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Business Intelligence · head to head

Glean vs Keycloak

Glean logo

Glean

Business Intelligence

Work AI that Works

From
On request
Free plan
No
Visit GleanFull review
Keycloak logo

Keycloak

Developer Tools

Open-source identity and access management server.

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit KeycloakFull review

The short version

  • Keycloak is an open-source IAM platform supporting OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.
  • Keycloak is free; Glean prices on request.
  • Where Glean falls short: no pricing published on website; enterprise sales model requires demo request.
  • Where Keycloak falls short: requires self-hosted deployment and operational expertise to install, configure and maintain.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Glean and Keycloak actually diverge.

Attributes where Glean and Keycloak differ
AttributeGleanKeycloak
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelQuoteOpen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebSelf-hosted, Linux, Windows, API
CategoryBusiness IntelligenceDeveloper Tools

What people use each for

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

Glean

  • Onboarding new employees across distributed teams to company knowledgenot Keycloak
  • Maintaining centralized searchable intranet for compliance requirementsnot Keycloak
  • Surfacing historical archived content for editorial and sales teamsnot Keycloak
  • Creating AI agents through natural language without engineersnot Keycloak
  • Reducing language model costs by filtering unnecessary datanot Keycloak

Keycloak

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

Where each one falls short

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

Glean

  • No pricing published on website; enterprise sales model requires demo request

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

Glean

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Glean review.

Keycloak

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Glean if

Nothing in the data separates Glean from Keycloak on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Glean review

Choose Keycloak if

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

Questions people ask

Is Glean or Keycloak better?
Neither clearly leads. Glean 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, Glean or Keycloak?
Keycloak has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Glean and Free for Keycloak.
Does Glean or Keycloak run on more platforms?
Glean runs on Web. Keycloak runs on Self-hosted, Linux, Windows, API.
Can I use Keycloak for free?
Yes. Keycloak has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Glean starts at On request.
What is Glean best used for?
Glean is most often used for onboarding new employees across distributed teams to company knowledge, maintaining centralized searchable intranet for compliance requirements, surfacing historical archived content for editorial and sales teams, creating ai agents through natural language without engineers. Of those, onboarding new employees across distributed teams to company knowledge and maintaining centralized searchable intranet for compliance requirements are not what Keycloak is typically brought in for.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Glean: How much does Glean cost?

Glean does not publish pricing on its website. The platform uses an enterprise sales model where customers request a demo and pricing is determined through direct consultation with the sales team.

Source
Keycloak: What protocols does Keycloak support?

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

Source
Glean: Does Glean offer a free tier or trial?

No free tier information is available on Glean's website. Interested users must request a demo to learn about trial options and pricing.

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
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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