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Web Development · head to head

.NET vs Keycloak

.NET logo

.NET

Web Development

Free, cross-platform, open source developer platform

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Keycloak logo

Keycloak

Developer Tools

Open-source identity and access management server.

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: .NET .NET 8 and .NET 9 both reach end of support on 10 November 2026, per dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/platform/support/policy (Aug 2026), forcing an upgrade to .NET 10 by that date; Keycloak requires self-hosted deployment and operational expertise to install, configure and maintain
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which .NET and Keycloak actually diverge.

Attributes where .NET and Keycloak differ
Attribute.NETKeycloak
PlatformsWebSelf-hosted, Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Windows, API
CategoryWeb DevelopmentDeveloper Tools

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (open-source), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What people use each for

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

.NET

  • Web development with ASP.NET Core and Entity Frameworknot Keycloak
  • Cloud-native application development for Azurenot Keycloak
  • Mobile and desktop apps with .NET MAUI cross-platform frameworknot Keycloak
  • AI and machine learning applications using C#not Keycloak

Keycloak

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

Where each one falls short

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

.NET

  • .NET 8 and .NET 9 both reach end of support on 10 November 2026, per dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/platform/support/policy (Aug 2026), forcing an upgrade to .NET 10 by that date
  • Standard Term Support releases get only 2 years of patches versus 3 years for Long Term Support releases, per Microsoft's own support policy page, so teams on an STS release face a shorter upgrade cycle

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

.NET

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the .NET review.

Keycloak

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

Which should you pick?

Choose .NET if

  • You want to start without paying.
.NET review

Choose Keycloak if

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

Questions people ask

Is .NET or Keycloak better?
Neither clearly leads. .NET 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, .NET or Keycloak?
.NET starts at Free and Keycloak at Free.
Does .NET or Keycloak run on more platforms?
.NET runs on Web. Keycloak runs on Self-hosted, Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Windows, API.
Can I use .NET for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is .NET best used for?
.NET is most often used for web development with asp.net core and entity framework, cloud-native application development for azure, mobile and desktop apps with .net maui cross-platform framework, ai and machine learning applications using c#. Of those, web development with asp.net core and entity framework and cloud-native application development for azure are not what Keycloak is typically brought in for.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

.NET: Is .NET free to use?

Yes. .NET is completely free and open-source, available on GitHub.

Source
Keycloak: What protocols does Keycloak support?

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

Source
.NET: What platforms does .NET support?

.NET supports Windows, Linux, macOS, and Docker. A single C# codebase can run across multiple platforms including iOS, Android, and cloud environments.

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
.NET: How large is the .NET ecosystem?

NuGet provides 390,000+ unique packages with 50,000+ new packages added annually. .NET has 474K+ GitHub stars and active community support across multiple platforms.

Source
Keycloak: Is Keycloak free?

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

Source
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