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Technology · head to head

Canny vs Keycloak

Canny logo

Canny

Technology

Capture, organize, and analyze product feedback

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Keycloak logo

Keycloak

Developer Tools

Open-source identity and access management server.

From
Free
Free plan
Yes

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Canny tracked user pricing model causes costs to balloon as product grows and engagement increases, creating perverse incentive where more successful feedback gathering means higher costs; Keycloak requires self-hosted deployment and operational expertise to install, configure and maintain
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Canny and Keycloak actually diverge.

Attributes where Canny and Keycloak differ
AttributeCannyKeycloak
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
PlatformsWeb, Claude AI (MCP)Self-hosted, Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Windows, API
CategoryTechnologyDeveloper Tools
Founded2015Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Canny

  • Feedback boards
  • Voting system
  • Roadmap planning
  • Changelog
  • User segmentation
  • Status updates
  • Admin moderation
  • Analytics

Only in Keycloak

Nothing recorded that Canny does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Canny

  • Feature request managementnot Keycloak
  • Product roadmappingnot Keycloak
  • Customer feedback collectionnot Keycloak
  • Changelog communicationnot Keycloak
  • User engagementnot Keycloak

Keycloak

  • Organisations requiring self-hosted identity infrastructure for compliance or data residencynot Canny
  • Companies with existing LDAP/Active Directory systems needing federated authenticationnot Canny
  • Open-source projects and communities requiring free IAM without licensing costsnot Canny
  • Enterprises building custom identity workflows requiring fine-grained authorisationnot Canny
  • Teams with sufficient operational expertise to manage infrastructurenot Canny

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Canny

  • Tracked user pricing model causes costs to balloon as product grows and engagement increases, creating perverse incentive where more successful feedback gathering means higher costs
  • Limited integrations on Core plan; must upgrade to Pro to connect with Jira and Linear
  • Lacks built-in analytics for identifying themes and patterns across hundreds of feedback requests without manual tagging
  • Customizations limited for public-facing interfaces regarding branding and information presentation
  • Autopilot AI cannot be linked to product knowledge bases to better understand products and improve function
  • Slow response times reported by users, affecting feedback management efficiency
  • Limited custom user fields and manual data updates require API access

Keycloak

  • Requires self-hosted deployment and operational expertise to install, configure and maintain
  • No managed cloud option provided by Red Hat; organisations must operate infrastructure themselves or use third-party distributions
  • Clustering and high-availability configurations require additional operational knowledge
  • Community support only; commercial support requires third-party vendors or distributions

Pricing, plan by plan

Canny

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 100 tracked users
    • Unlimited feedback
    • 1 board
  • Starter$400/month
    • 1,000 tracked users
    • Unlimited boards
    • Private boards
  • Growth$900/month
    • 5,000 tracked users
    • API access
    • SSO
  • Business$undefined/month
    • Unlimited tracked users
    • White label
    • SLA

Keycloak

Free
  • Open-sourceFree
    • Full platform functionality
    • Self-hosted deployment
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

Choose Canny if

  • You need feedback boards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Claude AI (MCP).
  • You also want voting system.

Choose Keycloak if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Self-hosted, Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Windows, API.

Questions people ask

Is Canny or Keycloak better?
Neither clearly leads. Canny starts at Free and Keycloak at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Canny or Keycloak?
Canny starts at Free and Keycloak at Free.
Does Canny or Keycloak run on more platforms?
Canny runs on Web, Claude AI (MCP). Keycloak runs on Self-hosted, Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Windows, API.
Can I use Canny for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Canny best used for?
Canny is most often used for feature request management, product roadmapping, customer feedback collection, changelog communication. Of those, feature request management and product roadmapping are not what Keycloak is typically brought in for.
What can Canny do that Keycloak cannot?
Canny covers Feedback boards, Voting system, Roadmap planning, Changelog.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Canny: Does Canny offer a free plan?

Yes. Canny offers a free plan that allows collecting up to 100 feedback ideas. Free users get basic features without roadmap, changelog, or integrations.

Source
Keycloak: What protocols does Keycloak support?

Keycloak supports OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0 and SAML 2.0 protocols for authentication and authorisation.

Source
Canny: How is Canny priced?

Canny pricing scales based on tracked users. Core starts at $19/month (100 users, annual), Pro starts at $79/month (100 users, annual). Prices increase as tracked users grow.

Source
Keycloak: Can Keycloak integrate with existing user directories?

Yes. Keycloak supports user federation with LDAP and Active Directory systems, allowing organisations to leverage existing user directories.

Source
Canny: What is a tracked user in Canny?

A tracked user is anyone who posts, votes, or comments on your Canny board or embedded widget. Each unique end user counts once and the count accumulates.

Source
Keycloak: Is Keycloak free?

Yes. Keycloak is fully open-source and free to deploy and use. No licensing fees are required.

Source
Canny: What is Canny Autopilot?

Canny Autopilot is an AI feature that automatically captures feature requests from communication tools like Gong, Intercom, Slack, and Zendesk. It prioritizes requests by revenue impact.

Source
Canny: Does Canny have a public roadmap feature?

Yes. Canny provides a public roadmap where customers can see what is planned, building, and shipped. Customers can vote on features and watch their feedback progress.

Source
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