Top Okta Alternatives in 2026: Open Source Options for Developers

Last updated: March 2026

Okta has been the default choice for enterprise identity and access management for years, and for good reason: it provides a comprehensive, fully managed platform with strong compliance certifications and broad integration support. But Okta’s pricing model, which scales per user per month, creates a cost curve that becomes painful as organizations grow. At 10,000 users on a Workforce Identity plan, annual costs can easily exceed $100,000.

This has driven many organizations to evaluate open-source alternatives that provide comparable functionality without per-user pricing. The open-source IAM landscape has matured significantly, and there are now several production-ready options that can replace Okta for many use cases.

This guide compares the leading open-source Okta alternatives: Keycloak, Authentik, Zitadel, Ory, and Gluu. For each, we cover features, maturity, community size, enterprise readiness, and the trade-offs involved.

Why Organizations Leave Okta

Before comparing alternatives, it helps to understand the common motivations for switching:

• Cost at scale: Okta’s per-user pricing becomes expensive as user bases grow. A company with 50,000 customer-facing users can spend $300,000+ annually on Okta’s Customer Identity product.
• Vendor lock-in: Okta’s proprietary APIs and SDKs create tight coupling. Switching away requires significant re-integration work.
• Data sovereignty: Some organizations need full control over where identity data is stored, which is not possible with a cloud-only SaaS.
• Customization limits: While Okta is configurable, deep customization (custom authentication flows, unique login experiences, specialized MFA methods) often requires expensive professional services.
• Compliance: Certain industries and regions require identity systems to run on specific infrastructure or within specific jurisdictions.

Use the IAM ROI Calculator to estimate how much you could save by switching from Okta to an open-source alternative.

Quick Comparison

Feature	Keycloak	Authentik	Zitadel	Ory	Gluu
License	Apache 2.0	Custom (enterprise source)	Apache 2.0	Apache 2.0	Apache 2.0 / Gluu License
First Release	2014	2020	2020	2016	2009
Language	Java (Quarkus)	Python (Django) + Go	Go	Go	Java
SSO	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
OIDC	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
SAML	Yes (IdP + SP)	Yes (SP only)	Yes	No	Yes (IdP + SP)
LDAP/AD	Built-in	Built-in	Limited	No	Built-in
SCIM	Extensions	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
MFA	TOTP, WebAuthn, SMS	TOTP, WebAuthn, SMS, Duo	TOTP, U2F, OTP	TOTP, WebAuthn	TOTP, FIDO2, SMS, Duo
Admin UI	Yes	Yes	Yes	No (API-first)	Yes
Multi-tenancy	Realms + Orgs	Tenants	Organizations	Projects	Organizations
GitHub Stars	~25,000	~14,000	~9,500	~12,000 (Hydra)	~1,700
Managed Cloud	Skycloak, others	authentik Cloud	Zitadel Cloud	Ory Network	Gluu Flex

1. Keycloak

Keycloak is the most mature and widely deployed open-source IAM solution. Originally developed by Red Hat (now part of IBM), it has been in production at thousands of organizations since 2014.

Strengths

Protocol support: Keycloak supports OIDC, OAuth 2.0, SAML 2.0 (both as Identity Provider and Service Provider), LDAP, Active Directory, and Kerberos. This breadth of protocol support makes it suitable for enterprise environments where legacy systems coexist with modern applications.

Extensibility: Keycloak’s Service Provider Interface (SPI) system allows deep customization:

• Custom authentication flows (add new authenticator steps)
• Custom user storage backends (federate with any data source)
• Custom protocol mappers (control token contents)
• Custom event listeners (react to any system event)
• Custom themes (fully branded login experiences)

Ecosystem: As the most popular open-source IAM project, Keycloak has the largest ecosystem of extensions, integrations, and community-contributed solutions. You can find adapters for virtually every language and framework.

Enterprise features: Single sign-on, multi-factor authentication (TOTP, WebAuthn/FIDO2, conditional MFA), role-based access control, fine-grained authorization, audit logging, session management, and identity brokering are all built-in.

Community: With approximately 25,000 GitHub stars and an active community on GitHub Discussions and mailing lists, Keycloak has the largest user base and the most community-contributed content (blog posts, tutorials, extensions) of any open-source IAM solution.

Weaknesses

• Resource usage: As a Java application, Keycloak requires more memory than Go-based alternatives (minimum ~512MB for production, recommended 1-2GB)
• Operational complexity: Running Keycloak in production requires expertise in database management, clustering, and Java application deployment
• API-first development: While Keycloak has a comprehensive Admin REST API, it was designed with a UI-first approach. Some operations are easier in the admin console than via API

Managed Options

Self-hosting Keycloak requires operational expertise. Skycloak provides fully managed Keycloak instances with automatic updates, backups, high availability, monitoring, and expert support. This gives you Keycloak’s power without the infrastructure burden. See pricing for plans and SLA for uptime guarantees.

For local development and testing, use the Keycloak Docker Compose Generator to create a customized local setup, or the Keycloak Config Generator to scaffold realm configurations.

