per month
- Priced for enterprises, not startups
- Setup needs IAM expertise
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
FusionAuth is the best self hosted alternative, with a free community edition that runs on your own infrastructure with unlimited users and no per MAU meter. That flat model suits apps whose user counts grow faster than their budgets: the bill does not move when marketing has a great quarter. Cloud plans start near $120 to $162 per month for Starter, with Essentials and Enterprise from $2,970 per month.
The license is source available rather than OSI approved, and the ecosystem is smaller than Auth0's. For a team that wants self hosting without a Java operations burden, FusionAuth is the most practical Keycloak replacement.
What we like- Free community edition self hosted with unlimited users
- No per MAU meter
- Cloud Starter from about $162 per month billed yearly
Watch out for- License is source available, not OSI approved
- Essentials and Enterprise plans from $2,970 per month
- Smaller ecosystem than Auth0
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Authentik is the best free open source alternative, with self hosting, SAML and OIDC support, and proxy and LDAP outposts that bring single sign-on to legacy apps that cannot speak modern protocols. It costs nothing beyond infrastructure, and its policy engine covers flows that simpler tools cannot. That combination suits homelab users, small teams, and organizations that want full data control.
You own upgrades, theming, and uptime, and the community is smaller than larger platforms. For a team comfortable running its own infrastructure, Authentik delivers Keycloak style control at zero license cost.
What we like- Fully open source and free to self host
- SAML and OIDC support
- Proxy and LDAP outposts for legacy apps
Watch out for- You own upgrades, theming, and uptime
- Smaller community than larger platforms
- Enterprise features need self management
#5
Ory
Best for: Kubernetes native modular identity
Visit ory.sh
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Ory is the best alternative for Kubernetes native teams that want modular identity, with open source components for authentication (Kratos), OAuth and OIDC (Hydra), and permissions (Keto). That modularity suits platform teams that need fine grained authorization and cloud native deployment, and that are comfortable assembling parts rather than buying one box.
There is no admin console, only APIs, and managed Ory Network use is usage priced. For a platform team building identity into a Kubernetes stack, Ory's modular design is the most flexible option here.
What we like- Open source modular components: Kratos, Hydra, Keto
- Kubernetes native design
- Fine grained authorization through Keto
Watch out for- You assemble and staff the parts
- No admin console, API only
- Usage priced network for managed use
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Zitadel is the best alternative for teams wanting a modern, cloud native identity platform with multi-tenancy as a first class feature. It is open source under Apache 2.0, supports OIDC and SAML, passwordless authentication with passkeys, and branding per organization, with a self hosted option and a cloud free tier up to 25,000 authenticated requests.
It is a younger project with a smaller production track record and fewer third party integrations than older platforms. For a team comfortable adopting a newer project in exchange for modern architecture, Zitadel is a strong pick.
What we like- Open source with Apache 2.0 license
- Multi-tenancy with organizations and projects
- Passwordless with passkeys
- SAML and OIDC
Watch out for- Younger project with a smaller production track record
- Fewer integrations than older platforms
- Cloud free tier capped at 25,000 requests
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Clerk is the best alternative for React and Next.js teams shipping fast, with polished sign in components, a free tier to 50,000 monthly retained users, and Pro from $25 per month plus $0.02 per extra user. Monthly retained users are a friendlier meter than raw monthly actives, so real bills often land below a naive estimate. B2B organization features are available as an add-on near $100 per month.
There is no self hosted option, SAML support is limited, and directory sync is thinner than a dedicated B2B platform. For a consumer or prosumer app built on React, Clerk is the fastest path to production auth.
What we like- Free tier to 50,000 monthly retained users
- Pro from $25 per month plus $0.02 per extra user
- Polished React components
Watch out for- No self hosted option
- SAML support is limited
- Directory sync is thinner than a dedicated B2B platform
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Supabase Auth is the best alternative for teams already building on Supabase, with auth bundled alongside a Postgres database, storage, and edge functions. The free tier covers 50,000 monthly active users, Pro costs $25 per month to 100,000 users with $0.00325 per extra user, and the experience is better than comparable managed auth at a similar cost.
It leans B2C, with no deep B2B organizations model, and it couples you to the Supabase backend. For a Supabase app that needs auth without a second vendor, Supabase Auth is the obvious choice.
What we like- Free tier to 50,000 monthly active users
- Pro from $25 per month to 100,000 users
- Auth bundled with database and storage
Watch out for- B2C leaning, no deep B2B organizations model
- Couples you to the Supabase backend
- Enterprise SSO needs higher tiers
How we chose
We compared Keycloak alternatives using published 2026 pricing, self hosting options, protocol support for OIDC and SAML, enterprise SSO and SCIM, multi-tenancy, and developer experience, drawing on vendor pages and independent identity comparisons. Each tool had to offer authentication and user management for applications, not only workforce SSO. We weighted pricing model transparency, protocol breadth, and operational burden, and we left out tools that only cover workforce access without customer identity features. Prices change, so confirm the current rate before signing.
Buying guide: how to pick a Keycloak alternative
Start with the pricing model, not the entry price. A consumer app with fast user growth should favor flat or high free tier options such as FusionAuth self hosted, WorkOS AuthKit, or Supabase Auth, since per MAU bills grow with success. A B2B app selling to enterprises should favor per connection pricing awareness: each enterprise SSO customer adds cost on several platforms, so model cost per enterprise logo, not only per user.
Next, decide how much operations you want to own. Self hosted tools like Authentik, FusionAuth community, Ory, and Zitadel cost nothing in licenses but need upgrades, monitoring, and uptime ownership. Managed tools like Auth0, Clerk, and Okta remove that burden for a monthly fee. A small team without IAM expertise should start managed and revisit self hosting only when the bill justifies hiring for it.
Finally, check protocol and feature fit. Enterprise B2B apps need SAML, OIDC, SCIM provisioning, and audit logging. Consumer apps need social logins, passwordless, and passkeys. Teams with complex permissions need fine grained authorization, which Ory Keto covers best. Test a real login flow, a password reset, and an enterprise SSO connection during the trial, since those are the flows that break in production.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free Keycloak alternative?
Authentik for fully free open source self hosting, and FusionAuth community edition for free self hosting with a polished admin console. Both cost only infrastructure. For managed free tiers, Auth0 covers 25,000 monthly active users and Clerk covers 50,000 monthly retained users.
Why do identity bills vary so much at the same user count?
Pricing models differ: per MAU bills grow with users, per connection bills grow with enterprise customers, and flat plans stay still. At 100,000 monthly active users, one tool may cost $0 on a free tier while another needs an enterprise quote. Model your cost at your real scale before choosing.
Do I need SAML, or is OIDC enough?
OIDC covers most modern consumer and SaaS logins. Enterprise customers often require SAML for their existing identity providers, so B2B apps selling upmarket need SAML support. Check your target customers' requirements before picking a tool without SAML.
Is self hosted identity safe?
Yes, if you maintain updates, backups, and monitoring. A self hosted identity server is a critical system: an outage locks every user out, and a missed security patch exposes every account. Budget operations time honestly, or choose a managed service.
What is SCIM, and do I need it?
SCIM automates user provisioning and deprovisioning between an identity provider and your app, so when an enterprise customer removes an employee, that person's app access is removed automatically. B2B apps with enterprise customers need SCIM. Consumer apps usually do not.
Can I migrate users from Keycloak?
Yes, in most cases, by exporting users and importing them into the new system, though password hashes may not transfer between systems and some users may need a password reset. Plan the migration with a forced reset window and clear user communication to avoid lockouts.
Sources we checked (0)
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.