head to head · open source
Keycloak vs slink
Keycloak has 37,071 GitHub stars, 8,994 forks, 3,292 open issues and last shipped yesterday. slink has 1,592 stars, 48 forks, 18 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. Keycloak leads on adoption by 2,229% (37,071 vs 1,592 stars). Keycloak is written in Java under Apache-2.0; slink is written in PHP under AGPL-3.0. Keycloak has attracted 24% as many forks as stars, slink 3%. Keycloak 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 | slink | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 37K | ★ 1.6K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Java | PHP |
| Last push | 2026-09-30 | 2026-09-27 |
| Forks | ⑂ 9.0K | ⑂ 48 |
| 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 slink if
- You want the slink feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches PHP
- You evaluated both and slink 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 slink
Slink is a self hosted image hosting and sharing platform — an AGPL 3.0 licensed Imgur alternative built with Symfony and SvelteKit — for homelab operators, developers, artists and teams who want private links, collections, screenshot uploads and optional single sign on under their own control.
read the full slink overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Keycloak or slink more popular?
Keycloak has 37,071 GitHub stars and slink has 1,592. Keycloak has the larger community by that measure.
Are Keycloak and slink free?
Both are open source. Keycloak is licensed under Apache-2.0 and slink under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Keycloak and slink?
Keycloak is written in Java and slink in PHP. 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 slink?
Choose Keycloak if you want the larger community (37,071 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose slink if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.