GitLab vs Keycloak
GitLab and Keycloak are both security & identity tools. GitLab is aimed at developers and enterprise, while Keycloak is aimed at enterprise and developers. Both have a free plan.
DevSecOps platform with Git hosting, CI/CD, security scans and AI
Open-source identity and access management
| Pricing | Freemium · $29 | Open source |
| Starting price | $29/mo | Not published |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 30 days | — |
| Built for | Developers, Enterprise, Small businesses | Enterprise, Developers |
| Platforms | web, linux | web |
| Country | US · 2014 | US · 2014 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose GitLab if
Engineering teams that want source control, CI/CD and security scanning in one platform, with a self-hosting option.
- One platform replaces separate Git, CI and security tools
- Self-hosting suits regulated and air-gapped environments
- Flexible built-in CI/CD with your own runners
Look elsewhere if: Small teams that only need simple Git hosting or a dedicated planning tool (GitHub, Linear, Jira).
Choose Keycloak if
Organizations needing self-hosted enterprise IAM.
- Free and open source
- Enterprise-grade features
- Full control over identity data
Look elsewhere if: Startups wanting simple hosted auth (Clerk, Auth0).
GitLab vs Keycloak pricing
GitLab
- Free$05 users per private group, 400 compute minutes, 10 GiB
- Premium$29/user/moBilled annually; 10,000 compute minutes, approvals, code owners
- UltimateCustomContact sales; security scans, compliance, 50,000 minutes
- GitLab Credits$1/creditUsage-based AI agent credits; volume discounts on commit
Keycloak
- Open source$0Apache 2.0, self-hosted
- Red Hat buildCustomCommercial support subscription
GitLab · Key features
- Git repositories with merge requests, code owners and approval rules
- Built-in CI/CD pipelines with shared or self-hosted runners
- SAST, dependency, secret and container scanning in merge requests
- Container, package and Terraform module registries
- Issue boards, epics and roadmaps for planning
- Duo Agent Platform with agents for planning, security and code review
Cons
- Premium at $29 per user is costly for small teams
- Best security and compliance features need Ultimate
- Dense interface with a real learning curve
Keycloak · Key features
- SSO via OIDC and SAML
- User federation with LDAP/AD
- Identity brokering and social login
- MFA and password policies
- Fine-grained authorization
- Admin and account consoles
Cons
- Operationally complex
- UI and theming are dated
- Upgrades require care
GitLab vs Keycloak: FAQ
Do GitLab and Keycloak have a free plan?
Yes, both GitLab and Keycloak have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.
Which is better for small businesses, GitLab or Keycloak?
GitLab lists small businesses as a core audience, while Keycloak is aimed more at enterprise and developers.