Best For

Organizations that need comprehensive protocol support (especially SAML), deep customization, LDAP/AD federation, and a mature, battle-tested solution with the largest community.

2. Authentik

Authentik is a newer identity provider that has gained significant traction since its initial release in 2020. It is written in Python (Django) with a Go-based outpost proxy system.

Strengths

Modern UI: Authentik has one of the best admin interfaces in the open-source IAM space. The flow builder provides a visual, drag-and-drop interface for designing authentication flows, making complex flows accessible to non-developers.

Proxy authentication: Authentik’s outpost system can protect applications that do not support OIDC or SAML natively. The forward-auth proxy sits in front of the application and handles authentication transparently. This is particularly useful for protecting legacy applications, dashboards, and self-hosted tools.

Application blueprints: Pre-built integration templates for popular applications (Grafana, Nextcloud, Gitea, etc.) that configure the identity provider and application simultaneously.

Built-in SCIM: Native SCIM server for provisioning users to downstream applications.

Weaknesses

• SAML limitations: Authentik acts as a SAML IdP but has limited SAML SP capabilities. If you need to consume SAML assertions from external identity providers, this may be a gap.
• Licensing: Authentik uses a custom license for its enterprise features. The core is open source, but some features (like enterprise support, certain outpost features) require an enterprise license.
• Ecosystem size: While growing fast, the community and extension ecosystem is smaller than Keycloak’s.
• Python performance: For very high-throughput scenarios, Python/Django may introduce higher latency than Go or Java-based alternatives.

Best For

Teams that want a modern, visually appealing admin experience with excellent proxy authentication capabilities. Particularly good for protecting self-hosted applications and home lab setups.

3. Zitadel

Zitadel is a Go-based identity management platform that was built from the ground up as a cloud-native, API-first solution.

Strengths

Cloud-native architecture: Written in Go, Zitadel is lightweight, fast, and designed for containerized deployments. It uses CockroachDB or PostgreSQL as its data store and supports horizontal scaling out of the box.

Built-in multi-tenancy: Organizations are a first-class concept in Zitadel. Each organization has its own users, policies, and branding, making it well-suited for B2B SaaS applications.

Actions system: Zitadel’s Actions (similar to Auth0’s Actions/Hooks) allow you to run custom JavaScript code at specific points in the authentication flow without deploying custom code or extensions.

Developer experience: Zitadel provides comprehensive gRPC and REST APIs, SDKs for multiple languages, and extensive API documentation. It was designed for API-first integration.

Built-in SCIM: Native SCIM 2.0 support for user provisioning.

Weaknesses

• Younger project: Released in 2020, Zitadel is less battle-tested than Keycloak or Gluu in enterprise environments.
• Limited LDAP: LDAP integration is available but less mature than Keycloak’s built-in LDAP federation.
• Smaller community: Fewer third-party integrations, tutorials, and community extensions compared to Keycloak.
• CockroachDB dependency: While PostgreSQL is supported, Zitadel was originally designed for CockroachDB, and some features work best with it.

Best For

Teams building B2B SaaS products that need built-in multi-tenancy, organizations, and a modern, API-first identity layer. Also good for teams that prefer Go-based infrastructure.

4. Ory

Ory takes a different approach from the other solutions on this list. Instead of providing a monolithic identity server, Ory offers a set of composable microservices, each handling a specific identity concern.

Components

• Ory Kratos: Identity management (registration, login, profile management, account recovery)
• Ory Hydra: OAuth 2.0 and OIDC provider
• Ory Oathkeeper: API gateway / reverse proxy for zero-trust access control
• Ory Keto: Fine-grained authorization (inspired by Google Zanzibar)

Strengths

Modular architecture: You can adopt individual components without taking on the entire stack. Need just an OAuth server? Use Hydra. Need user management? Add Kratos.

API-first: Every component is headless and API-driven. There is no admin UI (by design). This makes Ory ideal for teams that want full control over the user experience and are comfortable managing everything through APIs and configuration files.

Performance: Written in Go, Ory’s components are lightweight and fast. Hydra, in particular, is known for its performance as a pure OAuth 2.0/OIDC server.

Cloud offering: Ory Network provides a managed version of the Ory stack with a generous free tier.

Weaknesses

• No admin UI: There is no built-in admin console. All management is done via APIs, CLI, or configuration files. This is a feature for some teams and a dealbreaker for others.
• No SAML support: Ory does not support SAML at all. If you need SAML, you need a different solution or an additional component.
• No LDAP/AD: No built-in LDAP or Active Directory federation.
• Complexity: Running multiple microservices (Kratos + Hydra + Oathkeeper + Keto) is more operationally complex than running a single identity server.
• No built-in MFA beyond TOTP: WebAuthn support exists but the MFA options are more limited than Keycloak’s.

Best For

Developer-focused teams that want a headless, API-first identity stack and are comfortable building their own admin interfaces. Good for microservices architectures where composability matters.

5. Gluu

Gluu is one of the oldest open-source IAM solutions, predating even Keycloak. It has been in development since 2009 and targets enterprise and government deployments.

