Keycloak vs Okta: which fits your organisation?
In short
- Okta: polished SaaS with a huge catalogue of pre-built app integrations.
- Keycloak: open source, self-hosted, no per-user licences, unlimited customisation.
- Choose on integrations, operating model and total cost, not just features.
Side by side
| Keycloak | Okta | |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | Open source (Apache 2.0) | Commercial SaaS |
| Pricing | No licence fees | Per user, per product |
| Hosting | Your cloud, your region, or on-prem | Okta's cloud |
| App integrations | Standards-based (OIDC, SAML); you configure each app | Large pre-built catalogue |
| Extensibility | Full source access and Java SPIs | APIs, hooks and workflows |
| Support | Community, Red Hat build of Keycloak, or consultants | Vendor support |
When Okta is the better choice
- Hundreds of off-the-shelf SaaS apps to connect for staff
- You want lifecycle automation out of the box
- You'd rather pay a subscription than run infrastructure
When Keycloak wins
- Customer identity at scale: no per-user licensing
- Your own apps: standards-based SSO for products you build
- Control: hosting, data location and upgrade timing are your call
- Deep customisation: if Keycloak doesn't do it, an extension can
Using both
Many organisations keep Okta or Entra ID for staff and use Keycloak for customer-facing apps. Keycloak can also broker staff logins from Okta, so both work together.
Keycloak vs Okta FAQ
Can Keycloak replace Okta for workforce SSO?
Yes, for apps that support OIDC or SAML. Plan for configuring each app yourself instead of using a pre-built catalogue.
Is there commercial support for Keycloak?
Yes. Red Hat offers a supported build of Keycloak, and specialist consultancies like us provide advice and reviews.
Deciding between Keycloak and Okta? Talk to us for an independent assessment.