GLAuth vs Keycloak
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
GLAuth
Lightweight LDAP server for developers and small setups
VS
Keycloak
Open-source identity and access management for modern apps
| Feature | GLAuth | Keycloak |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,834 | ★ 36,058 |
| First released | 2017 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Microsoft Active Directory, OpenLDAP | Okta, Auth0, Microsoft Entra ID |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is GLAuth or Keycloak better?
Neither is universally better. Keycloak has the larger community, while GLAuth is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are GLAuth and Keycloak free and open-source?
Yes. GLAuth is licensed under MIT and Keycloak under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GLAuth and Keycloak with Docker?
GLAuth: yes. Keycloak: yes.