Testing · head to head
GitHub Actions vs Keycloak
Keycloak
Developer Tools
Open-source identity and access management server.
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: GitHub Actions private repository usage is capped at 2,000 minutes per month on GitHub Free and 3,000 on Pro and Team, with anything beyond billed; Keycloak requires self-hosted deployment and operational expertise to install, configure and maintain
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which GitHub Actions and Keycloak actually diverge.
| Attribute | GitHub Actions | Keycloak |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | subscription | open-source |
| Platforms | Web | Self-hosted, Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Windows, API |
| Category | Testing | Developer Tools |
| Founded | 2008 | Unknown |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
GitHub Actions
- Running CI builds and tests on pushes and pull requestsnot Keycloak
- Automating releases, container image builds and deployments from a repositorynot Keycloak
- Scheduled maintenance jobs and repository automationnot Keycloak
Keycloak
- Organisations requiring self-hosted identity infrastructure for compliance or data residencynot GitHub Actions
- Companies with existing LDAP/Active Directory systems needing federated authenticationnot GitHub Actions
- Open-source projects and communities requiring free IAM without licensing costsnot GitHub Actions
- Enterprises building custom identity workflows requiring fine-grained authorisationnot GitHub Actions
- Teams with sufficient operational expertise to manage infrastructurenot GitHub Actions
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
GitHub Actions
- Private repository usage is capped at 2,000 minutes per month on GitHub Free and 3,000 on Pro and Team, with anything beyond billed
- Artifact storage is only 500 MB on GitHub Free and 2 GB on Team, and it is shared with GitHub Packages storage
- Larger runners are always charged for, even on public repositories and even when plan quota remains
- Windows runners cost $0.010 per minute against $0.006 for a 2-core Linux runner, so the same workflow costs more per platform
- macOS runners are charged at a higher per-minute rate than Linux runners
- Failed runs consume minutes, so a job that fails after 5 minutes and is re-run for 10 uses 15 minutes of quota
- Storage is billed on hourly accrual in GB-Hours, so deleting artifacts stops future charges but does not remove charges already accrued in the cycle
- Cache storage is a separate 10 GB per repository allowance and peak hourly usage above it is charged
- Minutes are charged to the repository owner, not the person who triggered the run, and anyone with write access can trigger runs
- Without a valid payment method on file, workflows are blocked as soon as the quota is exhausted
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
GitHub Actions
Free- FreeFree
- 2,000 CI/CD minutes per month
- Free for public repositories
- Team$4/month
- 3,000 CI/CD minutes per month
- Free for public repositories
- First 12 months at promotional rate
- Enterprise$21/month
- 50,000 CI/CD minutes per month
- Free for public repositories
- First 12 months at promotional rate
Keycloak
Free- Open-sourceFree
- Full platform functionality
- Self-hosted deployment
- Community support
Which should you pick?
Choose Keycloak if
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Self-hosted, Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Windows, API.
Questions people ask
- Is GitHub Actions or Keycloak better?
- Neither clearly leads. GitHub Actions 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, GitHub Actions or Keycloak?
- GitHub Actions starts at Free and Keycloak at Free.
- Does GitHub Actions or Keycloak run on more platforms?
- GitHub Actions runs on Web. Keycloak runs on Self-hosted, Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Windows, API.
- Can I use GitHub Actions for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is GitHub Actions best used for?
- GitHub Actions is most often used for running ci builds and tests on pushes and pull requests, automating releases, container image builds and deployments from a repository, scheduled maintenance jobs and repository automation. Of those, running ci builds and tests on pushes and pull requests and automating releases, container image builds and deployments from a repository are not what Keycloak is typically brought in for.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
GitHub Actions: How much does GitHub Actions cost?
GitHub Actions is free for public repositories. For private repositories, the Team plan costs $4 per user per month (first 12 months) with 3,000 CI/CD minutes, and the Enterprise plan costs $21 per user per month (first 12 months) with 50,000 CI/CD minutes.
SourceKeycloak: What protocols does Keycloak support?
Keycloak supports OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0 and SAML 2.0 protocols for authentication and authorisation.
SourceGitHub Actions: Is there a free version of GitHub Actions?
Yes, GitHub Actions is free for all public repositories. The Free plan for private repositories includes 2,000 CI/CD minutes per month. All tiers include free CI/CD minutes for public repository workflows.
SourceKeycloak: 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.
SourceGitHub Actions: What does the Team plan add to GitHub Actions?
The Team plan provides 3,000 CI/CD minutes per month compared to 2,000 on the Free plan. It costs $4 per user per month for the first 12 months. Minutes apply only to private repository workflows.
SourceKeycloak: Is Keycloak free?
Yes. Keycloak is fully open-source and free to deploy and use. No licensing fees are required.
SourceRelated pages
More on GitHub Actions
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