head to head · open source
Keycloak vs lesspass
Keycloak has 36,855 GitHub stars, 8,942 forks, 3,292 open issues and last shipped yesterday. lesspass has 6,061 stars, 365 forks, 34 open issues and last shipped 6 days ago. Keycloak leads on adoption by 508% (36,855 vs 6,061 stars). Keycloak is written in Java under Apache-2.0; lesspass is written in TypeScript under GPL-3.0. Keycloak has attracted 24% as many forks as stars, lesspass 6%. 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 | lesspass | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 37K | ★ 6.1K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Java | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-13 |
| Forks | ⑂ 8.9K | ⑂ 365 |
| 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 lesspass if
- You want the lesspass feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and lesspass 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 lesspass
LessPass is a stateless, open source password manager written in TypeScript and licensed under GPL 3.0 that generates passwords from a master password instead of storing them in a synchronized vault, built for individuals and self hosters who want the same passwords on every device without syncing an encrypted database.
read the full lesspass overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Keycloak or lesspass more popular?
Keycloak has 36,855 GitHub stars and lesspass has 6,061. Keycloak has the larger community by that measure.
Are Keycloak and lesspass free?
Both are open source. Keycloak is licensed under Apache-2.0 and lesspass under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Keycloak and lesspass?
Keycloak is written in Java and lesspass in TypeScript. 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 lesspass?
Choose Keycloak if you want the larger community (36,855 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose lesspass if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.