Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Authentication Software

Keycloak vs PingOne

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score Keycloak #3 in Authentication Software 9.0/10 Open source ✓ 1 of 2 features Visit Keycloak
PingOne #8 in Authentication Software 8.2/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 0 of 2 features Visit PingOne

Keycloak leads on 0 checks, PingOne 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
  • Free trialonly PingOne
  • Most featuresKeycloak · 1 of 2

Keycloak scores higher on our rubric for authentication software: 9.0 against 8.2 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #8.

Keycloak is the better fit for teams wanting self-hosted, open-source identity. PingOne is the better fit for workforces needing adaptive SSO and provisioning.

  • Keycloak fits best

    Teams wanting self-hosted, open-source identity

  • PingOne fits best

    Workforces needing adaptive SSO and provisioning

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 ↗ PingOne 8.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.0 8.2
Ranking #3 in Authentication Software #8 in Authentication Software
Best for Teams wanting self-hosted, open-source identity Workforces needing adaptive SSO and provisioning
Pricing model Free Paid
Starting price Open source $3/user/mo
Free plan Not checked yet —
Free trial — 30 days
Deployment Cloud, Desktop, Self-hosted Cloud
Platforms Web, Windows, Linux Web
Integrations 10 integrations 4 integrations
Features Keycloak 1/2 · PingOne 0/2
Passkey sign-in Not checked yet Not checked yet
Directory sync ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
Monthly active users Not checked yet Not checked yet
Auth protocols Not checked yet Not checked yet
MFA methods Not checked yet Not checked yet
Deployment Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Supports OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0, and SAML 2.0.
  • Offers LDAP and Active Directory federation plus social login.
  • Includes TOTP, HOTP, WebAuthn/passkeys, and authorization policies.
  • Supports SAML, OIDC, OAuth 2.0, and SCIM provisioning
  • Adds adaptive MFA, passwordless authentication, and risk-based access
  • Connects Microsoft 365, Active Directory, LDAP, Kerberos, and RADIUS
Cons
  • Organizations must deploy and manage the server themselves.
  • SCIM user and group management is a preview feature.
  • SCIM is disabled by default.
  • Workforce pricing requires annual billing and a 5,000-user minimum
  • Customer Passwordless pricing requires contacting sales
  • Cloud-only deployment with email listed as the support channel
Our verdict

Keycloak is an open-source identity and access management server for teams securing web applications, REST services, and other applications. Its self-hosted approach suits organizations that want to manage identity infrastructure…

Read the review →

PingOne is Ping Identity’s cloud identity platform for workforce and customer access. It combines single sign-on, directory services, an employee application portal, SaaS application access, and customer identity orchestration. Workforce…

Read the review →
  1. KeycloakAuthentication Software 9.0Open source
  2. PingOneAuthentication Software 8.230-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Keycloak — where it wins

    • Supports OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0, and SAML 2.0.
    • Offers LDAP and Active Directory federation plus social login.
    • Includes TOTP, HOTP, WebAuthn/passkeys, and authorization policies.

    Where it doesn't

    • Organizations must deploy and manage the server themselves.
    • SCIM user and group management is a preview feature.
    • SCIM is disabled by default.
  • PingOne — where it wins

    • Supports SAML, OIDC, OAuth 2.0, and SCIM provisioning
    • Adds adaptive MFA, passwordless authentication, and risk-based access
    • Connects Microsoft 365, Active Directory, LDAP, Kerberos, and RADIUS

    Where it doesn't

    • Workforce pricing requires annual billing and a 5,000-user minimum
    • Customer Passwordless pricing requires contacting sales
    • Cloud-only deployment with email listed as the support channel

More comparisons

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update