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Head-to-head · Identity and Access Management Software

Keycloak vs Apache Syncope

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score Keycloak #4 in Identity and Access Management Software 9.0/10 Open source ✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Keycloak
Apache Syncope #8 in Identity and Access Management Software 8.6/10 Open source ✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Apache Syncope

Keycloak leads on 0 checks, Apache Syncope on 0, and 2 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 2 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreKeycloak · 9.0/10

Keycloak scores higher on our rubric for identity and access management software: 9.0 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #4 and #8.

Keycloak is the better fit for self-hosted open-source SSO and federation. Apache Syncope is the better fit for open-source identity provisioning and federation.

  • Keycloak fits best

    Self-hosted open-source SSO and federation

  • Apache Syncope fits best

    Open-source identity provisioning 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 Keycloak 9.0/10 Visit ↗ Apache Syncope 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.0 8.6
Ranking #4 in Identity and Access Management Software #8 in Identity and Access Management Software
Best for Self-hosted open-source SSO and federation Open-source identity provisioning and federation
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Open source Open source
Free plan Not checked yet Not checked yet
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Desktop, Self-hosted Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms Web, Windows, Linux Web
Integrations 10 integrations 10 integrations
Features Keycloak 2/3 · Apache Syncope 2/3
Directory sync ✓ ✓
Lifecycle provisioning ✓ ✓
Adaptive access policies Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
SSO protocols OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0, SAML 2.0 OpenID Connect, SAML 2.0, CAS
MFA methods TOTP, HOTP, WebAuthn/passkeys, recovery codes TOTP, Duo Security, Google Authenticator, FIDO2 WebAuthn (Passkey)
Included users Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • 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
  • Inbound, outbound, pull, push, and live-sync provisioning
  • SAML 2.0, OpenID Connect, and CAS support
  • Delegated administration, workflows, multitenancy, and MFA
Cons
  • 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
  • The broad scope may exceed the needs of smaller deployments
  • Self-hosted operation requires infrastructure managed by the organization
  • Connector-based integrations can add planning and administration effort
Our verdict

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 →

Apache Syncope is an open-source identity and access management platform for enterprise environments. It manages users, groups, and custom identity objects while supporting authentication, authorization, provisioning, synchronization,…

Read the review →
  1. KeycloakIdentity and Access Management Software 9.0Open source
  2. Apache SyncopeIdentity and Access Management Software 8.6Open source

Strengths and trade-offs

  • 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

  • Apache Syncope — where it wins

    • Inbound, outbound, pull, push, and live-sync provisioning
    • SAML 2.0, OpenID Connect, and CAS support
    • Delegated administration, workflows, multitenancy, and MFA

    Where it doesn't

    • The broad scope may exceed the needs of smaller deployments
    • Self-hosted operation requires infrastructure managed by the organization
    • Connector-based integrations can add planning and administration effort

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