head to head · open source
Keycloak vs Sa-Token
Keycloak has 37,657 GitHub stars, 9,129 forks, 3,292 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Sa-Token has 19,109 stars, 2,914 forks, 111 open issues and last shipped 19 days ago. Keycloak leads on adoption by 97% (37,657 vs 19,109 stars). Keycloak is written in Java under Apache-2.0; Sa-Token is written in Java under Apache-2.0. Keycloak has attracted 24% as many forks as stars, Sa-Token 15%. 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 | Sa-Token | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 38K | ★ 19K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Java | Java |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-10-16 |
| Forks | ⑂ 9.1K | ⑂ 2.9K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Keycloak if
- You weight community size — 38K 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 Sa-Token if
- You want the Sa-Token feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You evaluated both and Sa-Token fits your workflow better
About Keycloak
Open Source Identity and Access Management Add authentication to applications and secure services with minimum effort. No need to deal with storing users or authenticating users. Keycloak provides user federation, strong authentication, user management, fine grained authorization, and more. Help and Documentation Documentation User Mailing List Mailing list for help and general questions about Keycloak Join keycloak for general questions, or keycloak dev on Slack for design and development discussions, by creating an account at Reporting Security Vulnerabilities If you have found a security vulnerability, please…
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About Sa-Token
简体中文 繁體中文 English 日本語 한국어 Русский Sa Token v1.46.0 ✨ 开源、免费、一站式 java 权限认证框架，让鉴权变得简单、优雅！ 在线文档： 需求提交 📝 前言： 回望 2020 年初，我为 Sa Token 提交第一行代码之际， 彼时市面上 Java 缺少的不仅是一个简洁好用的鉴权框架，更是一整套清晰、自洽的权限架构设计思想 。 因此，这几年间我将大量时间倾注在 Sa Token 的文档编写，几乎每一章节、每一句话、每一个字都经过反复修改、精细打磨，以求做到最清晰、干练、易懂的表述。 用心阅读文档，你学习到的将不止是 Sa Token 框架本身，更是绝大多数场景下权限认证设计的最佳实践 。 🛠️ Sa Token 介绍 Sa Token 是一个轻量级 Java 权限认证框架，目前拥有五大核心模块：登录认证、权限认证、单点登录、OAuth2.0、微服务鉴权。 你还在手搓以下功能？ Stop，让 Sa Token 来！ 要在 SpringBoot 项目中使用 Sa Token，你只需要在 pom.xml 中引入依赖： 除了支持 SpringBoot2、Sa Token 还为 SpringBoot3/4、Solon、JFinal 等常见 Web 框架提供集成包，做到真正的开箱即用。 简单示例展示： （点击展开 / 折叠） Sa Token…
read the full Sa-Token overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Keycloak or Sa-Token more popular?
Keycloak has 37,657 GitHub stars and Sa-Token has 19,109. Keycloak has the larger community by that measure.
Are Keycloak and Sa-Token free?
Both are open source. Keycloak is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Sa-Token under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Keycloak and Sa-Token?
Keycloak is written in Java and Sa-Token in Java. 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 Sa-Token?
Choose Keycloak if you want the larger community (37,657 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Sa-Token if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.