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Developer Tools · head to head

Keycloak vs Zephyr Scale

Keycloak logo

Keycloak

Developer Tools

Open-source identity and access management server.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zephyr Scale logo

Zephyr Scale

Testing

Native test management for Jira

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Keycloak has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Keycloak requires self-hosted deployment and operational expertise to install, configure and maintain; Zephyr Scale tightly bound to Jira; limited standalone functionality outside Jira ecosystem

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Keycloak and Zephyr Scale actually diverge.

Attributes where Keycloak and Zephyr Scale differ
AttributeKeycloakZephyr Scale
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsSelf-hosted, Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Windows, APIWeb
CategoryDeveloper ToolsTesting

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

Zephyr Scale

  • Test case management within Jira workflowsnot Keycloak
  • Manual and automated test execution trackingnot Keycloak
  • Cross-project test asset reusenot Keycloak
  • Requirements traceability from stories to testsnot Keycloak
  • CI/CD pipeline and BDD framework integrationnot 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

Zephyr Scale

  • Tightly bound to Jira; limited standalone functionality outside Jira ecosystem
  • No-code automation features limited in Standard tier, expanded only in Advanced
  • Data residency feature unavailable for Essential tier, limiting enterprise compliance
  • Transparent cost structure not provided on marketing page

Pricing, plan by plan

Keycloak

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

Zephyr Scale

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Zephyr Scale 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 Zephyr Scale if

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

Zephyr Scale review

Questions people ask

Is Keycloak or Zephyr Scale better?
Neither clearly leads. Keycloak starts at Free and Zephyr Scale at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Keycloak or Zephyr Scale?
Keycloak has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Keycloak and On request for Zephyr Scale.
Does Keycloak or Zephyr Scale run on more platforms?
Keycloak runs on Self-hosted, Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Windows, API. Zephyr Scale runs on Web.
Can I use Keycloak for free?
Yes. Keycloak has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Zephyr Scale starts at On request.
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 Zephyr Scale 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
Zephyr Scale: How much does Zephyr Scale cost?

Zephyr Scale pricing is not published on the website. Three tiers are available: Essential, Standard, and Advanced, plus QMetry for Jira. Contact SmartBear or visit Atlassian Marketplace for pricing details.

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
Zephyr Scale: Is there a free trial available?

Yes, Zephyr offers free trials for Essential, Standard, and Advanced tiers, as well as for QMetry. Visit the product page to start a trial.

Source
Keycloak: Is Keycloak free?

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

Source
Zephyr Scale: Does Zephyr Scale work outside of Jira?

Zephyr Scale is tightly integrated with Jira for test management. For standalone test management outside Jira, SmartBear offers QMetry as an alternative.

Source
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