Akeyless vs Keycloak: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for Akeyless and Keycloak side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
Akeyless
Unified identity security for machines, AI agents, and humans in the AI era.
Best for you if:
- • You want unified platform for human, machine, and AI agent identity security
Keycloak
Open-source identity and access management
Best for you if:
- • You want a fully free tool (Akeyless requires payment)
| At a Glance | Akeyless | |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free plan | Free 100% free |
Category | Security Identity & Access | Identity & Access Security |
Rating | 4.6/5 G2 4.6 92 reviews | n/a |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Choose Akeyless or Keycloak?
Choose Akeyless if
- You want unified platform for human, machine, and AI agent identity security
- You want cloud-native, agentless, and API-first architecture
- You work in security, not identity & access
Choose Keycloak if
- You want a fully free tool (Akeyless requires payment)
- You want open source identity
- You want self-hostable
- You work in identity & access, not security
In-Depth Analysis
Akeyless
Unified identity security for machines, AI agents, and humans in the AI era.
Akeyless offers a generous Free tier that is well-suited for small teams or individual developers looking to secure a limited number of secrets and identities.
Strengths
- Pro: Unified platform for human, machine, and AI agent identity security.
- Pro: Cloud-native, agentless, and API-first architecture.
- Pro: Reduces maintenance and provisioning time (up to 70% reported).
- Pro: Provides zero-knowledge assurance with Distributed Fragments Cryptography™ (DFC).
- Pro: Supports both Pure SaaS and Hybrid SaaS deployment options.
Weaknesses
- Con: Pricing model can be complex with multiple units (clients, HSM integrations, connectors, certificates, transactions).
- Con: Requires understanding of various identity types and security concepts for optimal utilization.
Key features
Keycloak
Open-source identity and access management
Keycloak's pricing is exceptionally generous, being entirely free as an open-source solution.
Strengths
- Pro: Open source identity
- Pro: Self-hostable
- Pro: Feature rich
- Pro: No per-user cost
- Pro: Enterprise ready
Weaknesses
- Con: Complex to set up
- Con: Requires maintenance
- Con: Learning curve
- Con: Java-based
- Con: UI dated
Key features
Plans and prices: Akeyless vs Keycloak
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Akeyless |
| akeyless.io/pricing read Nov 1, 2026 |
| Keycloak |
| keycloak.org read Sep 28, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on Akeyless pricing and Keycloak pricing.
Key Takeaways
Akeyless
- Choose if you want unified identity security for machines, AI agents, and humans in the AI era
Keycloak
- Choose if you want open-source identity and access management
What the data shows
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
- Only Akeyless has a published user rating (4.6/5 from 92 reviews); Keycloak has none we can show.
- Both have a free plan.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Akeyless and Keycloak compare in 2026?
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair. Only Akeyless has a published user rating (4.6/5 from 92 reviews); Keycloak has none we can show. Both have a free plan.
What are Akeyless and Keycloak used for?
Akeyless: Unified identity security for machines, AI agents, and humans in the AI era. Keycloak: Open-source identity and access management.
What does Akeyless cost vs Keycloak?
Akeyless has no public paid-plan price on file. Keycloak is free. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Nov 1, 2026.
What's the main difference between Akeyless and Keycloak?
Akeyless's main strength: unified platform for human, machine, and AI agent identity security. Keycloak's main strength: open source identity.