Strengths

Enterprise maturity: Gluu has been deployed in large enterprise and government environments for over 15 years. It has certifications and compliance experience that newer projects lack.

Full protocol support: OIDC, OAuth 2.0, SAML 2.0 (IdP and SP), SCIM, UMA (User-Managed Access), and FIDO2. Gluu’s protocol support is on par with Keycloak’s.

SCIM server: Gluu includes a full SCIM 2.0 server for user provisioning, which is important for enterprise deployments that need automated user lifecycle management.

Customization: Gluu allows custom authentication flows using Python (Jython) scripts, which can be modified at runtime without restarting the server.

Weaknesses

• Smaller community: Despite being older, Gluu has a smaller open-source community than Keycloak or Authentik.
• Complex installation: Gluu’s installation process is more involved than most alternatives.
• Documentation: While comprehensive, documentation can be harder to navigate than Keycloak’s.
• Licensing complexity: Gluu’s open-source edition and commercial Gluu Flex have different capabilities, and the boundary between them can be unclear.

Best For

Enterprise and government organizations that need a proven, standards-compliant identity platform with full SAML and SCIM support and are comfortable with a more traditional enterprise deployment model.

Keycloak vs the Rest

Keycloak stands out for several reasons:

1. Most complete feature set: No other open-source IAM solution matches Keycloak’s breadth of protocol support, federation capabilities, and extensibility in a single product.

2. Largest community: More GitHub stars, more Stack Overflow answers, more blog posts, more third-party extensions, and more people running it in production. When you hit an issue, the answer is more likely to already exist.

3. Red Hat / IBM backing: While fully open source (Apache 2.0), Keycloak benefits from the engineering resources of Red Hat/IBM. This provides stability and long-term viability.

4. Managed options: Multiple managed Keycloak providers exist, with Skycloak offering a developer-focused managed experience. This eliminates the primary argument against self-hosted solutions (operational burden) while preserving all of Keycloak’s advantages.

5. Migration path: Keycloak uses standard protocols. If you ever need to switch away, your applications are integrated via OIDC/SAML, not proprietary SDKs. Use the SAML Decoder and JWT Token Analyzer for debugging integrations.

Migration from Okta

If you are moving from Okta to an open-source alternative, here is a general migration plan:

Phase 1: Assessment

• Inventory all applications integrated with Okta
• Document which protocols each application uses (OIDC, SAML, SCIM)
• Identify custom policies, MFA configurations, and automation
• Review compliance requirements

Phase 2: Parallel Setup

• Deploy the chosen alternative alongside Okta
• Configure matching realms/tenants, clients, and identity providers
• Set up identity provider federation to mirror your Okta configuration
• Test with non-production applications first

Phase 3: Migration

• Migrate users (most alternatives support bulk import)
• Update application configurations to point to the new identity provider
• Implement SCIM provisioning if needed (SCIM Endpoint Tester can help validate your setup)
• Move applications in batches, starting with less critical ones

Phase 4: Validation

• Verify SSO works across all migrated applications
• Test MFA flows
• Validate audit logging captures expected events
• Confirm session management policies are enforced
• Monitor with insights dashboards

Cost Comparison

The financial case for open-source alternatives is compelling:

Solution	1,000 Users	10,000 Users	100,000 Users
Okta (Workforce)	~$24,000/yr	~$240,000/yr	~$2,400,000/yr
Okta (Customer Identity)	~$6,000/yr	~$30,000/yr	~$300,000/yr
Keycloak (self-hosted)	~$3,600/yr	~$6,000/yr	~$12,000/yr
Keycloak (Skycloak)	See pricing	See pricing	See pricing
Authentik (self-hosted)	~$2,400/yr	~$4,800/yr	~$9,600/yr
Zitadel (self-hosted)	~$2,400/yr	~$4,800/yr	~$9,600/yr

Self-hosted costs are infrastructure estimates and vary based on cloud provider, region, and high-availability requirements. The key insight is that self-hosted costs scale with infrastructure needs, not user count.

Making the Decision

Choose Keycloak (or Skycloak) if:

• You need the most comprehensive feature set
• SAML support (both IdP and SP) is required
• LDAP/AD federation is important
• You want the largest community for support
• You need enterprise-grade features without enterprise-grade pricing
• You want a managed option that handles operations (Skycloak)

Choose Authentik if:

• You want a modern admin UI with visual flow building
• Proxy authentication for legacy apps is important
• You are in the homelab/self-hosted application space

Choose Zitadel if:

• You are building a B2B SaaS and need native multi-tenancy
• API-first development is your preference
• You want a lightweight, Go-based solution

Choose Ory if:

• You want a headless, composable identity stack
• You are building custom UIs and do not need an admin console
• Microservices architecture alignment matters

Choose Gluu if:

• You need a proven solution for government or highly regulated industries
• Full SCIM and UMA support is required out of the box
• You have experience with enterprise Java deployments

Try Skycloak

Get the power of Keycloak, the most feature-complete open-source Okta alternative, without the operational overhead. Skycloak provides fully managed Keycloak with automatic updates, backups, high availability, and expert support. See our pricing, read the documentation, or check out our security practices to learn more.