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.
Keycloak
Open-source identity and access management for modern apps
| Feature | SAML Jackson | Keycloak |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 80 · Excellent | 99 · Excellent |
| 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 | ★ 2,266 | ★ 36,967 |
| First released | 2022 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Auth0, WorkOS | Okta, Auth0, Microsoft Entra ID |
What are SAML Jackson and Keycloak?
SAML Jackson
BoxyHQ Jackson (SAML Jackson) is a self-hosted service that abstracts SAML and OIDC enterprise single sign-on behind a simple OAuth 2.0 API. It lets apps add enterprise SSO without per-provider code.
- SAML and OIDC abstraction
- OAuth 2.0 API
- Directory sync (SCIM)
- Self-hostable
Keycloak
Keycloak is an enterprise-grade identity and access management solution backed by Red Hat. It provides single sign-on, identity brokering, social login and fine-grained authorization for applications and services.
- SSO with OpenID Connect and SAML 2.0
- Identity brokering and social login
- User federation with LDAP and Active Directory
- Fine-grained authorization services
SAML Jackson vs Keycloak: key differences
SAML Jackson is written in TypeScript, while Keycloak is built with Java. SAML Jackson is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Keycloak. Keycloak is the more established project (first released 2014), while SAML Jackson arrived in 2022. Keycloak has the considerably larger community, at 36,967 GitHub stars versus 2,266.
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
Choose Keycloak if…
- Mature and battle-tested
- Strong enterprise feature set
Watch out for
- Steep learning curve
- Resource intensive
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.
Which is lighter on resources, SAML Jackson or Keycloak?
SAML Jackson has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Keycloak. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.