Keycloak vs Okta
Keycloak and Okta are both security & identity tools. Keycloak is aimed at enterprise and developers, while Okta is aimed at enterprise and small businesses. Only Keycloak has a free plan.
Open-source identity and access management
Enterprise identity platform for SSO, MFA and user lifecycle
| Pricing | Open source | Paid · $6 |
| Starting price | Not published | $6/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Free trial | — | 30 days |
| Built for | Enterprise, Developers | Enterprise, Small businesses, Developers |
| Platforms | web | web, macos, windows, ios, android |
| Country | US · 2014 | US · 2009 |
| Rating | — | — |
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).
Choose Okta if
Mid-sized and large companies with many SaaS apps that need central SSO, MFA and automated joiner, mover and leaver processes.
- Largest catalog of prebuilt SSO and provisioning integrations
- Vendor-neutral, works well across Microsoft, Google and AWS
- Mature lifecycle automation that speeds onboarding and offboarding
Look elsewhere if: Very small teams or those fully on Microsoft 365 (Microsoft Entra ID, Keycloak, 1Password).
Keycloak vs Okta pricing
Keycloak
- Open source$0Apache 2.0, self-hosted
- Red Hat buildCustomCommercial support subscription
Okta
- Starter$6/user/moBilled annually; SSO, MFA, Universal Directory, 5 Workflows
- Core Essentials$14/user/moBilled annually; mid-tier bundle between Starter and Essentials
- Essentials$17/user/moBilled annually; Adaptive MFA, lifecycle, governance, 50 Workflows
- Professional / EnterpriseCustomDevice Access, ITDR, ISPM, API Access Management
- Customer Identity$3,000/moEnterprise base platform, billed annually
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
Okta · Key features
- Single sign-on to thousands of apps via the Okta Integration Network
- Adaptive MFA with Okta Verify push, biometrics and FastPass
- Universal Directory that syncs users from AD, LDAP and HR systems
- Lifecycle management for automatic provisioning and deprovisioning
- No-code Okta Workflows for identity automation
- Identity governance, access reviews and privileged access
Cons
- $1,500 annual minimum rules out very small teams
- Many capabilities are add-ons, so real costs exceed list prices
- Professional and Enterprise tiers are quote-only
Keycloak vs Okta: FAQ
Do Keycloak and Okta have a free plan?
Keycloak has a free plan. Okta has no free plan, a 30-day free trial.
Which is better for small businesses, Keycloak or Okta?
Okta lists small businesses as a core audience, while Keycloak is aimed more at enterprise and developers.