Cybersecurity · head to head
Falco vs Keycloak
Falco
Cybersecurity
CNCF-graduated runtime threat detection for Linux and Kubernetes using eBPF
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
Keycloak
Developer Tools
Open-source identity and access management server.
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Falco falco detects and alerts but does not block; stopping an attack requires wiring up Falco Talon or your own response tooling, so out of the box a confirmed detection still means a human intervening after the fact.; Keycloak requires self-hosted deployment and operational expertise to install, configure and maintain
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Falco and Keycloak actually diverge.
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 Falco
- eBPF kernel instrumentation
- System call rules engine
- Container and Kubernetes context
- Default rule set
- Falcosidekick
- Falco Talon
- Plugins framework
- DaemonSet deployment
Only in Keycloak
Nothing recorded that Falco does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Falco
- A platform team that needs to know when a shell is opened inside a production container, which image scanning cannot detect because it happens at runtimenot Keycloak
- A regulated business required to evidence host and container intrusion detection on Kubernetes nodes for an auditnot Keycloak
- A security team wanting a vendor-neutral detection layer whose rules they can read and modify rather than a black-box agentnot Keycloak
- A cluster where a compromised dependency might write to sensitive paths or open unexpected outbound connections, and only kernel-level visibility will catch itnot Keycloak
Keycloak
- Organisations requiring self-hosted identity infrastructure for compliance or data residencynot Falco
- Companies with existing LDAP/Active Directory systems needing federated authenticationnot Falco
- Open-source projects and communities requiring free IAM without licensing costsnot Falco
- Enterprises building custom identity workflows requiring fine-grained authorisationnot Falco
- Teams with sufficient operational expertise to manage infrastructurenot Falco
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Falco
- Falco detects and alerts but does not block; stopping an attack requires wiring up Falco Talon or your own response tooling, so out of the box a confirmed detection still means a human intervening after the fact.
- The default rule set is noisy in real clusters and generates a large volume of benign matches from normal operational activity; without weeks of tuning, alert fatigue sets in and the team stops reading the feed, which is the usual failure mode.
- There is no storage, console, search or case management in the project, so a working detection capability means also running Falcosidekick, an event store, a dashboard and alert routing, all of which you build, host and maintain.
- The modern eBPF driver requires kernel 5.8 or later; older hosts fall back to the legacy probe or the kernel module, which brings driver-building against kernel headers and the operational fragility that comes with it on every kernel upgrade.
- Per-node syscall instrumentation carries measurable CPU overhead on busy hosts, and the cost scales with syscall volume rather than with cluster size, so the noisiest and most performance-sensitive workloads are exactly the ones that feel it most.
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
Falco
Free- Falco (open source)Free
- Apache 2.0 licence, CNCF graduated project
- eBPF and kernel module drivers
- Full rules engine and default rule set
Keycloak
Free- Open-sourceFree
- Full platform functionality
- Self-hosted deployment
- Community support
Which should you pick?
Choose Falco if
- You need ebpf kernel instrumentation.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
- You also want system call rules engine.
Choose Keycloak if
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Self-hosted, Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Windows, API.
Questions people ask
- Is Falco or Keycloak better?
- Neither clearly leads. Falco 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, Falco or Keycloak?
- Falco starts at Free and Keycloak at Free.
- Does Falco or Keycloak run on more platforms?
- Falco runs on Linux, Kubernetes, Self-hosted. Keycloak runs on Self-hosted, Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Windows, API.
- Can I use Falco for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Falco best used for?
- Falco is most often used for a platform team that needs to know when a shell is opened inside a production container, which image scanning cannot detect because it happens at runtime, a regulated business required to evidence host and container intrusion detection on kubernetes nodes for an audit, a security team wanting a vendor-neutral detection layer whose rules they can read and modify rather than a black-box agent, a cluster where a compromised dependency might write to sensitive paths or open unexpected outbound connections, and only kernel-level visibility will catch it. Of those, a platform team that needs to know when a shell is opened inside a production container, which image scanning cannot detect because it happens at runtime and a regulated business required to evidence host and container intrusion detection on kubernetes nodes for an audit are not what Keycloak is typically brought in for.
- What can Falco do that Keycloak cannot?
- Falco covers eBPF kernel instrumentation, System call rules engine, Container and Kubernetes context, Default rule set.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Falco: Does Falco block attacks?
No. It detects and emits events. Response requires Falco Talon or your own automation on top.
Keycloak: What protocols does Keycloak support?
Keycloak supports OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0 and SAML 2.0 protocols for authentication and authorisation.
SourceFalco: Is Falco owned by Sysdig?
Sysdig created and open sourced it, but it graduated within the CNCF in February 2024, so governance sits with the foundation rather than the vendor.
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.
SourceFalco: What does it cost?
The project is Apache 2.0 with no licence fee. The cost is the storage, routing, tuning and staff time needed to make its output useful.
Keycloak: Is Keycloak free?
Yes. Keycloak is fully open-source and free to deploy and use. No licensing fees are required.
SourceFalco: What kernel version do I need?
Kernel 5.8 or later for the default modern eBPF driver. Older hosts need the legacy eBPF probe or the kernel module.
Related pages
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- Keycloak vs Penpot
- Keycloak vs Soketi
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- Keycloak vs Atlantis
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- Keycloak vs Buildkite
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- Keycloak vs Jitsu
- Keycloak vs Bitbucket
- Keycloak vs Sweep
- Keycloak vs Azure DevOps
- Keycloak vs Backstage
- Keycloak vs Claude Code
- Keycloak vs Cloud Native Buildpacks
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