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Developer Tools · head to head

Keycloak vs Userpilot

Keycloak logo

Keycloak

Developer Tools

Open-source identity and access management server.

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Userpilot logo

Userpilot

Technology

Product analytics and in-app onboarding platform.

From
Free
Free plan
Yes

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Keycloak requires self-hosted deployment and operational expertise to install, configure and maintain; Userpilot starter tier limited to 2,000 monthly active users; even small-to-medium products may require Growth tier
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Keycloak and Userpilot actually diverge.

Attributes where Keycloak and Userpilot differ
AttributeKeycloakUserpilot
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
PlatformsSelf-hosted, Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Windows, APIWeb, iOS, Android, API
CategoryDeveloper ToolsTechnology

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.

Keycloak

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

Userpilot

  • SaaS companies optimising user onboarding and activationnot Keycloak
  • Product teams collecting user feedback and identifying churn drivers via session replaynot Keycloak
  • Customer success teams using in-app guides and contextual helpnot Keycloak
  • Growth teams orchestrating multi-channel campaigns across email and in-appnot Keycloak
  • Product managers measuring adoption and engagement across user cohortsnot 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

Userpilot

  • Starter tier limited to 2,000 monthly active users; even small-to-medium products may require Growth tier
  • Large price jump from Starter ($299/mo) to Growth ($849/mo), nearly 3x increase
  • Growth tier scales to 100,000 MAU but does not publish pricing for higher volumes, requiring Enterprise negotiation
  • Session replay and mobile engagement are optional add-ons in Growth tier, not included in base pricing
  • Enterprise pricing not published; custom negotiations required for large-scale deployments

Pricing, plan by plan

Keycloak

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

Userpilot

Free
  • Starter$299/month
    • Up to 2,000 monthly active users
    • In-app engagement
    • User segmentation
  • Growth$849/month (marked 'Most Popular')
    • 2,000 to 100,000 monthly active users
    • All Starter features
    • Advanced product analytics
  • Enterprise$undefined/variable
    • Custom monthly active user levels
    • All Growth features
    • Premium integrations

Which should you pick?

Choose Keycloak if

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

Choose Userpilot if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.

Questions people ask

Is Keycloak or Userpilot better?
Neither clearly leads. Keycloak starts at Free and Userpilot at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Keycloak or Userpilot?
Keycloak starts at Free and Userpilot at Free.
Does Keycloak or Userpilot run on more platforms?
Keycloak runs on Self-hosted, Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Windows, API. Userpilot runs on Web, iOS, Android, API.
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 Userpilot 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
Userpilot: What is included in the free trial?

Userpilot offers a free 14-day trial without requiring a credit card, providing full access to the Starter tier features.

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
Userpilot: Does Userpilot include session replay?

Session replay is available in the Growth tier as an optional add-on for watching real user sessions and identifying friction points.

Source
Keycloak: Is Keycloak free?

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

Source
Userpilot: What integrations does Userpilot support?

Userpilot integrates with HubSpot, Salesforce, Segment, Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel, Heap, Zendesk, Intercom and Google Tag Manager. Additional integrations can be requested.

Source
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