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It's a split decision.
Pick ZITADEL if you want a hosted identity service with a defined free tier and a published $100/month Pro plan. Its free plan includes unlimited users but caps usage at 100 daily active users and three identity providers. Pick Keycloak if you want free, self-hosted open-source software and can run it yourself; available pricing information lists no paid plans, while user and seat limits are not published. Keycloak lists SSO, LDAP/Active Directory federation, and authorization.
01Side by side
| ZITADEL | Keycloak | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $0; Pro is $100/month | Free to download and use |
| Free plan | Unlimited users; 100 daily active users | Free, self-hosted open-source software |
| Best for | Organizations wanting a cloud identity plan | Teams willing to self-host identity software |
| Core strength | Hosted login, passkeys, workflows, and multi-tenancy | SSO, identity brokering, and authorization services |
| Learning curve | Review ease-of-use score: 7/10 | Review ease-of-use score: 5/10 |
| Integrations and data | 3 identity providers; four listed data regions | OIDC, SAML, LDAP, and Active Directory |
| Team and seat costs | Free plan has unlimited users; DAU cap applies | No user or seat limits published |
| Support | Enterprise lists custom SLA and technical account manager | Support terms not published |
ZITADEL Choose ZITADEL if
- Choose ZITADEL if you want a hosted identity service.
- Choose ZITADEL if its 100 daily active user free-tier cap fits.
- Choose ZITADEL if Enterprise support options matter.
Keycloak Choose Keycloak if
- Choose Keycloak if you want free, self-hosted open-source software.
- Choose Keycloak if you need LDAP or Active Directory federation.
- Choose Keycloak if you can manage a self-hosted setup.
02Pricing compared
ZITADEL has a free plan and a published Pro price of $100 per month. The free tier includes unlimited users and organizations, but caps usage at 100 daily active users and three identity providers. Pro includes 25,000 daily active users per month and three identity providers. Annual pricing is not published; Enterprise pricing is custom.
Keycloak is free, self-hosted software under the Apache License 2.0. The available pricing information lists no paid plans, and user or seat limits are not published. A free license does not include a hosted service: your team runs the software. The pricing information available for Keycloak has lower confidence, so confirm current options before deciding. Choose based on whether you want ZITADEL’s defined cloud tiers or to manage Keycloak yourself.
03Features and depth
Both products cover core identity needs, but their feature sets emphasize different things. ZITADEL combines hosted login with APIs for a custom login interface. It supports social login, multifactor authentication, passkeys, role-based access, organizations and projects for multi-tenancy, and workflow actions after predefined events. Its free tier allows three identity providers; Pro also lists three.
Keycloak lists single sign-on across applications, identity brokering through OpenID Connect or SAML providers, social login, and user federation with LDAP and Active Directory. Administrators can manage users, applications, identity providers, and authorization policies in its admin console. Users can manage profiles, passwords, two-factor authentication, and sessions. Keycloak also supports fine-grained authorization policies. The published pricing information does not publish user or seat limits for Keycloak. If hosted login and workflow actions matter, ZITADEL’s listed features are a closer fit; for LDAP or Active Directory federation, Keycloak explicitly lists those connections.
04Ease of use and learning curve
ZITADEL is the more direct choice if you want a cloud identity service with a hosted login option and published plans. Its free tier gives teams a way to start without paying, though the 100-daily-active-user and three-identity-provider caps matter. Custom login work is possible through its APIs, so a hosted option does not rule out building your own interface.
Keycloak requires your team to self-host it. That gives you control over deployment, but also means your team is responsible for operating the software. Its admin console centralizes identity settings, though the product review rates ease of use lower than ZITADEL’s. Choose Keycloak if your team can handle self-hosting; otherwise, ZITADEL’s cloud plan is the simpler starting point.
Questions people ask
Is ZITADEL cheaper than Keycloak?
Keycloak is free to download and use as self-hosted software, with no paid plans listed in the available pricing information. ZITADEL also has a free tier, while its Pro plan costs $100 per month. Compare the hosting model too: Keycloak is self-hosted, while ZITADEL lists a cloud plan.
Does ZITADEL’s free plan have user limits?
The ZITADEL free plan lists unlimited users and unlimited organizations, but it caps usage at 100 daily active users and includes three identity providers. Those are separate limits: unlimited registered users does not mean unlimited daily active usage.
Can Keycloak connect to LDAP or Active Directory?
Yes. Keycloak lists user federation for LDAP and Active Directory, along with support for custom providers for other user stores. ZITADEL’s published feature list does not specify LDAP or Active Directory federation, so confirm that requirement before choosing it.
Which should we choose for single sign-on?
Keycloak explicitly lists single sign-on across multiple applications, plus centralized sign-out. ZITADEL’s published feature list focuses on hosted or custom login, authentication methods, roles, and multi-tenancy. If SSO is the deciding requirement, check the current product documentation for the exact flows you need.