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Keycloak vs authentik
Short answer: Keycloak and authentik are both self-hostable alternatives to Okta. Pick Keycloak if community size is your main criterion – it has 1.4× the stars. Pick authentik if its feature set fits your use case better – stars, license and activity don't measure features, so try both on a test server. If you will customize the code, choose the stack your team knows (Keycloak: Java, authentik: Python).
Keycloak has 1.4× the GitHub stars of authentik (37.4k vs 26.0k). Stars measure popularity and community size, not quality. Both are actively developed: Keycloak's last push was on 2026-10-19 (on the day of our check); authentik's last push was on 2026-10-19 (on the day of our check).
Keycloak vs authentik at a glance
| Keycloak | authentik | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 37.4k | ★ 26.0k |
| Forks | 9.1k | 2.1k |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT (+ separate enterprise/EE license for some dirs) (file) |
| License type | permissive | permissive |
| Last push | 2026-10-19 on the day of our check | 2026-10-19 on the day of our check |
| Latest GitHub release | 26.8.1 2026-10-13 | version/2026.8.4 2026-10-14 |
| Main language | Java | Python |
| Archived | no | no |
| Repository | keycloak/keycloak | goauthentik/authentik |
Data: GitHub REST API, checked 2026-10-19. Licenses verified manually against each project's license file. Self-hosting difficulty (Okta: hard) is our rating per use case and applies to both.
In their own words
Keycloak (GitHub description): Open Source Identity and Access Management For Modern Applications and Services
authentik (GitHub description): The authentication glue you need.
Which should you pick?
- Pick Keycloak if community size is your main criterion – it has 1.4× the stars.
- Pick authentik if its feature set fits your use case better – stars, license and activity don't measure features, so try both on a test server.
- If you will customize the code, choose the stack your team knows (Keycloak: Java, authentik: Python).
Both use a permissive license (Apache-2.0 / MIT (+ separate enterprise/EE license for some dirs)). Keycloak is written mainly in Java, authentik in Python – relevant if you plan to patch or extend it. License note for authentik: MIT for everything outside authentik/enterprise/; that directory has its own license.
FAQ
Which is more popular, Keycloak or authentik?
Keycloak has 1.4× the GitHub stars of authentik (37.4k vs 26.0k). Stars measure popularity and community size, not quality.
Are Keycloak and authentik actively maintained?
Both are actively developed: Keycloak's last push was on 2026-10-19 (on the day of our check); authentik's last push was on 2026-10-19 (on the day of our check). Latest GitHub releases: Keycloak 26.8.1 (2026-10-13), authentik version/2026.8.4 (2026-10-14).
What licenses do Keycloak and authentik use?
Keycloak: Apache-2.0 – permissive (MIT/Apache/BSD-style: few obligations). authentik: MIT (+ separate enterprise/EE license for some dirs) – permissive (MIT/Apache/BSD-style: few obligations). authentik keeps some code under a separate license (open-core).
Is Keycloak or authentik easier to self-host?
We rate self-hosting difficulty per use case, not per project: hard for Okta alternatives. Both need a server you maintain; check each project's install docs for the exact services (database, workers) it needs.
Should I pick Keycloak or authentik?
Pick Keycloak if community size is your main criterion – it has 1.4× the stars. Pick authentik if its feature set fits your use case better – stars, license and activity don't measure features, so try both on a test server. If you will customize the code, choose the stack your team knows (Keycloak: Java, authentik: Python).
All alternatives
Both are listed in the directory, next to other options and a build-it-yourself-with-AI prompt:
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