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Developer Tools · head to head

Keycloak vs Namespace

Keycloak logo

Keycloak

Developer Tools

Open-source identity and access management server.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Namespace logo

Namespace

Developer Tools

The dev platform for the next 100 billion commits

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Keycloak requires self-hosted deployment and operational expertise to install, configure and maintain; Namespace developer plan is pay-as-you-go only; minimum usage unclear

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Keycloak and Namespace actually diverge.

Attributes where Keycloak and Namespace differ
AttributeKeycloakNamespace
Pricing modelopen-sourceUnknown
PlatformsSelf-hosted, Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Windows, APICloud, Mac, Windows, Linux

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Developer Tools).

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 Keycloak

Nothing recorded that Namespace does not also cover.

Only in Namespace

  • Devboxes
  • GitHub Actions runners
  • Docker builds
  • Cross-invocation caching
  • NVMe storage
  • High-speed networking
  • Multiple OS support
  • Bazel and Turborepo support

What people use each for

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

Keycloak

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

Namespace

  • Providing AI coding agents with cloud-based development environmentsnot Keycloak
  • Accelerating CI builds with faster GitHub Actions runnersnot Keycloak
  • Distributing builds across teams with managed infrastructurenot Keycloak
  • Scaling development velocity for monorepo organizationsnot Keycloak

Where each one falls short

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

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

Namespace

  • Developer plan is pay-as-you-go only; minimum usage unclear
  • Team plan $100/mo is competitive but usage limits may be tight
  • Devbox pricing separate at $0.004/minute could add up quickly
  • Enterprise plan requires custom sales conversation

Pricing, plan by plan

Keycloak

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

Namespace

Free
  • DeveloperFree
    • Pay-as-you-go
    • On-demand compute
    • Docker builds
  • Team$100/month
    • 100,000 unit minutes
    • 1,000 Docker builds
    • Everything in Developer
  • Business$250/month
    • 250,000 unit minutes
    • 2,500 Docker builds
    • Everything in Team
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Custom compute/Docker build limits
    • Audit log export
    • Enterprise SSO

Which should you pick?

Choose Keycloak if

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

Choose Namespace if

  • You need devboxes.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Mac, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want github actions runners.
Namespace review

Questions people ask

Is Keycloak or Namespace better?
Neither clearly leads. Keycloak starts at Free and Namespace at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Keycloak or Namespace?
Keycloak starts at Free and Namespace at Free.
Does Keycloak or Namespace run on more platforms?
Keycloak runs on Self-hosted, Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Windows, API. Namespace runs on Cloud, Mac, Windows, Linux.
Can I use Keycloak for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Keycloak best used for?
Keycloak is most often used for organisations requiring self-hosted identity infrastructure for compliance or data residency, companies with existing ldap/active directory systems needing federated authentication, open-source projects and communities requiring free iam without licensing costs, enterprises building custom identity workflows requiring fine-grained authorisation. Of those, organisations requiring self-hosted identity infrastructure for compliance or data residency and companies with existing ldap/active directory systems needing federated authentication are not what Namespace is typically brought in for.
What can Keycloak do that Namespace cannot?
Namespace covers Devboxes, GitHub Actions runners, Docker builds, Cross-invocation caching.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Keycloak: What protocols does Keycloak support?

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

Source
Namespace: How is compute usage metered on the Developer plan?

Developer plan uses pay-as-you-go billing. Devboxes bill at $0.004 per minute. Storage and caching services have separate usage-based fees. A 30-day free trial is available to test usage patterns.

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
Namespace: What is the difference between Team and Business plans?

Team ($100/mo) includes 100,000 unit minutes and 1,000 Docker builds with email support. Business ($250/mo) includes 250,000 unit minutes, 2,500 Docker builds, and high concurrency with a dedicated Slack channel.

Source
Keycloak: Is Keycloak free?

Yes. Keycloak is fully open-source and free to deploy and use. No licensing fees are required.

Source
Namespace: Can Namespace support AI coding agents?

Yes, Namespace Devboxes are specifically designed as feature-rich development environments for AI coding agents, with full tooling and performance optimization.

Source
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