In previous article, we mentioned Best Auth0 alternatives (Open source or Free) and Best Keycloak Alternatives (Open Source) but in this article, I have mentioned Auth0 vs keycloak comparison (or you can say keycloak vs Auth0 comparison) with their features, advantage and disadvantage.
Keycloak and Auth0 are two of the best identity and access management tools. They allow access to business-related resources like servers, networks, and services that employees need to work. With these identity and access management tools, you can have control of your work environment with only authorized users having access to your company's resources.
Generally, identity and access management tools are implemented on both source and target systems in companies so that access to accounts is an agreement between two permitted accesses which is why tools like Keycloak and Auth0 have become essential in a time like this when remote work is becoming increasingly popular.
But, when making a choice, you need to consider their features, pros, and cons to know which one will suit your needs.
This article compares both Keycloak and Auth0, analyzing the features of both tools to help your decision-making.
Keycloak
Keycloak is an open-source identity and access management tool licensed with Apache License 2.0 and an upstream project for Red Hat SSO. It is mainly used for applications and services.
Keycloak Authentication
When you authenticate with Keycloak, applications do not have to deal with login forms or storing and authenticating users. Once you or any user logs in or signs out from Keycloak, they already have permanent access to different applications and do not need authentication when next they want to use these applications.
Keycloak Password Policies
Keycloak lets you use any password of your choice regardless of the length, strength, or complexity. This policy may be widely-criticized, but it allows you to create passwords without struggling to remind them later. Usually, you use passwords sparingly since you will not need to log in always. Hence, you can easily forget a suggested password except if you try to save it with a third-party app.
Features
- Add authentication to applications and secure services with minimum effort.
- No need to deal with storing or authenticating users.
- Provides user federation and strong authentication.
- User management.
- Single-Sign on.
- User federation.
- Fine-grained authentication.
Pros Of Keycloak
- Easy to use.
- Open-source.
- Powerful features like OAuth 2.0, Single Sign-On (SSO), and OIDC authentication authorization.
Cons Of Keycloak
- Complex architecture.
- Higher learning costs.
- Does not authenticate via an external database.
- Lack of Code examples for client side
Auth0
Auth0 is an identity and access management tool that provides both authentication and authorization services for websites and applications. It is used to build and run secure identity infrastructures like password management, authentication, and data protection.
Auth0 Authentication
Auth0 uses OAuth 2.0 Authorization Framework and OpenID Connect (OIDC) Protocol for user authentication to grant users access to gain access to protected resources.
If you feel the authentication process of OAuth 2.0 and OIDC is complex, Auth0 helps you handle these complex processes. It also supports authentication in mobile, desktop, server-side, client-side, and device applications.
Auth0 Password Policies
Password strength is essential when you use passwords for authentication. A strong password makes it hard for other parties to access protected resources.
To allow users to create the passwords they want, Auth0 has some password customization policies.
To match OWASP password recommendations, Auth0 has five levels of password security.
- None (default): At least one character
- Low: At least six characters
- Fair: Minimum of eight characters consisting of at least a lower case letter, upper case letter, and a number.
- Good: At least eight characters containing any three lower case letters, upper case letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Excellent: At least eight characters containing any three lower case letters, upper case letters, numbers, and symbols.
You can choose the level of password security you want in the Auth0 Password Policies Section.
Features
- Advanced analytics
- Single Sign On
- Adaptive multi-layer security
- Custom domains available
- App authentication and authorization
- It duplicates account consolidation
- Offers universal login flow
- Centralized provisioning
- It offers role-based permissions
Pros Of Auth0
- Heightened security
- Customizable UI.
- Social media sign-ins.
- Strong documentation.
- Analytics for marketing teams.
Cons Of Auth0
- High pricing.
- No data disaster recovery support.
- Status page not reflect actual status
Keycloak Vs Auth0
| Keycloak | Auth0 |
|---|---|
|
Supports multiple identity provider |
Integration with 20+ Social Providers |
|
OpenID and SAML support with easy customization |
Has a market share in the Identity and Access Management category |
|
It is open-source. |
Flexible pricing policy with a free plan |
|
Maintained by devs at Redhat |
Great documentation, samples, UX and Angular support |
Both supports JSON web token.
Conclusion
While Auth0 remains a popular identity and access management tool, Keycloak can be considered a match for it in some aspects. In general, these tools work well to secure access to resources.
You may also like to read:
Best Auth0 alternatives (Open source or Free)
Best Keycloak Alternatives (Open Source)
Best Free and open source Jira alternatives
