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Developer Tools · head to head

Keycloak vs ThoughtSpot

Keycloak logo

Keycloak

Developer Tools

Open-source identity and access management server.

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
ThoughtSpot logo

ThoughtSpot

Business Intelligence

AI-powered analytics for the modern enterprise

From
$12999/year
Free plan
No

The short version

  • Keycloak is an open-source IAM platform supporting OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.
  • Keycloak is free; ThoughtSpot starts at $12999/yr.
  • Where Keycloak falls short: requires self-hosted deployment and operational expertise to install, configure and maintain.
  • Where ThoughtSpot falls short: limited chart customization options; font, color, and size customizations for visualizations are restricted.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Keycloak and ThoughtSpot actually diverge.

Attributes where Keycloak and ThoughtSpot differ
AttributeKeycloakThoughtSpot
Starting priceFree$12999/year
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsSelf-hosted, Linux, Windows, APIWeb, Self-hosted
CategoryDeveloper ToolsBusiness Intelligence

Not yet recorded: pricing model for ThoughtSpot, founded for Keycloak.

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 ThoughtSpot does not also cover.

Only in ThoughtSpot

  • Natural Language Search
  • SpotIQ AI
  • Liveboards
  • Embedded Analytics
  • Data Modeling
  • Snowflake
  • Databricks
  • BigQuery

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

ThoughtSpot

  • Self-service analyticsnot Keycloak
  • Data explorationnot Keycloak
  • Ad-hoc reportingnot Keycloak
  • Collaborative analysisnot Keycloak
  • Embedded analyticsnot 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

ThoughtSpot

  • Limited chart customization options; font, color, and size customizations for visualizations are restricted
  • Data modeling setup is complex and requires specialized expertise
  • High implementation costs restrict adoption for smaller organizations
  • Requires quality data and user training to fully realize benefits

Pricing, plan by plan

Keycloak

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

ThoughtSpot

$12999/year
  • StartupSpot$12,999/yr
    • Unlimited internal users
    • Up to 50 external customers
  • Essentials$25/user/mo
    • Self-service analytics
  • Pro$50/user/mo
    • Advanced analytics
    • Agentic features

Which should you pick?

Choose Keycloak if

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

Choose ThoughtSpot if

  • You need natural language search.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted.
  • You also want spotiq ai.

Questions people ask

Is Keycloak or ThoughtSpot better?
Neither clearly leads. Keycloak starts at Free and ThoughtSpot at $12999/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Keycloak or ThoughtSpot?
Keycloak has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Keycloak and $12999/year for ThoughtSpot.
Does Keycloak or ThoughtSpot run on more platforms?
Keycloak runs on Self-hosted, Linux, Windows, API. ThoughtSpot runs on Web, Self-hosted.
Can I use Keycloak for free?
Yes. Keycloak has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ThoughtSpot starts at $12999/year.
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 ThoughtSpot is typically brought in for.
What can Keycloak do that ThoughtSpot cannot?
ThoughtSpot covers Natural Language Search, SpotIQ AI, Liveboards, Embedded Analytics.

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
ThoughtSpot: What is ThoughtSpot's core capability?

ThoughtSpot pioneered search-driven analytics, allowing users to type questions and get charts back instantly without complex setup. This semantic layer approach democratizes data access for business users.

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
ThoughtSpot: What are ThoughtSpot's pricing plans?

ThoughtSpot offers StartupSpot at $12,999 per year for startups, an Essentials plan starting at $25 per user per month, a Pro plan at $50 per user per month, and custom Enterprise pricing for large deployments.

Source
Keycloak: Is Keycloak free?

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

Source
ThoughtSpot: Does ThoughtSpot support embedded analytics?

Yes, ThoughtSpot provides embedded analytics capabilities for building data-driven applications, with pricing varying based on deployment model and scale.

Source
ThoughtSpot: What is SpotIQ?

SpotIQ is ThoughtSpot's AI-driven anomaly detection feature that automatically identifies interesting patterns and insights in data without manual configuration.

Source
ThoughtSpot: Can ThoughtSpot handle complex data models?

While ThoughtSpot excels in self-service BI and intuitive querying, data modeling can be complex and requires expertise to set up properly.

Source
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