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Head-to-head · Identity and Access Management Software

Google Cloud Identity vs Keycloak

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score Google Cloud Identity #2 in Identity and Access Management Software 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Google Cloud
Keycloak #4 in Identity and Access Management Software 9.0/10 Open source ✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Keycloak

Google Cloud Identity leads on 0 checks, Keycloak on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreGoogle Cloud Identity · 9.2/10
  • Free planonly Google Cloud Identity
  • Most featuresGoogle Cloud Identity · 3 of 3

Google Cloud Identity scores higher on our rubric for identity and access management software: 9.2 against 9.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #4.

Google Cloud Identity is the better fit for google-centric organizations needing affordable IAM. Keycloak is the better fit for self-hosted open-source SSO and federation.

  • Google Cloud Identity fits best

    Google-centric organizations needing affordable IAM

  • Keycloak fits best

    Self-hosted open-source SSO and federation

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Google Cloud Identity 9.2/10 Visit ↗ Keycloak 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.2 9.0
Ranking #2 in Identity and Access Management Software #4 in Identity and Access Management Software
Best for Google-centric organizations needing affordable IAM Self-hosted open-source SSO and federation
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free
Starting price $6/user/mo Open source
Free plan ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Desktop, Mobile Cloud, Desktop, Self-hosted
Platforms Web, Windows, Android, iOS Web, Windows, Linux
Integrations 5 integrations 10 integrations
Features Google Cloud Identity 3/3 · Keycloak 2/3
Directory sync ✓ ✓
Lifecycle provisioning ✓ ✓
Adaptive access policies ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
SSO protocols SAML, OIDC OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0, SAML 2.0
MFA methods Security keys, Google Prompt, Google Authenticator and other TOTP code generators, backup codes, SMS, voice calls, passkeys TOTP, HOTP, WebAuthn/passkeys, recovery codes
Included users Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Free tier includes core identity, SSO, MFA, and endpoint management
  • Supports SAML and OIDC SSO plus broad MFA methods
  • Adds lifecycle provisioning, adaptive access, LDAP, and directory sync
  • Supports OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0, and SAML 2.0
  • Combines LDAP, Active Directory, MFA, passkeys, and social login
  • Provides fine-grained authorization and SCIM user and group management APIs
Cons
  • Free edition provides 50 user licenses by default
  • Advanced controls require the Premium edition
  • Flexible Premium billing costs $7.20 per user monthly
  • Deployment and ongoing administration are managed by the organization
  • SCIM support is a preview feature and disabled by default
  • Requires self-hosted infrastructure such as virtual machines or containers
Our verdict

Google Cloud Identity is a cloud-based identity and access management platform for organizations that need centralized control over users, groups, applications, and endpoints. It is particularly well suited to Google-centric environments,…

Read the review →

Keycloak is an open-source identity and access management server for web applications, REST services, and other applications. It is designed for organizations that want to manage authentication and access controls themselves across web,…

Read the review →
  1. Google Cloud IdentityIdentity and Access Management Software 9.2Free plan
  2. KeycloakIdentity and Access Management Software 9.0Open source

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Google Cloud Identity — where it wins

    • Free tier includes core identity, SSO, MFA, and endpoint management
    • Supports SAML and OIDC SSO plus broad MFA methods
    • Adds lifecycle provisioning, adaptive access, LDAP, and directory sync

    Where it doesn't

    • Free edition provides 50 user licenses by default
    • Advanced controls require the Premium edition
    • Flexible Premium billing costs $7.20 per user monthly

  • Keycloak — where it wins

    • Supports OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0, and SAML 2.0
    • Combines LDAP, Active Directory, MFA, passkeys, and social login
    • Provides fine-grained authorization and SCIM user and group management APIs

    Where it doesn't

    • Deployment and ongoing administration are managed by the organization
    • SCIM support is a preview feature and disabled by default
    • Requires self-hosted infrastructure such as virtual machines or containers

More comparisons

All identity and access management software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update