SAML Jackson 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?
SAML Jackson
SAML and OIDC SSO service bridging enterprise providers
VS
Keycloak
Open-source identity and access management for modern apps
| Feature | SAML Jackson | Keycloak |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,257 | ★ 36,058 |
| First released | 2022 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Auth0, WorkOS | Okta, Auth0, Microsoft Entra ID |
Why pick each one
Choose SAML Jackson if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.3k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is SAML Jackson or Keycloak better?
Neither is universally better. Keycloak has the larger community, while SAML Jackson is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are SAML Jackson and Keycloak free and open-source?
Yes. SAML Jackson is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Keycloak under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run SAML Jackson and Keycloak with Docker?
SAML Jackson: yes. Keycloak: yes.