Keycloak vs Ory Keto
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?
Keycloak
Open-source identity and access management for modern apps
VS
Ory Keto
Permission and authorization server based on Zanzibar
| Feature | Keycloak | Ory Keto |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Java | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 36,058 | ★ 5,383 |
| First released | 2014 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Okta, Auth0, Microsoft Entra ID | Auth0 FGA, OpenFGA |
Why pick each one
Choose Ory Keto if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 5.4k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Keycloak or Ory Keto better?
Neither is universally better. Keycloak has the larger community, while Ory Keto is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Keycloak and Ory Keto free and open-source?
Yes. Keycloak is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Ory Keto under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Keycloak and Ory Keto with Docker?
Keycloak: yes. Ory Keto: yes.