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Cybersecurity · head to head

Fenergo vs Keycloak

Fenergo logo

Fenergo

Cybersecurity

Client lifecycle management and KYC onboarding for regulated financial institutions

From
On request
Free plan
No
Keycloak logo

Keycloak

Developer Tools

Open-source identity and access management server.

From
Free
Free plan
Yes

The short version

  • Only Keycloak has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Fenergo implementations commonly run twelve to twenty-four months and depend on a systems integrator, so the services cost frequently exceeds the software subscription in year one.; Keycloak requires self-hosted deployment and operational expertise to install, configure and maintain
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fenergo and Keycloak actually diverge.

Attributes where Fenergo and Keycloak differ
AttributeFenergoKeycloak
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebSelf-hosted, Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Windows, API
CategoryCybersecurityDeveloper Tools

Identical on both: 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 Fenergo

  • Regulatory rules library
  • Digital onboarding
  • Perpetual KYC
  • Entity data model
  • Screening orchestration
  • Case management

Only in Keycloak

Nothing recorded that Fenergo does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Fenergo

  • A bank operating in twenty jurisdictions that cannot keep local KYC requirements current across separate regional teamsnot Keycloak
  • A custodian moving from calendar-based periodic review to event-driven perpetual KYC to cut analyst headcountnot Keycloak
  • An asset manager onboarding funds and trusts where the ownership hierarchy defeats generic identity verification toolsnot Keycloak
  • A payments institution facing a regulatory remediation order and needing a defensible audit trail of every client reviewnot Keycloak

Keycloak

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

Where each one falls short

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

Fenergo

  • Implementations commonly run twelve to twenty-four months and depend on a systems integrator, so the services cost frequently exceeds the software subscription in year one.
  • It orchestrates screening but does not supply the sanctions, PEP or adverse media data, so you still buy Dow Jones, LexisNexis or World-Check separately and those fees are per screened entity.
  • The entry price is set for institutions with large onboarding volumes, which puts it out of reach of smaller banks and fintechs that would otherwise benefit from the rules library.
  • Configuration is deep and specific, which makes upgrades between major versions a project rather than a patch, and some customers stay on old releases for years.
  • The rules library covers regulatory requirements, not your internal risk appetite, so the policy tuning that determines whether onboarding actually gets faster remains your work.

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

Fenergo

On request
  • Fenergo Client Lifecycle Management$undefined/year
    • Priced by institution size, jurisdictions in scope and modules licensed
    • Regulatory rules content subscription bundled into the annual fee
    • Implementation delivered by Fenergo or a systems integrator and quoted separately

Keycloak

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Fenergo if

  • You need regulatory rules library.
  • You also want digital onboarding.

Choose Keycloak if

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

Questions people ask

Is Fenergo or Keycloak better?
Neither clearly leads. Fenergo starts at On request and Keycloak at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fenergo or Keycloak?
Keycloak has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Fenergo and Free for Keycloak.
Does Fenergo or Keycloak run on more platforms?
Fenergo runs on Web. Keycloak runs on Self-hosted, Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Windows, API.
Can I use Keycloak for free?
Yes. Keycloak has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fenergo starts at On request.
What is Fenergo best used for?
Fenergo is most often used for a bank operating in twenty jurisdictions that cannot keep local kyc requirements current across separate regional teams, a custodian moving from calendar-based periodic review to event-driven perpetual kyc to cut analyst headcount, an asset manager onboarding funds and trusts where the ownership hierarchy defeats generic identity verification tools, a payments institution facing a regulatory remediation order and needing a defensible audit trail of every client review. Of those, a bank operating in twenty jurisdictions that cannot keep local kyc requirements current across separate regional teams and a custodian moving from calendar-based periodic review to event-driven perpetual kyc to cut analyst headcount are not what Keycloak is typically brought in for.
What can Fenergo do that Keycloak cannot?
Fenergo covers Regulatory rules library, Digital onboarding, Perpetual KYC, Entity data model.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Fenergo: Does Fenergo do the sanctions screening itself?

No. It orchestrates calls to third-party data providers such as Dow Jones and World-Check, and those subscriptions are additional and usually charged per screened entity.

Keycloak: What protocols does Keycloak support?

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

Source
Fenergo: Is it SaaS or on-premises?

Both. The SaaS offering runs on Microsoft Azure with regional deployment options, which matters where data residency rules prohibit client data leaving the jurisdiction.

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
Fenergo: How long does a deployment take?

Plan for a year at minimum for a multi-jurisdiction rollout. Single-jurisdiction deployments with a narrow product set can be shorter but rarely under six months.

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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