Security & Compliance

  • 6 min read

Top 7 Keycloak Alternatives In 2024

Tathagata Chakrabarti

4th January, 2024

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Keycloak is an open-source solution for Identity and Access Management (IAM) that gives users access to modern apps and services. With Keycloak, you can easily add authentication to apps and secure services with minimum effort. 

Moreover, it lets users sign in with multiple identity providers and use fine-grained permissions to control access to SaaS apps.

Keycloak enables you to make a database of users with custom roles and groups. It offers features like managing & registering users and enforcing password policies, which makes it a complete IAM solution for modern applications. Keycloak's API allows you to add all of the functionalities to your app without any code. 

Despite having multiple features, there are certain limitations to Keycloak as well, such as its implementation needs to be more varied. However, the list doesn't end here; below listed are some of the drawbacks of Keycloak:

Drawbacks

• In Keycloak, the manual process for server deployment is complicated and, thus, can hinder overall productivity.

• Besides its great functionalities, Keycloak must provide more efficient and comprehensive support documentation, making it easier for users to find appropriate solutions for their problems.
  
  This article will be useful if you're looking for software with no such limitations. It will walk you through a comprehensive list of Keycloak alternatives."

List of Keycloak Alternatives Available

When looking for alternatives to Keycloak, consider their reliability and ease of use. So, we've made a list of the best alternatives to Keycloak that focus on the most sophisticated IAM features. Let's get started!

1. Zluri

Zluri is a Unified Access Management platform that helps you control & automate access for every federated & non-federated app(150+ OOTB integrations), enable fine-grained permissions, and prevent shadow IT.

Set up access policies that provision the right users with the right apps & the right resources through powerful workflows. When setting up these access policies, you can define them based on roles, licenses, resources, and permissions. This allows you to augment groups and their access to a deeper level.

On an application level, Zluri helps discover the shadow applications within your organization and gives you insights into what level of permissions every user has. 

On top of this, you can send approval requests to app admins by customizing workflows based on triggers. This saves time and helps keep track of who has access to what.

Benefits

• Enhance groups with fine-grained access to resources and permissions for federated applications.

• Control accesses to non-federated applications with 150+ out-of-the-box integrations.

• Create access policies that automate provisioning and deprovisioning for all users and apps.

• Discover and restrict access to shadow applications.

Customer Rating

• G2: 4.8/5

• Capterra: 4.8/5

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2. Auth0

Auth0 is a software that lets organizations set up a platform for authenticating and authorizing access management policies that work and can be accessed through the web, IoT, mobile phones, and other apps that have been around for a long time. In addition, this software gives better and more robust security checks with multiple layers. 

It helps clients meet the strictest industry standards and rules by using cutting-edge technology and good business practices. Auth0 lets organizations give their employees, partners, and customers the freedom to use Single-Sign-On (SSO) for multiple apps they have been permitted to use. 

Pros

• It connects to several systems through its Single Sign-On (SSO) feature, which lets users sign in from a single platform anywhere in the world using a custom domain.

• It provides an authentication API that connects to all the major database providers, making it easy and secure for users to access.

Cons

• The custom login is hard to implement, making the authentication processes difficult for the admin.

• The pricing is relatively high compared to other software options, which may be a hurdle for small-sized organizations.

Customer Rating

• G2: 4.3 /5 

• Capterra: 4.6/5

3. Okta

Okta is an identity and access management platform that securely connects an enterprise's suppliers, partners, and customers in a single loop. This gives users a great experience and makes management easy. It is an identity provider deeply integrated with hundreds of apps and can be accessed safely from multiple devices. 

Okta sets a standard for identity that is independent and neutral. It's a place where the right people can connect to the right technologies at the right time. The tool gives you instant access to all apps with a single sign-on and provides an extra level of authentication to prevent identity attacks.

Further, Okta encourages lifecycle management, centrally manages a universal directory in your organization, and even controls and manages API access securely.

Pros

• It makes your organization's entire lifecycle management easier by centrally managing a universal directory in your organization.

• Okta's login alerts require you to enter a code every time you log in, keeping your accounts 100% safe.

Cons

• Okta's lifecycle management and provisioning tools are difficult to configure, which may be problematic for users.

• The platform needs to be integrated with each application separately, which can be time-consuming.

Customer Rating

• G2: 4.4/5 

• Capterra: 4.7/5

4. Microsoft Azure Active Directory

Microsoft Azure Active Directory (AD) is an identity and access management system with features like SSO and multi-factor authentication (MFA) to secure your business from cyberattacks. Organizations can streamline user provisioning and lifecycle by automating individual workflows. In addition, it provides self-service features that enhance employees' productivity.

