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Developer Tools · head to head

Keycloak vs Spring Boot

Keycloak logo

Keycloak

Developer Tools

Open-source identity and access management server.

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Spring Boot logo

Spring Boot

Web Development

Stand-alone, production-grade Spring based applications that you can just run

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Keycloak requires self-hosted deployment and operational expertise to install, configure and maintain; Spring Boot requires Java 17 as the minimum version for Spring Boot 4.1.0, per docs.spring.io/spring-boot/system-requirements.html (Aug 2026); older Java runtimes are not supported
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Keycloak and Spring Boot actually diverge.

Attributes where Keycloak and Spring Boot differ
AttributeKeycloakSpring Boot
PlatformsSelf-hosted, Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Windows, APIWeb
CategoryDeveloper ToolsWeb Development

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (open-source), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Spring Boot
  • Companies with existing LDAP/Active Directory systems needing federated authenticationnot Spring Boot
  • Open-source projects and communities requiring free IAM without licensing costsnot Spring Boot
  • Enterprises building custom identity workflows requiring fine-grained authorisationnot Spring Boot
  • Teams with sufficient operational expertise to manage infrastructurenot Spring Boot

Spring Boot

  • Building microservices and standalone Java applicationsnot Keycloak
  • Rapid application development with embedded servers and production-ready configurationsnot 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

Spring Boot

  • Requires Java 17 as the minimum version for Spring Boot 4.1.0, per docs.spring.io/spring-boot/system-requirements.html (Aug 2026); older Java runtimes are not supported
  • Requires Spring Framework 7.0.8 or above and Gradle 8.14+ or Maven 3.6.3+, per Spring's own system requirements page, so older toolchains must be upgraded first

Pricing, plan by plan

Keycloak

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

Spring Boot

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Spring Boot review.

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 Spring Boot if

  • You want to start without paying.
Spring Boot review

Questions people ask

Is Keycloak or Spring Boot better?
Neither clearly leads. Keycloak starts at Free and Spring Boot at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Keycloak or Spring Boot?
Keycloak starts at Free and Spring Boot at Free.
Does Keycloak or Spring Boot run on more platforms?
Keycloak runs on Self-hosted, Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Windows, API. Spring Boot runs on Web.
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 Spring Boot is typically brought in for.

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
Spring Boot: Is Spring Boot free?

Yes, Spring Boot is free and open-source software. The core framework is available without cost, and users can download and use it immediately.

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
Spring Boot: What commercial support is available for Spring Boot?

While Spring Boot itself is free, VMware offers optional commercial support, training, and certification through Spring Academy. Tanzu Spring provides support and binaries for OpenJDK, Spring, and Apache Tomcat through a subscription model for enterprises requiring guaranteed support.

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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