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It's a split decision.
Choose Keycloak if you want open-source identity software you can self-host, with no user or seat limits published. Choose WorkOS if you want APIs and a hosted Admin Portal for enterprise identity features: AuthKit is free up to 1 million monthly active users, while SSO and Directory Sync start at $125 per connection monthly for the first 15 connections. Keycloak has no listed paid plans; WorkOS is easier to price for specific enterprise connections, but costs can rise with usage.
01Side by side
| Keycloak | WorkOS | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free, self-hosted software | Free AuthKit; SSO from $125/connection/month |
| Free plan | Free open-source use; no limits published | AuthKit free up to 1 million monthly active users |
| Best for | Teams self-hosting identity and access management | Apps adding enterprise identity features |
| Core strength | SSO, federation, and fine-grained authorization | Enterprise SSO and directory sync APIs |
| Learning curve | Self-hosted setup; review flags ease-of-use concerns | APIs plus a hosted Admin Portal |
| Integrations and data | OIDC, SAML, LDAP, and Active Directory | SAML, OIDC, SCIM, and HRIS integrations |
| Team and seat costs | No user or seat limits published | Usage charges and per-connection pricing |
| Support | Support terms not published | Annual Credits includes a guaranteed support SLA |
Keycloak Choose Keycloak if
- Choose Keycloak if you want free, self-hosted IAM.
- Choose Keycloak if you need LDAP or Active Directory federation.
- Choose Keycloak if you want no published user or seat caps.
WorkOS Choose WorkOS if
- Choose WorkOS if your app needs enterprise SSO APIs.
- Choose WorkOS if you need SCIM or HRIS directory sync.
- Choose WorkOS if you want a hosted Admin Portal for IT admins.
02Pricing compared
Keycloak has no listed paid plans: it is free to download and use under the Apache License 2.0. It is self-hosted, and the pricing information publishes no user or seat limits. Hosting and operating costs are not listed, so “free” does not establish your total cost.
WorkOS AuthKit is free for up to 1 million monthly active users. Enterprise SSO and Directory Sync each cost $125 per connection per month for connections 1–15, then fall to $100 for connections 16–30, $80 for 31–50, and $65 for 51–100. Audit log streaming costs $125 per month per SIEM connection; event retention costs $99 per million events stored monthly. Annual Credits offers prepay discounts, but its rates are not published.
03Features and depth
Keycloak is a broad identity and access management system you host yourself. It supports single sign-on, identity brokering with OpenID Connect or SAML providers, social login, and user federation with LDAP and Active Directory. Its admin console covers users, applications, providers, and authorization policies. Users can manage profiles, passwords, two-factor authentication, and sessions; teams can define fine-grained permissions.
WorkOS focuses on APIs and tools for adding enterprise identity features to an application. Its SSO product connects to SAML or OIDC identity providers, while Directory Sync handles user lifecycle data from enterprise directories through SCIM and HRIS integrations. It also offers user and organization management, role-based access control, multi-factor authentication, and a hosted Admin Portal for corporate IT admins. The practical distinction: Keycloak bundles a wider self-managed identity system; WorkOS offers separate building blocks for product teams adding enterprise capabilities.
04Ease of use and learning curve
Keycloak is the more self-managed option: the software is self-hosted, and its admin console centralizes identity configuration. That gives teams control, but also means they need to take responsibility for running and configuring it. The published review rates its ease of use 5 out of 10 and flags setup simplicity as a reason to skip it.
WorkOS supplies APIs and a hosted Admin Portal, so IT admins can configure WorkOS for their organization. That may suit teams that want to add enterprise identity features without building those workflows themselves, but the available information does not quantify setup time or learning effort. Its review rates ease of use 6 out of 10. Neither score is a guarantee for your stack.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between Keycloak and Auth0?
The published information covers Keycloak and WorkOS, not Auth0, so we can’t make a grounded Keycloak-versus-Auth0 comparison here. Keycloak is described as open-source, self-hosted identity software with SSO, federation, and authorization features. Check Auth0’s current pricing and feature details before comparing costs or capabilities.
What does WorkOS mean?
The published material doesn’t explain the origin or meaning of the WorkOS name. In this comparison, WorkOS refers to APIs and tools for adding authentication and enterprise identity features to applications, including SSO, Directory Sync, access control, and a hosted Admin Portal.
Is WorkOS down?
The published information does not include live service status or outage history, so it can’t confirm whether WorkOS is down right now. WorkOS lists a 99.99% uptime SLA for its Annual Credits offer; that is a plan term, not a live status report.
What companies use WorkOS?
The published material does not name WorkOS customers, so we can’t verify which companies use it. It describes the product as serving applications that need enterprise identity features, including SSO, directory syncing, and onboarding for corporate IT admins.