Azure Active Directory makes it easier for businesses to work together by granting outside parties, such as vendors and contractors, secure access to internal systems. In addition, the system's authentication methods use multiple factors to verify user identities, providing higher safety.

Pros

• It supports integration with several other SaaS applications. Hence, multiple platforms can be consolidated in your existing active directory setup.

• With this IAM solution in place, you can manage identity and track users & their activities in your organization.

Cons

• Troubleshooting technical issues by the Microsoft team can be time-consuming and may cause difficulties in daily business processes.

• Azure AD is slightly expensive, especially if you have a lot of users and an extensive infrastructure to manage and maintain.

Customer Rating

• G2: 4.5/5 

• Capterra: 4.8/5

5. WSO2 Identity Server

WSO2 Identity Server offers IAM solutions that are customer-focused and driven by AI. With the tool, businesses can give their digital customers a smooth, safe experience with no extra steps. For a better digital experience, the software supports SSO between apps that are logged in. In addition, it lets organizations use open identity standards like OIDC, SAML, and WS Federation to share access to their web and mobile apps across multiple domains. 

It has modern identity and access management features that can be easily built into your organization's customer experience (CX) applications or used to meet the workforce's identity and access management (IAM) needs.

With WSO2 Identity Server, businesses can evaluate user consent, revoke it, and keep track of it while following privacy rules. Its open-source nature makes it possible to get to the program's codebase. The API-driven solution can be scaled up or down to meet the needs of each business.

Pros

• It offers multiple authentication methods through federated IDP make it easy for you to connect to a service through Facebook and Google developer APIs.

• The platform is highly customizable. Thus, you can customize it as per your business requirements.

Cons

• It's hard to install and configure for medium to large implementations. Thus, it might not be suitable for some organizations.

• The tool lacks identity governance features and possible PAM integration. As a result, you need help managing identities and multiple admin profiles.

Customer Rating

• G2: 4.5 /5 

• Capterra: 4.3/5

6. Ping Identity

PingIdentity is an IAM platform that lets companies give their employees authorized access to their networks, APIs, cloud apps, and on-premise apps. It helps businesses by giving secure access to the right people. Beginning with a PingOne solution package allows you to pay for only what you need and allows you to expand, whether you're merely looking for a single sign-on (SSO) or a risk-based, adaptive identification authority.

Ping Identity also combines, synchronizes, and stores data from multiple sources in a single repository to make access policies for restricted resources. The SSO and MFA features of the platform make it easy for users to get the resources they need, which helps them be more productive. It also saves time and money for IT departments by making user IAM processes more efficient.

Pros

• The platform has built-in support for VPNs; hence, it's quite simpler to integrate into your existing environment.

•  You can download the app both on your laptop and on your smartphone.

Cons

• It has complexities with role management and entitlement creation that may cause hurdles in organizational processes. 

• Synchronization can be an issue as it gets stuck sometimes and can result in power data quality.

Customer Rating

• G2: 4.4 /5 

• Capterra: 4.7/5

7. OneLogin

OneLogin is a user-friendly and cost-effective IAM solution that provides every feature you need to protect your employees, customers, and business partners' data. You can use policy-based multi-factor authentication (MFA) and modifiable APIs to set up safe and adaptable authentication flows. It protects your business by putting all your applications, devices, and end users in one place and ensuring they are all secure. 

AI-Powered SmartFactor Authentication from OneLogin makes it easier to see login attempts in real-time, so you can act quickly and stop high-risk activities. In addition, you can set risk thresholds easily and have authentication requirements changed automatically.

OneLogin's cloud infrastructure and Sandboxes let users run detailed tests on their codes before using them. This makes change management more accurate. Also, features like smart factor authentication, single sign-on, advanced directory, and identity lifecycle management help IT teams protect the identities of their employees from unnecessary threats. 

Pros

• OneLogin's centralized repository lets you view all your applications on one screen. Thus, you no longer have to toggle between multiple tabs.

• It can be expensive to set up, especially for small businesses, affecting an organization's budget.

Cons

• UI is a bit confusing and may interrupt your user experience with the product.

Customer Rating

• G2: 4.3 /5 

• Capterra: 4.6/5

About the author

Tathagata Chakrabarti

Tathagata is a Technical Content Writer with 4+ of experience in the SaaS industry. He has a keen eye for research and understanding macro trends in the SaaS & AI-based technology space. He has worked across several marketing & strategy roles in various domains like banking, e-commerce, and education sectors. In his leisure time, Tathagata is a full-time PC gamer.