head to head · open source
Keycloak vs JumpServer
Keycloak has 36,832 GitHub stars, 8,941 forks, 3,292 open issues and last shipped yesterday. JumpServer has 31,549 stars, 5,791 forks, 97 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Keycloak leads on adoption by 17% (36,832 vs 31,549 stars). Keycloak is written in Java under Apache-2.0; JumpServer is written in Python under GPL-3.0. Keycloak has attracted 24% as many forks as stars, JumpServer 18%. Keycloak was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
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 | JumpServer | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 37K | ★ 32K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Java | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 8.9K | ⑂ 5.8K |
| 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 JumpServer if
- You want the JumpServer feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and JumpServer 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 JumpServer
JumpServer is an open source Privileged Access Management (PAM) platform built for DevOps and IT teams. It functions as a bastion host, enabling secure, on demand access to SSH, RDP, Kubernetes, databases, and RemoteApp endpoints via a web browser. The project lives in the Python/Django ecosystem and is licensed under GPL 3.0, with active community contributions and integrations.
read the full JumpServer overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Keycloak or JumpServer more popular?
Keycloak has 36,832 GitHub stars and JumpServer has 31,549. Keycloak has the larger community by that measure.
Are Keycloak and JumpServer free?
Both are open source. Keycloak is licensed under Apache-2.0 and JumpServer under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Keycloak and JumpServer?
Keycloak is written in Java and JumpServer 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 JumpServer?
Choose Keycloak if you want the larger community (36,832 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose JumpServer if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.