Okta Workforce Identity vs Keycloak

Okta Workforce Identity9.4Visit Keycloak9.0Visit

Higher score Okta Workforce Identity #1 in Identity and Access Management Software 9.4/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Okta

vs

Keycloak #4 in Identity and Access Management Software 9.0/10 Open source ✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Keycloak

• Okta Workforce Identity fits best

  Mature enterprise workforce IAM

• Keycloak fits best

  Self-hosted open-source SSO and federation

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Side by side

Feature	Okta Workforce Identity 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Keycloak 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	9.0
Ranking	#1 in Identity and Access Management Software	#4 in Identity and Access Management Software
Best for	Mature enterprise workforce IAM	Self-hosted open-source SSO and federation
Pricing model	Paid	Free
Starting price	$6/user/mo	Open source
Free plan	—	Not checked yet
Free trial	30 days	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile, Browser extension	Cloud, Desktop, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android, Chrome extension	Web, Windows, Linux
Integrations	5 integrations	10 integrations
Features Okta Workforce Identity 3/3 · Keycloak 2/3
Directory sync	✓	✓
Lifecycle provisioning	✓	✓
Adaptive access policies	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
SSO protocols	OIDC, SAML, WS-Fed, SWA	OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0, SAML 2.0
MFA methods	Okta Verify, passkeys (FIDO2/WebAuthn), YubiKey, smart cards, email, phone/SMS, security questions, temporary access codes, third-party authenticators	TOTP, HOTP, WebAuthn/passkeys, recovery codes
Included users	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Covers SSO, MFA, directory, lifecycle, governance, and PAM Supports adaptive, risk-based authentication and identity threat detection Connects with cloud, on-premises, mobile, HR, and directory environments	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	No free plan is offered Starter is limited to 5 Workflows Advanced capabilities require higher-tier plans	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	Okta Workforce Identity is a cloud identity and access management platform for employees, contractors, and partners. It brings together single sign-on, configurable multi-factor authentication, adaptive access policies, Universal… 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 →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Okta Workforce Identity — where it wins

  • Covers SSO, MFA, directory, lifecycle, governance, and PAM
  • Supports adaptive, risk-based authentication and identity threat detection
  • Connects with cloud, on-premises, mobile, HR, and directory environments

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan is offered
  • Starter is limited to 5 Workflows
  • Advanced capabilities require higher-tier plans

• 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

• Okta Workforce Identity9.4/10 · 30-day trial

  A broad workforce IAM suite for organizations with mature identity requirements.

  Visit OktaFull verdict →
• Keycloak9.0/10 · Open source

  A capable open-source IAM server for teams that want self-hosted SSO and federation.

  Visit KeycloakFull verdict →