Keycloak vs SuperTokens
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
SuperTokens
Open-source user authentication you can self-host
| Feature | Keycloak | SuperTokens |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Java | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 36,058 | ★ 15,250 |
| First released | 2014 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Okta, Auth0, Microsoft Entra ID | Auth0, Firebase Auth |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Keycloak or SuperTokens better?
Neither is universally better. Keycloak has the larger community, while SuperTokens is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Keycloak and SuperTokens free and open-source?
Yes. Keycloak is licensed under Apache-2.0 and SuperTokens under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Keycloak and SuperTokens with Docker?
Keycloak: yes. SuperTokens: yes.