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Cybersecurity · head to head

Frontegg vs Keycloak

Frontegg logo

Frontegg

Cybersecurity

Customer identity and access management platform for SaaS applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Keycloak logo

Keycloak

Developer Tools

Open-source identity and access management server.

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Frontegg detailed per-unit pricing beyond the free tier is not published, requiring use of an online calculator or sales contact to estimate costs.; Keycloak requires self-hosted deployment and operational expertise to install, configure and maintain

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Frontegg and Keycloak actually diverge.

Attributes where Frontegg and Keycloak differ
AttributeFronteggKeycloak
Pricing modelusage-basedopen-source
Platformsweb, apiSelf-hosted, Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Windows, API
CategoryCybersecurityDeveloper Tools

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 Frontegg

  • Hosted login
  • Enterprise SSO/SCIM
  • Multi-tenant organizations
  • Custom domains
  • M2M tokens
  • Fraud protection

Only in Keycloak

Nothing recorded that Frontegg does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Frontegg

  • Adding enterprise SSO/SCIM to a B2B SaaS productnot Keycloak
  • Multi-tenant customer identity managementnot Keycloak
  • White-labeled, custom-domain login experiencesnot Keycloak
  • Securing AI agent access to a SaaS product via Agen.conot Keycloak

Keycloak

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

Where each one falls short

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

Frontegg

  • Detailed per-unit pricing beyond the free tier is not published, requiring use of an online calculator or sales contact to estimate costs.
  • Advanced fraud protection and multiple environments are Enterprise-only, unavailable on the Pay As You Go plan.
  • The 7,500 free monthly active users is comparatively modest next to some competitors' free tiers.
  • As a broader CIAM platform, it can be more complex to integrate than lighter-weight developer-first auth tools for smaller apps.

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

Frontegg

Free
  • Pay As You GoFree
    • 7,500 monthly active users included
    • 5 enterprise connections (SSO/SCIM)
    • Unlimited organizations
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom pricing
    • Multiple environments
    • Advanced fraud protection

Keycloak

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Frontegg if

  • You need hosted login.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want enterprise sso/scim.

Choose Keycloak if

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

Questions people ask

Is Frontegg or Keycloak better?
Neither clearly leads. Frontegg 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, Frontegg or Keycloak?
Frontegg starts at Free and Keycloak at Free.
Does Frontegg or Keycloak run on more platforms?
Frontegg runs on web, api. Keycloak runs on Self-hosted, Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Windows, API.
Can I use Frontegg for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Frontegg best used for?
Frontegg is most often used for adding enterprise sso/scim to a b2b saas product, multi-tenant customer identity management, white-labeled, custom-domain login experiences, securing ai agent access to a saas product via agen.co. Of those, adding enterprise sso/scim to a b2b saas product and multi-tenant customer identity management are not what Keycloak is typically brought in for.
What can Frontegg do that Keycloak cannot?
Frontegg covers Hosted login, Enterprise SSO/SCIM, Multi-tenant organizations, Custom domains.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Frontegg: What does Frontegg cost?

Frontegg's Pay As You Go plan is free up to 7,500 monthly active users, after which pricing scales with users, enterprise connections and M2M tokens via an online calculator; Enterprise pricing is custom.

Source
Keycloak: What protocols does Keycloak support?

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

Source
Frontegg: Is there a free plan and what are its limits?

Yes, the free Pay As You Go plan includes 7,500 monthly active users, 5 enterprise SSO/SCIM connections, unlimited organizations, and a custom domain.

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
Frontegg: How is usage metered?

Pricing is consumption-based, driven by monthly active users, monthly enterprise connections (SSO/SCIM), and monthly M2M tokens, with customers paying only for usage beyond the free 7,500-user threshold.

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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