head to head · open source
Keycloak vs Authentik
Keycloak has 36,832 GitHub stars, 8,941 forks, 3,292 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Authentik has 25,600 stars, 2,019 forks, 1,074 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Keycloak leads on adoption by 44% (36,832 vs 25,600 stars). Keycloak is written in Java under Apache-2.0; Authentik is written in Python under a custom or non-standard licence. Keycloak has attracted 24% as many forks as stars, Authentik 8%. Authentik was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (oidc), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Keycloak | Authentik | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 37K | ★ 26K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | Java | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 8.9K | ⑂ 2.0K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Keycloak if
- You weight community size — 37K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Authentik if
- You want the Authentik feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and Authentik fits your workflow better
About Keycloak
Keycloak is an open source identity and access management server, written in Java and licensed under Apache 2.0, that adds authentication and access control to applications and services, and it is intended for teams and organisations that want to own their user store rather than rent one.
read the full Keycloak overview →
About Authentik
Authentik is an open source Identity Provider (IdP) built for modern single sign on (SSO) workflows. It operates in the identity and access management (IAM) ecosystem, offering a self hosted alternative to commercial solutions like Auth0, Okta, and Entra ID. The project is written in Python and distributed under a mixed MIT/CC BY SA/enterprise license model, with a core open source offering and an enterprise tier for advanced features and support.
read the full Authentik overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Keycloak or Authentik more popular?
Keycloak has 36,832 GitHub stars and Authentik has 25,600. Keycloak has the larger community by that measure.
Are Keycloak and Authentik free?
Both are open source. Keycloak is licensed under Apache-2.0, and Authentik has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Keycloak and Authentik?
Keycloak is written in Java and Authentik in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Keycloak or Authentik?
Choose Keycloak if you want the larger community (36,832 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Authentik if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.